Attracting talent from the evolving workforce

Some businesses are returning to traditional office settings, particularly to help new joiners’ onboarding. But for many finance professionals, flexible working models are essential when choosing their employer, not just a ‘nice-to-have'.

There's ample opportunity to lead the way by allowing your team to perform essential tasks from anywhere. Maximising this flexibility helps to attract and retain top talent, enhancing productivity and employee satisfaction without compromising effectiveness.

Offering remote working options also helps CFOs improve their access to the in-demand skills they need, like AI and ESG strategy. But, given the broad nature of these skillsets, it’s important to be clear and specific about the scope of any new roles and ensure strategic alignment.

Enabling ‘squiggly careers’

To achieve the breadth of skills required, we’re increasingly seeing CFOs support their teams to have non-linear career paths, or ‘squiggly careers’. This allows people the flexibility to try different roles and develop cross-functional skills, taking their own career path rather than climbing the traditional ladder.

If CFOs can meet their team’s interest in varied career paths, they can both help to retain top talent and to prepare them for future leadership roles.

Learn how enabling flexible working can help you achieve parity

Leveraging apprenticeships

Many of our clients’ training budgets have been really squeezed over the last few years. This is particularly impacting mid-market businesses, where immediate operational needs may be prioritised in a challenging economic climate.

Apprenticeships provide a cost-effective way to address skills gaps. It’s great to see clients whose training budgets are being stretched thin have that ‘light bulb moment’ when they discover this pot of funding. There are hundreds of options available, and CFOs can work with providers to tailor apprenticeships closely to their broader people agenda – for example, creating accelerated programmes for women in leadership.

The Labour Government has pledged to turn the Apprenticeship Levy into a ‘Growth and Skills Levy’ which could open even more opportunities for businesses to address diverse training needs, through broader upskilling initiatives.

How to build the finance function you need

The broad range of skillsets within finance teams today means that CFOs’ team management skills will need to evolve. They will need know their strengths and weaknesses, and build the right team around them to support them on the areas they’re not as confident influencing. 

To build impactful finance teams, there are three core questions CFOs can ask themselves: