Looking Ahead - Recruitment Market H2 2024

With a general election date finalised and the economy strengthening it's time to look ahead to the second half of 2024 and how the finance recruitment market will develop.

To a degree, organisations rely on their CFOs and FD to unpick the financial implications of macro-economic issues and 2024 will continue to pose strategic questions. The reduction in inflation may lead to manufacturing companies seeing a relative drop in the cost of their raw material. Will this lead to increased margins or should those savings be passed on? The cost of borrowing will potentially lead to further investment and M&A activity and wage inflation raises questions of team stability and future growth.

The CFO/FD role becomes increasingly important and companies will do well to reflect on whether they have to up-skill their current C-suite finance team. The alternative is to recruit the knowledge that will be required to ensure that the organisation will be in the best possible position to take advantage of any opportunities created by change.

Helping companies add to their commercially focused finance team, through the recruitment of exceptional FP&A and business partnering individuals has been a theme for H1 and it would be safe to say that this will continue. The dearth of top-quality talent with these skills has seen several organisations struggle to fill roles and whilst they remain vacant, the company is at more risk of missing out on key decisions.?

A Multifaceted Recruitment Model is Key

One certainty is that flexibility is the key to adapting to market changes and this is never truer than in the recruitment market. Finding the best talent, reducing the time associated with the recruitment process and allowing decision-making to take priority, and not bureaucracy, all help when approaching the market.?

Here at Savant, we have the knowledge and market insight that will make a difference in a challenging market. We find ourselves relying more and more on our extensive market and established network of finance professionals as a way of highlighting the best people for each vacancy. Recruiting via adverts and ‘word of mouth’ becomes less effective as the market becomes busier. We are happy to support our clients as we all work towards a successful and productive H2.