1. HAYS ACCOUNTANCY & FINANCE
DNA OF A NHS FINANCE LEADER
Adam Hart
Business Manager
Recruiting experts in Senior Finance
Ebury Gate
23 Lower Belgrave Street
London SW1W 0NT
T: +44 (0) 20 7259 8745
F: +44 (0) 20 7068 5461
E. adam.hart@hays.com

2. 2
BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
THE AGE OF A TYPICAL NHS FINANCE LEADER
• 46% of respondents
were aged between
45 and 54
• 68% of NHS Finance
Leaders surveyed
currently work as
Head of Finance or
above.

3. 3
ACCOUNTING QUALIFICATIONS
KEY QUALIFICATIONS FOR NHS FINANCE LEADERS
• 32% of
Finance
Leaders in
the NHS are
CIMA
qualified
• 27% hold an
ACCA
qualification
General Definitions of the two major Qualifications
CIMA - able to take on a broader range of roles in any kind of organisation or industry, helping to shape
strategies and make financial decisions. More likely to find yourself in a top role such as Financial Controller or
Managing Director.
ACCA - places more emphasis on auditing. Many ACCA members take on private practice roles, focusing
more on financial assessment and compliance rather than planning and management.

4. 4
ACCOUNTING QUALIFICATIONS
COMPARISON WITH COMMERCE FINANCE LEADERS
• The same
question asked
to commerce
FD’s showed
that 39% were
ACA compared
with 13% in
the NHS.

5. 5
BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
SECTOR EXPERIENCE OF NHS FINANCE LEADERS
• 64% of respondents
have worked in the
NHS for the majority
of their career
• 20% have spent most
of their time in the C&I

6. 6
BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
YEARS WORKED WITHIN THE NHS
• 26% have worked
within the NHS for
less than 5 years
• The largest response
was 27% who have
been in the NHS for
over 21 years
• The majority of
respondents have
been in the NHS for
either less than 5 or
greater than 21 years

7. 7
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FINANCE LEADER
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS
The top 3 personal characteristics needed to succeed as a
Finance Leader are:
1. Hard Working
2. Proactive Nature
3. Enthusiastic

8. 8
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FINANCE LEADER
THE TOP 3 SKILLS NEEDED
The top 3 skills needed to be a successful finance leader are:
1. Strategic Planning
2. People Management
3. Communication

9. 9
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FINANCE LEADER
THE TOP 3 SKILLS NEEDED – COMMERCE COMPARISON
The top 3 skills needed to be a successful finance leader are:
1. Strategic Planning
2. People Management
3. Communication
• The top answer
from 36% of the
surveyed C&I
finance directors
was commercial
understanding

10. 10
CHALLENGES
THE NHS IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
Over 50% put NHS culture and funding/budgetary constraints at the heart of
the challenges for the next 12 months
• Finance leaders are no longer
hired purely for ability with
numbers
• 55% said that achieving the
objectives of the NHS greatest
professional challenge in the
next 12 months

11. 11
FUTURE PROOFING FINANCE
ROLE OF FINANCE IN THE NHS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS
25% said that commercial awareness would become an increasing part
of the role of finance in the NHS over the next 5 years

12. Recruiting Experts
Adam Hart
Business Manager
Recruiting experts in Senior Finance
Ebury Gate
23 Lower Belgrave Street
London SW1W 0NT
T: +44 (0) 20 7259 8745
F: +44 (0) 20 7068 5461
E. adam.hart@hays.com
The Hays Salary Guide
12
Adam Hart
As a Business Manager at
Hays, I lead the NHS Sector
business for Greater London
specialising in the recruitment
and placement of Senior to
Executive Finance interims,
contractors and consultants
Contact me for a confidential
discussion.
These salary and recruitment trends have been compiled
using data gathered during 2014 from 96 Hays offices across
the UK. The salary data is based on job listings, job offers and
candidate registrations.
The findings of our benefits survey are based on responses
from over 10,000 employers and employees from
organisations of all sizes throughout the UK.
We hope you’ll take the
time to personalise this
guide and explore the
insight and data provided.
We would welcome your
feedback on your
experience of this guide,
uksalaryguide@hays.com