Leaders Insight - with Matthew Jowett, CFO at

Attracting Top Finance Talent in South Yorkshire in 2026: Employer Strategies That Stand Out

Historically, the best finance professionals have not only been in high demand but have also had increasingly high expectations — and in today’s competitive South Yorkshire finance market, that reality is truer than ever. For over 33 years, Sharp Consultancy has been working closely with businesses across Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Barnsley. In that time, we’ve witnessed firsthand how the landscape of finance recruitment has evolved. When it comes to attracting and securing top-tier finance talent, we know what works — and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t. Local Reputation Matters More Than Ever In South Yorkshire especially, local reputation counts. Candidates talk, and businesses talk. The region’s finance community is tightly knit, and news travels fast — both good and bad. Employers who invest in building a strong, authentic brand that reflects real employee experiences tend to win out. That means it’s not enough to simply advertise a competitive salary or an attractive job title. Modern candidates want to understand what life inside your business looks like — the day-to-day culture, the leadership style, and the opportunities for growth. Visibility through employee stories, community engagement, and transparent communication all help to create a reputation that draws people in rather than pushes them away. What Candidates Want in Today’s Market In 2026, the expectations of finance professionals have broadened significantly, particularly at the qualified level. While salary remains important, it’s no longer the sole deciding factor. In fact, some of the best offers we see accepted each year aren’t the highest in monetary terms — they’re the most considered and holistic. Top candidates want to join businesses that offer purpose, balance, and progression. They look for roles that align with their values and allow them to contribute meaningfully, while still developing their technical and commercial skillsets. If you want to attract the best, you must clearly articulate what sets your company apart — your Employer Value Proposition (EVP). Ask yourself: What makes working with you different? Is it access to senior leadership, commercial exposure, or involvement in exciting transformation projects? What development or training support do you offer? Are there structured pathways, mentoring programmes, or professional study sponsorships? How flexible are you? Can employees work hybrid schedules, compressed hours, or part-time to suit their lifestyles? What additional perks or benefits do you provide — from wellness initiatives to social impact days or volunteering opportunities? The most successful employers communicate these points clearly, consistently, and confidently — both during recruitment and throughout the employee lifecycle. The Need for Speed and Agility Another critical factor in attracting top talent is speed. In a fast-moving market, long or disjointed hiring processes can easily result in losing outstanding candidates. Strong finance professionals are rarely on the market for long, and delays at the offer or feedback stage can make the difference between securing or losing your preferred hire. Where possible, streamline your recruitment process. Ensure hiring managers are aligned on the role requirements, keep communication clear, and aim to deliver feedback promptly. Demonstrating decisiveness reflects positively on your business and reinforces the message that you value candidates’ time and enthusiasm. Transparency Builds Trust We’ve seen a notable shift in what candidates are asking during interviews. Increasingly, they want to know why a role is vacant. Is it due to growth, internal promotion, or turnover? A vague answer or a history of short-lived hires can quickly raise red flags. Conversely, when a company can confidently articulate its purpose, culture, and long-term vision, candidates engage more readily — and are more likely to accept offers. Our clients who have invested in defining and communicating these messages attract stronger pipelines of finance professionals, often before roles even go live. A clear, honest narrative about your organisation not only draws in talent but helps retain it too. Partner with a True Specialist If you’re looking to recruit the best talent in the market, the right partnership can make all the difference. Working with a true specialist who understands your business, your sector, and the nuances of the South Yorkshire market will save time and boost your hiring outcomes. At Sharp Consultancy, our clients benefit from: Pre-qualified shortlists of candidates who are thoroughly vetted for skills, culture fit, and long-term potential. Access to passive candidates, many of whom we’ve nurtured relationships with over years and who may not be actively searching. Honest feedback on your employer brand and market perception — so you can make informed improvements that strengthen future recruitment efforts. Because of our deep local networks, we often know when an outstanding finance professional is about to enter the market. That insight gives our clients a competitive edge in securing the very best talent before others are even aware they’re available. Going Beyond Recruitment Our role extends well beyond active recruitment. We pride ourselves on offering genuine consultative advice, including: Salary benchmarking and market insights Case studies from recent successful hires Ongoing check-ins and relationship management — not just when you have a live vacancy This proactive approach means that when you are ready to hire, we already understand your business, your values, and the type of people who will thrive in your environment. Contact Jack to Discuss Our Services-- Attracting the best finance talent in South Yorkshire takes more than a strong job spec and a competitive package. It’s about authenticity, agility, and alignment — knowing who you are as a business, what you stand for, and who you want to work alongside. After more than 30 years supporting companies across the region, Sharp Consultancy continues to help employers build finance teams that not only perform — but stay, grow, and make a real impact.

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Welcome to the third instalment our insightful blog series ‘Leaders Insight’ where we continue to delve into the professional lives of these experienced senior-level experts and highlight their multifaceted expertise to inspire the next generation of CFOs.

In this chapter we caught up with Matthew Jowett, CFO at Kelling Group.

Kelling Group is a leading provider in the hire of specialist access equipment, access platforms, welfare unit hire and services to growing infrastructure and associated end markets. Kelling Group also recently won the award of Mid-Market Corporate of The Year in the 2023 The Yorkshires. Business Awards.

What, in your opinion, are the major differentiators between the role of a CFO and a Finance Director?

