The finance market in 2026 has not slowed down. If anything, it has become sharper and far more selective. Hiring is still happening across the UK, but businesses are being more intentional about who they bring in and what value that person will add, and that shift is influencing the entire transactional finance landscape, not just senior roles.
Where Demand Is Still Strong
Some sectors are hiring steadily, and a few are even accelerating.
- Manufacturing and engineering continue to anchor the Midlands, with constant demand for AP, AR and costing roles as supply chains grow more complex
- Professional services are expanding, with accountancy firms, legal practices and consultancies building out finance teams to support client delivery
- Technology and software companies want commercially minded finance professionals who can support rapid growth and system upgrades
- Healthcare and life sciences remain stable and process heavy
- Logistics and warehousing still need strong AP and AR talent to manage high invoice volumes
- Construction and infrastructure continue to rely on project finance, CIS knowledge and high-volume AP
Where Hiring Is Happening, But More Cautiously
Other industries are still recruiting, but in a more measured way. Non-essential retail is hiring only for roles that really matter, favouring candidates with multi-site or high-volume experience. Hospitality and leisure remain cautious due to cost pressures, with tighter salary bands. Traditional automotive is consolidating, meaning fewer roles but higher expectations. Charities and not-for-profits are steady but slow. Start-ups without secure funding are pausing decisions until investment is confirmed.
What This Means for Senior Finance and Why Transactional Teams Feel It
Expectations at the top have risen, and that pressure is filtering down quickly. CFOs and finance directors are being hired for their commercial impact, their ability to use technology to make decisions, and their comfort with data. Naturally, transactional teams are expected to step up too, understanding systems, supporting automation, improving processes and adding value beyond basic processing. This is one of the biggest shifts we’re seeing across AP, AR and payroll.
Stability Matters More Than Ever
Retention has become a strategic priority. Hiring managers want to know whether someone will stay, whether they can grow with the business, and whether they understand the sector. Candidates who show loyalty, progression and a clear story behind their career moves stand out immediately.
Technology Is Reshaping Finance Teams
Automation is no longer a future project – it’s happening now. AI matching tools, workflow automation, ERP upgrades and cloud finance systems are everywhere. Hiring managers want people who learn systems quickly, spot inefficiencies and work confidently with data. In AP especially, being tech-enabled is becoming just as important as being accurate and fast.
A Competitive Market, But In a Different Way
We are not in a boom, but we are not in a freeze either – it’s a quality-driven market. The best candidates are still moving, but for progression and development, not just a pay rise. Businesses are competing for capability, not volume. Hybrid working still matters, but candidates are also looking closely at the full package, study support, enhanced pensions, wellbeing schemes and additional leave are all part of the conversation now, not just base salary.
What This Means for Transactional Finance Hiring in 2026
Hiring managers want people with strong systems experience, a mindset for process improvement, accuracy and pace, confidence with stakeholders, and the ability to support automation, and they want candidates who will stay. Candidates want better overall packages, clear progression, stability and managers who invest in them. The gap between those two sides is exactly where recruitment becomes strategic, and where Four Squared Recruitment adds real value.
Interim Trends in Finance
The interim market in Procure to Pay and Accounts Payable is still active, but it has shifted. Companies are no longer bringing in interims just to keep things moving, they’re hiring people who can fix deeper issues, from underperforming AP functions and weak controls to the ongoing pressure to unlock cash.
There’s also a clear move away from advisers who only design change. Businesses want people who can design it and deliver it, interims who can get into the detail, lead teams through messy transitions and show results quickly. With so many ERP programmes underway or being revisited, AP specialists who understand implementation, remediation and optimisation are in constant demand.
Things may soften slightly as summer approaches, but investment in shared services, offshoring and cost-to-serve reduction keeps the market moving. Strong P2P interims who can demonstrate measurable financial impact are still being picked up quickly.
Our Message to Finance Leaders in 2026
If you are hiring this year, the real question is not whether you can find someone, it’s whether you can attract the right person, and whether you’re clear on what “right” actually looks like.
The businesses winning right now are the ones that move decisively, communicate clearly, understand the market, sell their opportunity well, and partner with recruiters who genuinely know their space.
For more information about finance and AP hiring trends in 2026, or to discuss your recruitment needs, contact our team at Four Squared Recruitment today.
