An industry specialist has warned of a deepening talent shortage in finance and accountancy.
Joanna Pennell, divisional manager at Worcestershire-based Pineapple Recruitment, said that skills gaps could threaten growth and long-term resilience without urgent changes to recruitment and retention strategies.
She said: “There’s no doubt that commercial finance and accountancy remain highly attractive career paths, but the way businesses attract, develop and retain talent must evolve.
“Employers can no longer rely on traditional recruitment methods if they want to secure the skilled professionals.”
Ms Pennell said companies are struggling to recruit qualified and tech-savvy professionals, while younger candidates are increasingly drawn to technology-focused roles offering flexible working, clear progression, and competitive salaries.
She said that employers are now competing on two fronts: attracting experienced workers with strong technology and data skills, and encouraging entry-level talent into a sector being reshaped by automation and artificial intelligence.
To tackle these pressures, Mrs Pennell said finance and accountancy employers need to rethink their approach.
She suggested deploying automation to ease workloads and improve efficiency, while also investing in upskilling staff and modernising reward structures.
She also emphasised the importance of offering defined career development pathways, robust training programmes, and sustainable apprenticeships to build a long-term talent pipeline.
Ms Pennell said: “Modern technology and AI are not eliminating finance careers – they are transforming them.
“Candidates increasingly want opportunities to develop technical expertise, work with innovative systems and contribute to the success of their organisation.”
However, she added that technology is also creating fresh recruitment issues, such as a flood of irrelevant applications generated by AI-powered job tools.
“Adding screening questions to the initial application process will block AI-driven bot submissions and help to identify authentic candidates,” she said.
Ms Pennell warned that companies unwilling to adapt risk losing out in a fast-changing market.
She said: “There are opportunities as the sector is changing.
“However, businesses that fail to adapt risk falling behind in an increasingly competitive market.
“Success will depend on fresh thinking and a genuine commitment to investing in skills and people.”