Professionals expecting pay rises as cost-of-living increases, pushing budgets to the limit
– 52% of finance hiring managers planning to increase permanent headcount
– Almost half (45%) of professionals expect a pay rise, with 20% set to quit if they don’t get one
– Employers offering new perks to counter salary increases, including dental insurance
The majority of finance and accounting hiring managers plan to increase permanent headcount next year, but skills shortages and the increasing cost-of-living are pushing salary expectations up. That’s according to Robert Half’s 2025 Salary Guide.
The data – which surveyed 1,000 employees and 500 hiring managers across the UK – revealed that 52% of hiring managers in the sector are planning to expand their permanent headcount in 2025, with a further 40% intending to take on new recruits on a project basis. The most in demand skills cited by hiring managers are data analytics, knowledge of business intelligence tools and automation.
According to Robert Half, these hiring plans could be hindered by a combination of skills shortages and the rising remuneration expectations of the workforce. The 2025 Salary Guide data revealed that almost half (45%) of finance and accounting employees are expecting a pay rise, with 20% considering resigning if their remuneration expectations aren’t met.
In order to tackle this, finance leaders are planning new perks and benefits for their staff, such as agreed bonuses (19%), flexible benefits (19%) and dental insurance (15%).
Steve Sully, Regional Director at Robert Half commented:
“It’s encouraging to see more optimism in finance and accounting for next year, but it is also no secret that the cost of employment is increasing. With the likelihood of the planned uptick in NICs placing additional budget constraints on employers, coupled with professionals themselves seeking better remuneration packages, attracting talent could become ever more challenging. Against this backdrop, candidates hold the majority of the power when it comes to negotiating, meaning that robust talent attraction and retention strategies will be key. As such, it is promising that our research suggests that employers are increasingly looking at other means of attracting talent, including more holistic benefits packages which are clearly growing in importance with candidates.”
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