Outsourcing Finance Recruitment: When It Works and When It Doesn’t

Hiring senior finance professionals is one of the most important decisions a business can make. Whether you’re a private equity-backed company scaling fast or an SME owner juggling operations and growth, the hiring process for roles like Finance Director, Financial Controller or FP&A Analyst can drain time, resource and momentum.

That’s why more UK businesses are asking the question: Should we outsource our hiring process?

Here’s a breakdown of when it makes sense, when it doesn’t, and why finance hiring in particular demands a more specialised approach.

What Does Outsourcing the Hiring Process Mean?

Put simply, outsourcing your hiring process means handing all or part of recruitment to an external partner. This can range from a one-off search for a Finance Manager, to a full-scale recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) agreement where your hiring partner manages everything from scoping the role to onboarding the successful candidate.

For finance roles, this model can provide faster access to top talent, free up internal time, and reduce the cost of hiring the wrong person.

Why Finance Hiring Needs a Different Approach

Many generalist articles talk about the benefits of outsourcing recruitment – speed, scalability, lower cost-per-hire. But finance roles come with specific challenges that make outsourcing not just a convenience, but in many cases, a necessity:

• Technical credibility matters: Whether you’re hiring a Financial Controller or a Senior Analyst, the candidate needs to be technically strong. A specialist recruiter understands what CIMA, ACCA or ACA qualifications really signal, and can screen accordingly.

• Trust is non-negotiable: These are roles with access to sensitive financial data. You can’t afford a bad hire. A misjudged Finance Director appointment can damage reporting accuracy, investor confidence, or even compliance.

• The best candidates aren’t applying: Most top-tier finance professionals are not on job boards. They’re working – and only move for the right opportunity. A specialist recruiter has relationships with these people and knows how to approach them credibly.

• One size doesn’t fit all: The skillset for a Finance Business Partner in a SaaS scale-up is different to a Financial Controller in a manufacturing SME. Generic hiring processes often miss this nuance.

Outsourcing works best when the partner truly understands the roles you’re hiring for. That’s where specialist recruitment firms add value.

When Outsourcing Makes Sense

Here are some common situations where outsourcing the hiring process can help:

1. You’re hiring for a role you don’t fully understand

This is especially common in SMEs. If you’re a Managing Director or Ops lead trying to hire your first Finance Manager, you might not know what “good” looks like. A specialist recruiter can help define the role, benchmark the salary, and guide you through the process.

2. You’ve tried already and it hasn’t worked

Maybe you’ve advertised. Maybe you’ve used a generalist agency. But three months later, you’re still interviewing or worse – you made a hire and they’ve already left. A specialist finance recruiter will focus on quality of hire, not just filling a vacancy.

3. Speed matters

Private equity-backed businesses often need to professionalise the finance function fast. Waiting weeks for HR to get the job live, then months to filter CVs, isn’t an option. A dedicated finance recruiter can deliver a shortlist of credible candidates within days, not weeks.

4. You need to hire discreetly

If you’re replacing someone or planning an internal restructure, you may not want the role advertised publicly. Outsourcing gives you control over the process, while still accessing the right people.

When Outsourcing Doesn’t Make Sense

Outsourcing isn’t always the answer. It’s probably not the right route if:

• You’re hiring for high-volume junior roles with a consistent internal process

• You already have a strong internal TA team with finance recruitment experience

• You’re only trying to cut short-term cost, not improve quality or outcome

Outsourcing should be a strategic choice – not a panic move.

How Achieve Professionals Does It Differently

At Achieve Professionals, our Finance Division focuses exclusively on placing high-calibre finance talent into SMEs and PE-backed businesses across the UK. We’re not a generalist agency. We know what makes a great Financial Controller. We know how to assess FP&A capability. And we know how fast growing businesses operate.

Here’s what to expect when you outsource finance hiring to us:

• Live network access: We don’t rely on ads. We already know who’s interviewing, who’s open to a move, and what it will take to get them interested.

• Quality over quantity: Our shortlists are tight. You’ll only meet people we believe can do the job.

• Speed and accuracy: We don’t waste time. You’ll know by the first call whether we understand what you need.

• True partnership: We’ll advise on salary, interview process and offer management to help secure the right person.

Real Example

A PE-backed manufacturing business in the Midlands needed a Finance Director in place before their next board cycle. We scoped the brief, shortlisted within a week, and had three interviews set up by day 10. The successful candidate was in post by the end of the month.

Should You Outsource?

If you’re hiring a senior finance role and can’t afford to get it wrong – outsourcing makes sense.

But only if you do it with a partner who understands finance.

Let’s have a no-obligation conversation. We’ll tell you whether we’re the right fit – and if we’re not, we’ll say so.

Contact the Finance Division at Achieve Professionals today.