Solving talent gaps with finance staffing strategies

Finding skilled finance professionals these days is like trying to schedule a team meeting where no one has a conflict: Frustrating, time-consuming, and often unsuccessful.

Deloitte survey results shared by Fortune revealed that nearly 73.7% of companies struggle to fill roles requiring specialized expertise. The demand is there. The talent? Not always.

That’s why there’s finance staffing. It’s a long-term strategy businesses are using to stay resilient in uncertain times.

Whether you’re building out a finance department or replacing key team members, strategic finance staffing can help you fill roles faster, smarter, and with the right people.

Let’s break down what’s making finance hiring so difficult, how finance staffing works, and why more businesses are turning to experts to close the gap.

Why it’s hard to find talent in finance

Hiring for finance tasks used to be relatively predictable. Candidates with accounting degrees and a few years of experience would apply, interview, and slot into place. Today, the job market and the field itself have changed.

Here’s what’s driving the talent shortage:

• More complexity, fewer qualified candidates. Finance isn’t limited to bookkeeping and budgeting anymore. Now it includes data analytics, compliance, ESG reporting, financial forecasting, and risk management. The skill set needed has expanded, but the talent pool hasn’t kept pace.
• Younger professionals want different careers. Many new grads are choosing tech, marketing, or start-ups over traditional finance roles. According to the AICPA, fewer students are majoring in accounting and finance than in previous decades.
• Retention is harder than ever. Even if you find great talent, keeping them is tough. Flexible work options, higher pay, and better culture elsewhere are drawing people away.
• Hiring takes too long. Research by Robert Half shows that filling a finance role now takes up to 7 weeks or more. That’s 7 weeks of backlog, pressure, and strain on your existing team.

What is finance staffing?

Finance staffing is the process of sourcing, vetting, and placing skilled finance professionals into roles within a company.

These roles can be temporary, permanent, full-time, part-time, onsite, or remote, depending on what the business needs.

It’s different from traditional hiring in two ways:

• It’s faster because you’re tapping into a pre-vetted talent pool.
• It’s more flexible because you can scale staffing up or down depending on workload or project timelines.

Finance staffing can cover a wide range of roles, such as:

• Accounts payable/receivable clerks
• Payroll specialists
• Financial analysts
• Management accountants
• Controllers
• CFO-level consultants

Whether you need someone to manage end-of-month reporting or lead a financial system upgrade, finance staffing connects you with the right person without the months-long hiring cycle.

5 Benefits of finance staffing for businesses

Working with finance staffing solutions offers a wealth of advantages, helping businesses navigate the choppy waters of talent acquisition with greater ease and confidence:

1. Immediate access to pre-vetted talent

Staffing agencies provide instant access to a pool of thoroughly screened, qualified candidates. This dramatically speeds up the hiring process, preventing operational slowdowns.

2. Unmatched flexibility

This particular industry often has seasonal demands or needs specialized expertise for specific, limited-time projects.

Finance staffing allows businesses to scale their teams as needed, without the long-term commitment and overhead costs of permanent hires. This adaptability is invaluable for managing changing workloads.

3. Significant cost savings

Staffing agencies often handle the administrative burden of hiring, including payroll and benefits for contract workers. This reduces your internal administrative costs and frees up valuable HR resources.

Furthermore, ‘test driving’ new talent through contract-to-hire arrangements can lower the risks and high costs of a bad hire.

4. Fresh perspectives and specialized expertise

Staffing agencies have wide networks and can find professionals with diverse experiences across various industries. This influx of outside knowledge can introduce new ideas, best practices, and creative solutions.

An outsourced professional might offer valuable insights for improving your current procedures.

5. Focus on core competencies

Unless your primary business is recruitment, diverting internal resources to extensive hiring can distract from strategic goals.

By outsourcing this critical function, leaders can concentrate their time and effort on driving business growth. You know your finance talent needs are in expert hands.

How to hire the best professionals with finance staffing

Finance staffing works best when you know what you’re looking for and when you work with the right partner.

Unlock its full value by:

1. Starting with clarity. Don’t hire based on generic job descriptions. Define what skills, experience, and tools the candidate must have. Think about soft skills too. Are you looking for someone analytical or someone who can lead a team?

2. Choosing a firm that specializes in finance. Some staffing firms focus on general admin or customer service roles. Look for recruitment partners that specialize in accounting and finance so you get access to the best talent in the field.

3. Using contract-to-hire as a trial period. If you’re unsure about hiring full-time, try contract-to-hire. This gives you time to assess the person’s work, cultural fit, and impact before making a longer commitment.

4. Reviewing their track record. Ask the agency for client success stories or metrics. How quickly do they fill roles? What’s their average placement retention rate? The right partner should back their claims with data.

5. Keeping communication lines open. Clearly outline goals, timelines, and feedback. Staffing firms work better when they understand your business and can adjust their search based on your evolving needs.

Overcome talent gaps with expert finance staffing solutions

We’re seeing more employers in finance and accounting planning to or already using contract or temporary professionals to manage workload spikes and long-term vacancies.

This shift is no longer limited to big firms. Small businesses and startups are using finance staffing to grow leaner, faster, and smarter.

So, if you’re struggling to find the right finance talent or are tired of burning out your current team, it might be time to consider a different approach.

Finance staffing gives you access to high-quality professionals, tailored support, and the flexibility to stay competitive, no matter what’s next.