Accountancy jobs forecast with Robert Walters

DESPITE market uncertainty, the latest jobs forecast from Robert Walters shows that businesses are still hiring accountants and salaries are continuing to rise. Jon Stringer, Associate Director of Contract Accountancy & Finance Recruitment at Robert Walters, talks about current key trends.

What’s the accountancy and finance jobs market like right now?
Overall, the market is cautiously optimistic and there are some good opportunities for accountants thinking about moving jobs. Some sectors are particularly active at the moment and we expect them to remain this way for the foreseeable future.

Which businesses are hiring at the moment?
Smaller energy, oil and gas companies have been positioning themselves to move quickly once the market turns. We have also seen a lot of growth in the digital and broadcasting sectors as these employers seek to expand into emerging markets. Smaller and medium enterprises remain particularly bullish at the moment and we have seen noticeable hiring from these businesses.

Which skills are in demand?
As we have been seeing for a while now, finance professionals with the commercial and business insight to add value are the most sought-after in this market. This means that if you are an interim financial controller and finance director, FP&A professional and/or management accountant with these skills, you will be in demand at the moment.
Within banking and financial services, firms are seeking professionals who can immediately add value after outsourcing more junior level roles over the past couple of years. You will therefore stand a good chance of securing a role if you are at the 2-3 PQE level with relevant experience.

Are newly qualified accountants being recruited?
We always see demand for strong accountancy professionals who have graduated from one of the ‘big 4’ practice firms. Across the market, newly-qualified accountants with 1-2 years’ industry experience are also highly sought-after.

Is there demand at the part-qualified level?
We are continuing to see a number of job openings for part-qualified accountants. Specifically, commercial analysts who can articulate both the financial and commercial aspects of their work to stakeholders internally are in demand. We have also seen an increase in accounts payable roles.

What can you earn?
Salaries are on the rise, particularly for accountants with commercial and/or business-facing skills. In particular, salaries for newly-qualified CIMAs have increased from £40k to £45k in the past year. Salaries for part-qualified accountants have risen by 5% in the same period.

See the Robert Walters jobs forecast page for more information on the latest recruitment trends for accountants and professionals across a variety of other disciplines.