future proofing your finance team: a talent strategy playbook for CFOs.

tl;dr:

• Proactively build a resilient, multi-skilled finance team to stop reactive hiring and address the talent crisis.
• Close the skills gap by upskilling existing staff in core areas like data analytics and hiring external experts for specialised roles in AI and ESG.
• Offer dynamic career paths and modern tech to retain Gen Z talent.
• Audit team skills, both technical (data analytics, AI literacy) and soft (strategic storytelling, business partnering), to identify gaps and create an upskilling roadmap.
• Top finance professionals desire growth, modern tech, and flexible work, not just salary.

introduction.

If you're a CFO, you're likely among the 75% of senior leaders who feel like you’re fighting a losing battle for talent. It’s a relentless, reactive cycle: a key team member leaves, a new role opens up, and you’re back to the drawing board, sifting through CVs and hoping to find a ‘unicorn’ with the perfect mix of technical prowess and strategic thinking. 

But this approach is no longer sustainable. The war for finance talent has changed, and it's time for your strategy to change with it.

This playbook isn’t about just surviving the talent crisis. It’s about building a resilient, multi-skilled finance team that's ready for the future, not just the next quarter. Learn how to strategically build and retain top finance professionals.

understanding the finance talent crisis.

The challenges facing today’s finance leaders are no longer a surprise; they’re a reality. What's driving this isn't just a shortage of people, but a fundamental shift in what the role of a finance professional entails and what they expect from their careers.

the expectation shift.

The days of attracting top finance talent with a good salary and a stable role are long gone. Today's finance professionals, especially in the UK market, demand more than just a paycheck. They want flexibility, clear finance career path opportunities that aren't rigidly linear, and a sense of purpose in their work. They're looking for roles that allow them to contribute to strategic decisions and drive business growth, rather than just crunching numbers in a spreadsheet. This is a critical CFO challenge - aligning team roles with these evolving expectations.

the widening skills gap.

As finance automation and AI tools become more integrated into our workflows, the need for manual data entry and routine reporting is declining. This has created a significant skills gap. 

The skills of yesterday are not the skills of tomorrow. We need professionals who are adept at data analysis, AI literacy, and strategic storytelling - skills that allow them to act as influential finance business partners. This shift has made finding qualified professionals more difficult than ever.

increased competition.

It's not just other finance departments you're competing with for talent. The demand for data-savvy, analytical thinkers means you're now competing with the entire tech sector and agile startups. These organisations often offer more modern tech stacks and faster-paced career growth, making it a struggle for traditional firms to keep up. A robust talent management strategy is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity.

how can you close the skills gap through upskilling and strategic hiring?

fixing the 28% upskilling failure rate

The idea of upskilling your current finance team is excellent in theory, but many programmes fail in practice. Why? Often, it's a lack of structure and alignment with business goals. A successful programme requires clear learning paths, dedicated mentorship, and opportunities for on-the-job application. 

For instance, rather than just offering a certification course, pair it with a project where the employee can immediately apply their new skills. This ensures the new knowledge is retained and used to add value, rather than just being a bullet point on a CV.

attracting external experts in AI and ESG.

While upskilling is key, some highly specialised areas like advanced AI or ESG reporting compliance may require external expertise. You can't train a novice to be an AI architect in a few months. 

For these roles, you must craft compelling, high-impact positions that attract top-tier talent. This means creating an attractive employee value proposition that goes beyond salary, highlighting the opportunity to lead transformative projects and shape the future of the organisation. 

what strategies can CFOs use to engage and retain gen Z talent?

a targeted finance career path for a new generation.

Gen Z professionals don't just want a job; they want a journey. The traditional, linear career ladder is obsolete. They crave transparency and diverse growth opportunities. 

Instead of a single path from analyst to manager, implement dynamic finance career path models that show opportunities for lateral moves, special projects, or even short-term secondments to other departments. Show them a web of possibilities, not just a ladder with a single destination. This flexibility is a powerful tool to retain talent.

your tech stack as a critical retention tool.

Gen Z has zero patience for outdated, clunky software. For them, a modern tech stack is not a nice-to-have; it's an expectation.

Upgrading your technology, from your ERP systems to your finance automation tools, is a critical talent management strategy. By eliminating manual, repetitive tasks, you free up your team to focus on strategic work, which is what truly engages them.

how should finance leaders audit their teams effectively?

Before you can build a new strategy, you need to understand where you stand. Here’s a simple three-step audit to assess your team’s strengths and weaknesses.

step 1: audit your team against the top 3 technical gaps

Assess your team’s proficiency in the most critical technical areas:

• data analytics & visualisation: can your team not only pull data but also interpret it and present it in a compelling way?
• AI & automation literacy: do they understand how to leverage new technologies to streamline processes? 
• ESG & sustainability metrics: as ESG metrics become a standard part of reporting, does your team have the skills to gather, analyse, and report on this data?

step 2: evaluate the top 3 soft skill gaps

Technical skills get you in the door, but soft skills are what drive a finance leadership career forward. Evaluate your team on:

• strategic storytelling: can they translate complex financial data into a compelling narrative for non-finance stakeholders?
• influential business partnering: Are they seen as an indispensable partner by other departments, or just as a cost centre?
• change leadership & adaptability: In a world of constant change, can they not only adapt but also lead their colleagues through a transformation?

step 3: create a personalised upskilling roadmap

Based on your audit, create an actionable upskilling plan. Prioritise the most critical gaps. Don't try to fix everything at once. 

Assign clear ownership for development initiatives, whether it's through a mentorship programme, targeted training, or an internal project team. The key is to make it a structured, ongoing process, not a one-off event.

conclusion. 

The talent landscape for finance has fundamentally shifted, and with it, the role of the CFO has evolved from a financial steward to a talent strategist. By moving away from reactive hiring and embracing a proactive playbook, you can build a resilient, future-ready finance team. 

FAQs.