Quarterly Market Update

Quarterly Market Update

Quarterly Market Update January - March 2017

At Moir Group, we look forward to partnering with you and we are very much here to support you in managing your career.



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Market Overview

At the start of the year I mentioned that Moir Group were positive about the employment outlook for 2017. After a strong first quarter this very much remains the case as we look at the rest of this year. 

If you are thinking of making a career move, are evaluating where you currently work or are in between roles at the moment, working in a role or for an organisation with a clear purpose is I feel very important. By this I mean somewhere where what you do or where you work has a positive and constructive impact on the broader community. This is, from both a personal perspective and from meeting many people each week and over many years, one of the key factors in a persons enjoyment and success in a role as well as their overall sense of wellbeing. I do appreciate that this is not always possible. However I would encourage you to think over this very carefully before deciding what is next for you. For example, here at Moir Group our purpose is "satisfying job, fulfilling life". Everything we do comes back to this purpose. It is the soul of our business. I feel it is my most important responsibility to lead by example and to uphold this.

I am always very happy to hear from and speak with anyone directly. I can be contacted on 02 9262 4836 or email stephenmoir@moirgroup.com.au. 



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Market Overview

$200k+ CFO's, Finance Directors, Head of Finance & Financial Controllers

  • Traditionally the quietest quarter of the year following Christmas and the New Year we found that hiring at the senior end of the market picked up as we approached the middle of Quarter 1
  • Clients continue to look for candidates who are very comfortable operating in an environment of constant change and transformation
  • Culture and values alignment is also an important consideration when hiring at the Executive level
  • Sectors we have seen demand in during Quarter 1 were Healthcare, Technology, Manufacturing and Infrastructure. This ranges across ASX listed to smaller SME businesses
  • It remains important to network well, keep in touch with your best advocates and those people who know you and with whom you have worked. Keep networking as a priority, you are more likely to find out about relevant roles

Market Overview

$120k -170k Mid-Level Accountants

  • The 1st Quarter of 2017 has seen a continuation of activity in the market at middle management level roles, with demand continuing to be strong for Financial Controllers in the $150-170k level
  • We have also seen senior roles in the FP&A space with the focus for commercially minded individuals that show strong stakeholder management skills and excellent business acumen
  • Successful candidates are able to demonstrate not only strong technical ability but the potential to develop and utilise their strong interpersonal skills
  • We have seen a mix of newly created roles and replacements as people progress internally or make an external move
  • Exposure has been diverse across several industries including media, education, technology, property and telecommunications
  • Our clients are also seeking Finance Business Partners (FBP) in the $120-180k range. These ‘all-rounder’ roles encompass a broad range of duties of management reporting, budgeting, forecasting and commercial analysis aimed at supporting specific business units and functions. E.g. sales and marketing, supply chain or a revenue stream

Market Overview

$50k -120k Part Qualified/Newly Qualified plus Operational Accounting Staff

  • Quarter 1 started off slightly more slowly in January, but has gradually gained in momentum at the junior to newly qualified level of the market
  • There is still a focus on those highly commercial and analytical roles – with a focus on value-add, process improvements and stakeholder engagement
  • Candidates with strong communication and business partnering skills are in high demand, so long as they can confidently demonstrate their ability to give push back and support decision-making effectively
  • Moving forwards, management accounting and business analysis roles will continue to be prevalent with a focus on qualified candidates over those who are qualified by experience alone
  • We anticipate lots of opportunity in those industry sectors with a focus on growth – including healthcare and pharmaceutical, property and real estate, aged care and education
  • The biggest challenge for candidates on the market continues to be the competitive nature of the market and the volume of applicants for each role; employer requirements can be very specific and in-flexible
  • Taking extra time to identify your unique selling points and strengths/achievements goes a long way to setting yourself apart from the pack

Market Overview

The biggest challenge for candidates continues to be the competitive nature of the market and the volume of applicants for each role; employer requirements can be very specific and in-flexible

The biggest challenge for candidates continues to be the competitive nature of the market and the volume of applicants for each role; employer requirements can be very specific and in-flexible

Contract

  • After a strong finish to 2016, Quarter 1 for the Interim Team at Moir Group kicked off to be very busy, hardly pausing for the holiday period!
  • Quarter 1 has seen a strong demand for analysts, business partners, project specialists and process review positions as finance teams are consolidating and focussing on future financial goals and growth
  • Our roles have ranged from junior transactional positions, through to interim CFO roles as well as complex projects for our more senior candidates which included post-merger consulting and IT systems implementation/transformation roles
  • We saw an increase in activity for transactional teams such as AP/AR/Payroll.  This was due to increased offshoring activity, where local teams were lean and extra hands were needed over holiday periods
  • With the increase in Business Partnering positions there is a large emphasis at interviews not only on candidates’ strong technical capabilities, but also on their ‘softer skills’.  This includes the ability to communicate effectively, particularly to non-finance stakeholders, building rapport quickly and provide seamless reporting and commentary.  This will ultimately enable businesses to improve their strategic decision making
  • Candidates will need to be able to demonstrate these skills in interview and provide relevant examples.
  • Again, we have seen a diverse range of industry sectors recruiting, with a significant increase in roles in Professional and Business Services, Government, Not for Profit and the Telecommunications and Infrastructure sectors
  • We are anticipating another exciting quarter ahead


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NGS (Not for Profit, Government and Services)

