04. Dynamics of Job Searching

Salary Range $50,000 - $65,000

The move towards automation has caused Accounts Payable roles to continue moving away from pure processing and data entry. Today, attention to detail, solving queries and building supplier relationships are all key, in-demand skills.

Salary Range $65,000 - $95,000

This space has seen a significant inflation in salary due to the market being increasingly talent short. Many experienced Payrollers have moved into the lucrative Payroll/HRIS implementation space, or have been pulled into large projects with legislative changes over the last couple of years. We are seeing many businesses investing in training and developing payroll resources internally or outsourcing to external payroll providers.

Salary Range $50,000 - $80,000

Talented Credit Controllers are always in demand. We have seen an increased investment in attracting capable Credit Controllers as cash has become a crucial focus in the last 18 months. As strong talent is being recognised, salaries have increased slightly and retention strategies have been put in place.

Salary Range $60,000 - $80,000

The Assistant Accountant space continues to be a high demand area. The majority of businesses are now pursuing talent who are interested in, or currently pursuing further studies so they can continue to grow within the company.

Salary Range $87,500 - $110,000

Traditionally a segment to gain a CA qualification and make a move overseas or into commercial roles, First Movers are temporarily retained in New Zealand. This has resulted in significant competition in the market.

As a First Mover, now is a crucial time to consider your plans as the world opens up. As the happens, the overseas market will have an influx of talent, so ensuring a strategic move now will give you an advantage.

If you’re considering a move overseas, look for either global businesses you can travel with, or contract roles which will give you exposure broader than the Big Four - setting you apart from other talent in the international market.

With the talent shortage and intense overworking within these large accounting firms, we are seeing a move away from the Big Four as work-life balance becomes a priority. In fact, some candidates are leaving without having a job to go to. To mitigate this, the Big Four are incentivising talent through bonuses and increased salaries.

Our advice would be to define your future now. If partnership is in your future, then staying makes sense.

Typical next steps would be to move into a financial accounting role, but we suggest you don’t judge the role based on the job title. Many of these positions are much more dynamic than the job title suggests, often offering a mix of project-based work - so focus on the duties rather than the title.

When looking for your next step, look for a role where you can add immediate value. If you’re emerging from the Big Four, your technical skills will come into play, so anything with financial reporting involved gives you the ability to add value from day one.

Whilst in the Big Four, a role within a listed client will always work in your favour to demonstrate technical capability, or you could look to head down a Financial Services/Banking route to add to your skill set.

Salary Range $110,000 - $140,000

A Junior Manager is someone stepping into their first role with a team to manage. This can be a difficult transition from an accountant or business partner role.

The easiest way is to make this move internally, and we encourage our talent to ensure they are actively positioning themselves to take on a management role.

If internal movement isn’t an option and you will be going through an interview process, you need to be able demonstrate where you have lead people and processes. Consider this in the context of your current role and ways you can gain this exposure.

Salary Range $140,000 - $200,000

This is a crucial stage in your career where you need to identify your skill gaps, and work on them to shape your future career path. This could involve a sideways move to gain broader exposure.

If you want to become a CFO, consider what you need to tick off to get there and be deliberate with your development and progression. The Future CFO programme by Hunter Campbell is a great facilitator for this.

You don’t need to wait until the next job title to level up. Ensure you are exposed to strategy and hone your ability to understand and interpret it, no matter your role. If you are reporting into a CFO, make them aware of your progression goals and discuss development and promotion.

Salary Range $200,000

The role and skill set of a CFO is changing and evolving at a faster pace than we’ve ever experienced. Traditional elements like controllership, governance and ‘knowing the numbers inside out’ are a given with today’s CFO roles. The required skills are heavily weighted around; utilising big data to create insights, driving strategic initiatives and being able to successfully navigate a business through change across people, processes and systems.

Today, successful CFOs need to be effective story tellers, articulating a clear vision for the future to boards, investors and within the businesses themselves.

This is only possible for CFOs who have become cross functional experts across different areas of the business. These skills are becoming more important than ticking off exact experience from a previous role, or knowledge of an industry or system.

If individuals don’t master the craft of enabling change, driving innovation and future proofing a business - they will be left behind.

We have seen the CFO salary range widen considerably due to the material impact a great CFO can make within a business - with base salaries ranging from $200K - $400K for small and medium sized businesses.

A big shift has been the creative incentives that certain businesses have been able to offer to differentiate themselves. We have seen many organisations provide a lot more clarity for STI and LTI bonus packages, and an increasing amount of businesses have offered profit share/equity options to connect with the right talent.

Daily Rates Circa $1,000 - $1,500 + GST

The Interim CFO landscape has also rapidly evolved over the past 12–18 months. Many organisations are looking to bring in expertise and specialised skills which may not be readily available in-house or which may not be required on a permanent basis.

Progressive businesses are seeing the positive effect of bringing in interim CFOs to deliver immediate results, upskilling the team and bringing fresh perspectives to complex issues.