Today’s finance team is expected to play a central role in everything from digital transformation to sustainability initiatives, recalibrating the mix of skills needed to succeed.
At the same time, finance professionals are reassessing what they want from their careers and work environments – with compensation just one part of much broader picture.
Identifying and addressing these shifting dynamics should be a top priority for CFOs.
New priorities demand new skills
Businesses are increasingly looking to their CFO to generate value and deliver data-led insights – an ambition that requires a team with capabilities far beyond traditional accounting.
The top three skills CFOs intend to bring into their team over the next 12 months are, for the second time in a row, not ‘traditional’ finance skills.
ESG took the top spot, with finance teams increasingly expected to manage ESG-related external reporting. This includes frameworks like the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, as well as areas like gender pay gap reporting.
The top three skills CFOs are looking to hire into their finance function over the next 12 months are:
ESG strategy and implementation
Data analytics and business intelligence
Strategic thinking and decision-making support
While some of these will require specialists, we’re seeing a shift away from solely hiring for set ‘roles’ into recruiting for sets of skills. High-performing finance teams will be those where every member can offer at least some of these capabilities.
This requires a long-term, strategic approach to learning and development; they aren't skills gaps that can be addressed overnight.
CFOs need to be thinking about the capabilities their team will need not just today, but five years from now.
Expectations have evolved – has your leadership kept up?
The actions CFOs need to take to secure talent with these skills are also shifting. Finance professionals today are looking for more than just competitive pay – they're looking for purpose, flexibility, and opportunities to develop.
Teams span multiple generations, blending a mix of working styles. Those who entered the workforce during 2020 and later bring different expectations around flexibility, communication, and workplace culture.
How have CFOs seen their teams evolve over the last 12 months? (Filter to see responses from CFOs in your industry)
With flexible working arrangements a top priority, there is ample opportunity for finance teams to lead the way by allowing teams to work from anywhere. We see businesses that maximise this flexibility improve their ability to attract and retain top talent, improve productivity and boost employee satisfaction without compromising on effectiveness.
Teams also span multiple generations, blending a mix of working styles. Those who entered the workforce during 2020 and later bring different expectations around flexibility, communication, and workplace culture. If not proactively managed, these shifts can lead to misalignment, disengagement, and a strain on team cohesion.
The teams that succeed in this environment will be the ones that take the time to step back, create an open dialogue to understand what their people now value most, and work with HR to realign their Employee Value Proposition.
The way forward: how are CFOs adapting?
Recognising the importance of building adaptable, future-ready teams, we are seeing CFOs increasingly encourage lateral career moves. This approach can support internal mobility, enhance employee engagement, and help to retain high-potential staff.
The top three areas CFOs are prioritising to attract and retain talent with the skills needed are:
Lateral career moves
Supporting individuals to make lateral moves into other finance roles to gain a broader skillset
DEI initiatives
Expanding outreach to diverse talent pools through DEI initiatives
Leveraging apprenticeships
Offering apprenticeship programmes
As emerging skills, from data analytics to business partnering, become more essential, CFOs are also increasingly looking to apprenticeships to help close the gaps.
This is a cost-effective and sustainable way to develop in-demand skillsets that are difficult to hire or outsource for, yet we often speak with finance leaders aren't using their full apprenticeship levy.
Earlier this year, the Government signalled its intent to introduce greater flexibility in how the Apprenticeship Levy can be used – potentially funding certain programmes, job levels or sectors differently. While the details are not yet clear, what is certain is that the levy will remain a key tool to upskill finance teams.
Whether through developing in-house training programmes or hiring for AI and automation skills, securing the buy-in to acquire the skills required for a future-fit finance team is difficult.
Many businesses we work with face this challenge, with budgets tight and ROI expectations high.
It is also reflected in the survey findings. At least one third of CFOs shared that their organisation plans to reduce investment in several people-related areas over the next 12 months. While this may be unsurprising in the current business environment, it risks undermining long-term capability and competitiveness.
To gain buy-in, people initiatives need to clearly link to measurable business outcomes with set KPIs. Proposals need to be framed in terms of productivity gains, talent retention, risk mitigation or improved capacity to deliver on strategic outcomes.
Data is key here. Aligning with HR on internal metrics, for example absenteeism and skills gaps, alongside external benchmarks will help to quantify the cost of inaction. Buy-in for the people agenda grows when these investments are positioned as enablers of growth, resilience, and competitive advantage.
CFOs' people agenda investment expectations:
*Full survey question: Across your business, are you planning to invest more, less, or the same in any of the following areas over the next 12 months?
The majority of CFOs (84%) say that they do communicate with their HRD on operational matters – for example, headcount, payroll or budgeting – but this falls short of the strategic partnership that could benefit both sides.
The most commonly-cited barrier to collaborating more closely is a ‘lack of shared goals’.
Too often, finance and people strategies are too often developed in silos, despite both looking to play into the broader business strategy and long-term resilience.
Unlocking value to achieve a future-fit finance team, and business more broadly, demands aligned KPIs, integrated people and financial data, and a shared vision for workforce investment and productivity.
How do CFOs with a strong working relationship with their HRD say that they benefit?
1 Improved organisational culture and talent retention
2 Stronger alignment between finance and HR functions on commercial priorities
3 Better decision-making for leadership teams, with access to more complete workforce data
Browse more Finance Leaders Barometer insights, including interviews with finance leaders, in one place.
*The Finance Leaders Barometer is an anonymous survey of 300 CFOs and 200 Financial Controllers. The data was obtained in H1 2025. All respondents come from UK-based businesses across sectors, markets and regions.
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