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Canada: Specialized skills driving consultant outsourcing, CFO survey says

November 25, 2013

CFOs are most likely to outsource business systems and accounting to financial consultants and interim managers in the next 12 months, according to a survey released by Robert Half Management Resources. Fifty-nine percent of CFOs who said they plan to bring in consultants expect them to be for business systems and business performance improvement projects, which include areas such as system implementation, conversion and integration, or business intelligence.

“We know from our 2014 Salary Guide that accounting and finance trends next year are pointing towards a more specialized workforce, with companies looking to integrate more specific expertise in various areas of their business,” said David King, Canadian president of Robert Half Management Resources. “It's no surprise, then, that CFOs are seeking interim managers who can supplement their existing resources with more focused knowledge and proficiency in the areas of system implementation, conversions and integration, in addition to finance and accounting.”

CFOs were asked, “Which of the following areas are businesses likely to bring in financial consultants or project professionals in the next 12 months?” The top responses include:

  • Business systems and performance improvement (e.g. system implementation, conversion and integration): 59 percent
  • Finance and accounting: 46 percent
  • Risk, governance and compliance: 46 percent
  • Finance optimization (e.g. finance remediation): 43 percent
  • Taxation: 37 percent