What hiring managers and finance professionals across the North West need to know as we move through Q2.
If you work in finance hiring across the North West, you’ll already have a sense that the market has shifted. But there’s a difference between sensing it and understanding what’s actually driving it. We’ve been tracking the numbers and the conversations, and here’s what the picture looks like right now.
Demand for interim finance professionals is strong. That’s not a particularly bold statement, but the degree to which it’s true right now is worth underlining. Clients are actively seeking interim cover across a range of levels, and in many cases they’re not waiting for the perfect permanent hire to come along. Interim is increasingly a strategic choice, not just a stopgap.
Part of what’s fuelling this is a shift in candidate behaviour. Permanent employees are sitting tight. Uncertainty in the broader economic environment has made professionals more cautious about leaving stable roles, which is tightening the available permanent talent pool and, in turn, pushing more hiring managers towards the interim route. It’s a market dynamic that tends to feed itself once it gets going.
If you’re bringing an interim finance professional on board, expect to pay the market rate, because candidates certainly know what it is. Day rates have remained competitive and, in some cases, have edged upwards as demand outpaces supply in certain disciplines.
The skills in highest demand right now include management accountants, financial accountants, FP&A specialists, and finance business partners. These are not niche roles. They’re core to how finance functions operate, and the shortfall in available candidates is being felt. If you have a vacancy in any of these areas, the assumption that a strong pool of applicants will materialise quickly is worth revisiting.
This is probably the most important operational point we can make right now: if you identify a strong interim candidate, you need to move quickly. The best people are not sitting on the market for weeks waiting for the right offer. In many cases, they have multiple conversations happening simultaneously, and the client that moves with pace is the one that secures the hire.
Drawn-out processes, multiple interview stages, or delays in decision-making are costing businesses good hires. We’ve seen it happen. Our own time to hire is in good shape, but that only counts for something if clients are ready to move at the same speed on their end. If your process isn’t set up to move at pace for interim appointments, it’s worth reviewing before you next find yourself in the market.
Flexibility is no longer a perk. For the majority of finance professionals we speak to, hybrid or flexible working is a baseline expectation rather than a nice-to-have. Remote working options, flexible hours, and genuine work-life balance are consistently among the top factors candidates cite when evaluating opportunities.
That applies to both permanent and interim candidates. On the interim side, professionals who have built a portfolio career are often particularly protective of their working arrangements. If you’re going head-to-head with another client for the same person, your flexibility offer matters.
The expectation, based on current pipeline and market signals, is that interim demand will remain elevated for the remainder of Q2 and, based on current signals, into Q3. There’s no clear indicator that the permanent market is about to open up significantly, and as long as candidate caution persists, interim will continue to be the more accessible route for many hiring managers.
For businesses with upcoming finance projects, transformation work, or cover requirements, the advice is straightforward: plan ahead, be realistic about timescales, and don’t assume availability will be there if you wait too long. The candidates you want are already in conversation elsewhere.
Our North West finance team works with clients across the region on both interim and permanent appointments. If you’d like to discuss the market in more detail or get a clearer picture of what’s available right now, we’d be happy to have that conversation.
