Hays Senior Finance Reveals Demand for South West Based Finance Chiefs

LONDON, ENGLAND, February 04, 2011 (Press-News.org) Hays Senior Finance has announced that finance professionals in Essex and East Anglia are enjoying a rise in demand for their business management skills and commercial know-how, according to research by the leading recruiting expert. Two-thirds (67 per cent) of employers say retention of qualified accountants will be a key priority in 2011, with four in 10 (40 per cent) worried they won't be able to hold onto their star players. The research suggests they may have good reason to worry, with two-thirds (67 per cent) of senior finance professionals saying they intend to look for a new job at the start of the new year.

Karen Young, Regional Director of Hays Senior Finance in Essex and East Anglia, says, "It's clear finance teams are seen as critical as companies of all sizes, from blue-chip multinationals to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), have been lifting headcount freezes to ease the burden on existing finance teams. Employers are also making more strategic use of interim finance managers, appointing senior qualified accountants for fixed-term troubleshooting or business transformation roles."

In Essex and East Anglia, chief financial officers (CFOs) and group finance directors in large corporate organisations can earn between GBP120,000-GBP250,000 and finance directors (FDs) are typically paid GBP100,000-GBP150,000. Competition has already intensified to the extent that senior finance professionals routinely receive more than one job offer.

Young continued: "The war for talent is highly competitive and therefore many finance leaders can look forward to a more rewarding 2011. Even in parts of the region which traditionally pay at the lower end of typical pay scales - such as in the Fens, the Norfolk Broads or in rural Suffolk - employers are likely to have to revise offers upwards to attract top talent. Senior finance people and other qualified accountants in cities like Chelmsford or Cambridge can expect packages at the upper end of the range. The absence of a Big Four accounting firm in Essex, which means there are fewer newly qualified chartered accountants coming through the ranks, may be a factor driving up salaries, especially in Romford and elsewhere in the Thames Gateway."

About Hays:
Hays plc (the "Group") is the leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, offering health and safety jobs, accountancy jobs and HR jobs, amongst others, in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments.

As at 30 June 2010, the Group employed 6,845 staff operating from 270 offices in 28 countries across 17 specialisms.

Website: http://www.hays.co.uk/