Most finance and accounting firms plan to hire next year

Finance and accounting skills are in high demand, with a new survey revealing that most firms in the sector want to increase their headcount in 2025.

However, these hiring plans could be hindered due to a combination of skills shortages and worker’s salary expectations.

According to Robert Half’s 2025 Salary Guide, as many as 45% of finance and accounting employees are expecting a pay rise, with 20% considering resigning if their remuneration expectations aren’t met.

Finance leaders have said that instead of increasing salaries, they’ll use other methods to attract and retain staff. This includes perks such as bonuses (cited by 19%), flexible benefits (19%) and dental insurance (15%).

Regional Director at Robert Half, Steve Sully, said, “It’s encouraging to see more optimism in finance and accounting for next year, but it is also no secret that the cost of employment is increasing. With the likelihood of the planned uptick in NICs placing additional budget constraints on employers, coupled with professionals themselves seeking better remuneration packages, attracting talent could become ever more challenging.

“Against this backdrop, candidates hold the majority of the power when it comes to negotiating, meaning that robust talent attraction and retention strategies will be key. As such, it is promising that our research suggests that employers are increasingly looking at other means of attracting talent, including more holistic benefits packages which are clearly growing in importance with candidates.”

To find out more about contracting please contact Jaime on 01442 795 100 or email jaime.thorpe@dolanaccountancy.com.