As a general rule, the role of CFO is more strategic and forward looking than that of a Finance Director. Whereas the Finance Director will spend the majority of their time in the Finance function, ensuring a solid financial foundation for the business and managing the ‘day-to-day’, a CFO typically spends more time in the wider business as well as managing external stakeholders e.g., investors, banks, key customers / suppliers. The reality can be very different, however, and depends on the size and nature of the business concerned; there is often quite a blurred line between the two roles, especially in smaller businesses where scale / complexity may not yet justify the cost of both in the organisation. As CFO, I am in my stride delivering a new banking facility, carrying out due diligence on an acquisition or presenting our 5-year plan to investors, but the thought of reviewing the month end consolidation or VAT return would give me cold sweats!

What do you think future leaders should prioritise or focus on most when they initially make the step up to CFO?

Build a good team around you to ensure you can delegate and focus the necessary time on the more strategic areas. If you don’t have the appropriate resource and expertise in the team, you’ll quickly get sucked down into too much detail and lose sight of the bigger picture.And on that note….

Spend time getting out and about in the business – you’ll need to force yourself to do this, it’s easy to get stuck behind the desk in the office. Speak to your staff root-and-branch and take a genuine interest; it’s amazing what you’ll learn and be able to bring back to the boardroom table. And take the time to learn your products and services inside out. Know your key costings and pricings to the penny; it will help you make better sense of your P&L and KPIs and to make better business decisions.

Your network is increasingly important as you step into a more strategic role. Being able to pick up the phone to a trusted advisory contact or an industry peer to sense check something new or unfamiliar is invaluable.

Reflecting on your first couple of years in the role of CFO what were the pitfalls you wish you had been aware of and would advise future leaders to try and avoid?

Pace yourself! Map out key objectives over a sensible / realistic timeframe and don’t try to do too much too quickly. Identify and execute the quick wins and by all means make your mark but take your time to understand the key dynamics in the business (and the industry, if the new role involves a change in that regard) before making too many strategic / structural changes – you’ll spread yourself too thin and, potentially, cause chaos!

On a related point, never underestimate how reluctant some people can be to change, however small it might seem to you…ensure you engage with the workforce and bring them on a particular journey with you at the earliest opportunity.

Finally, back yourself. You’re in this role for a reason – somebody has recognised your expertise and/or potential and you might well be surprised just how well your prior roles have prepared you for this. Don’t be afraid to ask the daft or obvious questions that no-one else is asking.

What are your opinions about the relationship between a CFO and CEO? What is critically important in building a successful partnership and providing the right support to the CEO?

I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great CEOs and a healthy relationship is crucial – you’ll spend more time speaking to them than you do your other half!In addition to the official job description, as CFO you’ll need to be the sounding board, voice of reason, agony aunt and many other things to the CEO.My observation is that being the CEO can be quite a lonely existence – ultimately the buck stops with you for everything in the business – so to have a trusted confidant in your CFO, who understands your strategy but who can provide challenge in a ‘closed’ environment, is essential.

What new key skills or attributes do you think the next generation of CFO’s are going to need to develop?

The fundamental skills will always be required – strategic thinking, commercial negotiation etc etc. In terms of specifics, there is a lot of talk around AI at the moment, and it is something we’re looking at in our business. I’m not suggesting that CFOs will need to become experts in the inner workings of this, but they will need to understand its capabilities and consider the impact, both in terms of opportunities (e.g. automating processes) and risk (e.g. more sophisticated fraud attacks etc).But standing back, this is just about being adaptable and embracing change – if you asked the same question to a CFO twenty-five years ago, you could probably replace “AI” in the response, with “the Internet”. Or four years ago it would have been the ability to adapt quickly and steer the business through a pandemic.

When considering a new CFO job opportunity what do you believe are the most important things for candidates to consider when deciding, in order to have the best chance of a successful move?

Do your homework and make sure you find the right business and the right team for you.

We’ve already talked about the crucial relationship with the CEO – do you align with their vision for the future? If not, you could be in for a very uncomfortable journey.

Who are the key stakeholders? Plc world is very different to private company world, for example, and has different demands for a CFO. Which suits you best?

How big is the business and where is it on the maturity curve?

What are the key challenges and aspirations for the business, and does this suit your skillset and ambition?

Is there a transformational event on the horizon and what would this mean for you?

Away from core accounting knowledge, what personality traits have been critical to your success as a CFO? Are these natural or have you worked on developing them?

Be inquisitive, tenacious and challenge the status quo - this is fundamental to driving organisational change and implementing new strategies. I love being told something can’t be done in response to a suggestion that could clearly add-value – so I can prove it can! Don’t get me started on “we’ve always done it this way” …

Also, you spend a huge amount of time dealing with people matters. Strong interpersonal skills are essential, as is the need to adapt for different cohorts of employees across the business. This also plays into the requirement to build strong relationships with external stakeholders.

Attention to detail is paramount; as CFO you’re often dealing with highly analytical counterparties. Likewise, missing something important in the small print of a contract can be very costly down the line.

Whether these are my natural characteristics – perhaps - but all were ingrained / beaten into me (!) before I moved into industry during my years in Corporate Finance, for which (in hindsight) I’m very grateful.

What is the one single best piece of advice you were given early in your career that still holds true today?

The “5 Whys”. I still use this technique today when I want to get to the root cause of a problem. Look it up and use it – so simple and effective!

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today and see how we can help.

Leaders Insight - with Matthew Jowett, CFO at Kelling Group