  • An extremely exciting and busy start to the New Year for our NGS division.  There is a high demand for contracting staff in particular, with a heavy emphasis on the management reporting and business partnering space at the $120k to $160k level.  We have been speaking to high calibre candidates who are available on short notice for these opportunities and the roles are moving quite quickly
  • Many of these opportunities are contract to permanent and suit people who not only can provide the technical expertise, but who are culturally aligned with the business.  As a result, our clients are being particular about who they meet and hire and we are looking for more than a “skill set” when recruiting
  • We are also working on a specialist NFP event to be held later in the year and are partnering with external organisations who align with the values of Moir Group.  Continuing to highlight our specialist brand to the finance/accounting market within NFP, Government and Services, we are quickly being recognised and valued as a partner with our clients in this space

Contract

Contract

Contract

Banking and Finance

  • Quarter 1 saw a high demand for more technical reporting roles across Financial Accounting, Tax Compliance & Financial Control. The emphasis has been to find candidates who have strong knowledge across accounting standards and strong listed reporting experience
  • There was an increase in clients opting to hire candidates on a fixed term contract basis with a view to converting them to permanent afterwards
  • The funds management sector is experiencing strong growth which has resulted of plenty of exciting opportunities arising especially in the boutique space
  • “Well being” is also becoming an important focus for clients and candidates, with leaner teams, and the focus on productivity. These factors can create demanding and stressful environments and clients are now looking to offer their leaders and managers further training to help staff transition more effectively into this new world where change is now a constant
  • EQ is now being tested more so than ever before when appointing senior candidates because leadership is still the key driver for most candidates deciding whether to stay or leave an organisation. This has resulted in various senior opportunities arising as companies look to acquire strong people leaders who can transform the culture
  • The trend of candidates looking to leave the financial services sector continues, seeking opportunities to work in organisations where they feel they can genuinely contribute and a make a difference, popular sectors include Health Care, Education, Property & Gaming
  • Looking forward to Quarter 2 for contracting, it is very busy for financial and tax accountants as clients start recruiting for candidates to help out with year-end reporting, with April & May start dates being most popular
  • Demand will continue to increase from clients in the SME market space, we are seeing clients in this space growing to $20m - $30m turnover and needing to appoint Finance Directors / Head of Finance to help implement their growth strategies working for the CEO
  • Candidates need to remember that the greatest opportunities will always have an element of risk, whether it be a start up or SME business that is growing, the focus should be on what skills you will acquire in this opportunity that will usually be valuable for your career progression and not available in larger or more established business. No risk = no reward
  • We expect continued demand for candidates with strong technical and leadership skills, most roles at the Finance Manager or Control level are broad roles where the FP&A aspect is included, however securing candidates who have experience working for a listed company with rigorous reporting requirements is more important
  • Non-financial services companies will continue offering good opportunities to candidates wishing to change sectors
  • Candidates need to remember what separates them from the pack, soft skills involving engagement will non-finance stakeholders will continue to be in demand and the ability to provide financial insights that will better the performance of a company


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Banking and Finance

Banking and Finance

Banking and Finance

Banking and Finance

To be alerted when we advertise a new job, please set up a "job alert" by visiting us at our website www.moirgroup.com.au

To be alerted when we advertise a new job, please set up a

Moir Learning

  • We have started 2017 very well and our one on one coaching sessions are continuing to be very popular, especially the resume, cover letter and LinkedIn sessions. We also offer interview coaching, which includes role playing and behavioural based interview questions. In addition, we offer a career planning session that is especially helpful for people who may be very happy with their resume and LinkedIn profile, but need guidance on creating a career plan and what to do next. Every session is tailored to each person and includes information handouts that you can take away with you after the coaching session
  • In February, we completed our second quarterly CFO Networking group, which proved to be extremely popular with lots of great discussions between the group. Our next one is in early May and is by invitation only so will not appear on our events page.  Please speak with our Executive recruitment team if you are interested in attending one this year
  • Our candidate events continue to be very popular. Ensure you keep an eye on our website and the upcoming events page, as all our candidate events for 2017 will be listed here. The next one is in early May and the topic is “How To Be Successful At Job Interviews”
  • If you would like to book a coaching session then please contact our Head of Learning, Angela Farmeary on 02 9262 4836 or email angelafarmeary@moirgroup.com.au. Angela can assist you with your resume and cover letter, LinkedIn profile reviews, interview preparation, how to successfully network and with overall career planning and advice 


Please use the left or right arrows for our more detailed market reports.

Moir Learning

Moir Learning

Moir Learning

Moir Learning

Community Involvement

  • We have continued our partnership with St Vincent de Paul and the Ozanam Learning Centre and our presentations on topics including “Increase your chances in securing a job interview” and “How to write a successful resume” continue to be very popular. We have started 2017 with a workshop in February and followed with a second one in March. We look forward to developing these further in 2017
  • We are currently in discussions with a not for profit that assists refugees and asylum seekers. Their program works with both university students and mid-career professionals, who are tertiary qualified and have extensive experience but are unable to re-connect with their careers in Australia
  • Moir Group also continues to partner with Lou’s Place, which is the only daytime refuge for women in Sydney. It is a unique, community-based refuge for women in crisis, homeless, feeling isolated or in need of support. This has involved working onsite with their clients conducting resume and interview skills workshops
  • For full details on our various community projects you can check out our website www.moirgroup.com.au and click on the “community involvement” tab 


Please use the left or right arrows for our more detailed market reports.

Community Involvement

Community Involvement

Community Involvement

Community Involvement

To be alerted when we advertise a new job please set up a "job alert" by visiting us at our website www.moirgroup.com.au.

If you have any questions or would like to refer a friend to us, please call Moir Group on (02) 9262 4836.

We are always keen to hear your feedback on our business and service and we are always very happy to provide career advice. If you would like to contact us please do so on 02 9262 4836 or email me directly at stephenmoir@moirgroup.com.au or follow me on twitter @Stephen_Moir.

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