The Accounting and Finance market is ever-changing; as technology advances, firms are expected to keep up with the rate of progression – meaning they require the top talent.

Recently, businesses have had to dramatically transform operations to stay ahead of the competition – but what do these changes mean for you? Tallia Beagle, Senior Consultant of Accounting and Finance at Robert Walters, highlights the 3 key trends that will shape the market:

Salary offerings to take priority

Candidates are increasingly being presented with counteroffers, and we expect this to continue. In these cases, it really does come down to the best base salary offered – and clients are becoming far more negotiable when it comes to securing the top talent. Candidates truly have the control in the current market.

We always recommend benchmarking your salary to see what you are worth. The Robert Walters salary calculator enables you to review accurate market salary and pay averages to see how you compare to others in the market.

An increase in international and more flexible opportunities

During the pandemic, candidates were unable to look for vacancies outside of Ireland. With restrictions easing, we expect a lot of Newly Qualified (NQ) candidates to move overseas. We have already made placements for Irish professionals this year in countries including Australia and Canada, with Visa costs and additional travel charges being covered by the client. This is an exciting opportunity for NQ professionals looking to widen their experience further afield.  

There will also be a huge drive for international candidates coming into Ireland. With the ability to on-board candidates remotely whilst Visas are in process, employees can make the move to Dublin once everything is prepared. This gives the Big 4’s the ability to onboard people started sooner rather than later.

For the more senior positions, we are seeing a rise in hybrid opportunities. For many, moving away from Dublin during the pandemic made work/life balance a lot easier; there’s been a huge push for remote and hybrid working to continue. 

The roles and skills most in demand

We’re seeing a high demand in the corporate finance space, due to an increase in the buying and selling of companies and a result of business liquidations, merges, and acquisitions. There’s a much bigger need for corporate finance, and as a result, there are some fantastic career opportunities in this space.

Due to the lack of hiring within Commerce in 2020/21, we foresee many businesses will be making up for it this year. Across Financial Services as a whole, corporate services and insurance firms will be hiring the most, looking particularly for candidates coming from Big 4 backgrounds.

There’s also a lot hiring taking place in aircraft leasing and corporate services, with businesses searching for candidates with SPV and capital market experience. A huge skillset that will be sought after this year will be in IFRS 17 - solvency II and regulatory reporting.

We also expect to see clients adopt a more flexible searching method, in terms of background and experience. For example, a Financial Accountant may not have Financial Services experience, but will be considered for the role based on previous successes. 

Looking for your next move in accounting and finance and want to know what you should be expecting? Discover your earning potential across Ireland with the Robert Walters Salary Calculator.