Rutherford Cross Launches Inaugural Remuneration & Recruitment Insights Survey

Rutherford Cross Director, Donna Galbraith, introduces and explains the purpose of our inaugural Remuneration & Recruitment Insights Survey and how its findings will support both employers and finance professionals in Scotland. Our Survey will be open to responses from mid-October 2026.

 

Why Are We Conducting This Research?

Too often, recruitment and remuneration decisions are made based on limited information, outdated assumptions or anecdotal evidence.

Our aim is to create a report that gives finance leaders, hiring managers and professionals a clearer understanding of:

• Current salary and bonus trends
• Recruitment challenges across the finance market
• Candidate availability
• Employee priorities and motivations
• Retention risks
• Emerging and in-demand skills
• Future workforce trends

 

By bringing together the perspectives of finance professionals across the market, we hope to provide a meaningful benchmark that supports better decision making for everyone.

 

Why Employers Should Participate

For business leaders, finance directors and hiring managers, people are often the organisation’s most valuable asset and one of its largest investments. Understanding market conditions is essential to attracting, retaining and developing the talent needed to achieve long-term business objectives.

By participating, employers will help shape a report that can provide:

• Better Remuneration Benchmarking – Understanding how salaries, bonuses and benefits compare to the wider market enables organisations to remain competitive while making informed investment decisions
• Improved Talent Attraction– The report will provide insight into what finance professionals are looking for when considering career opportunities, helping employers strengthen their employer value proposition
• Reduced Recruitment Risk – By understanding where skill shortages exist and how candidate expectations are changing, organisations can proactively address recruitment challenges before they impact business performance
• Stronger Retention Strategies – The findings will highlight factors influencing employee movement and engagement, enabling businesses to take action to retain key talent
• More Effective Workforce Planning – Understanding emerging skills demands and future talent trends helps leaders build capability for tomorrow, not just fill today’s vacancies

 

Why Finance Professionals Should Participate

The survey isn’t just for employers. It is equally important that finance and accountancy professionals have a voice in shaping the report.

This is an opportunity to contribute to a market-wide view of the profession and ensure the realities, challenges and priorities facing finance professionals are accurately represented.

Participation will help create insights around:

• Career Expectations – What finance professionals value most in an employer continues to evolve. Whether it’s remuneration, development opportunities, flexibility, leadership, culture or progression, your views matter
• Evolving Skills Requirements – As finance functions become increasingly strategic, the skills required for career progression continue to change. Understanding these trends can help professionals stay ahead of market demand
• Transparency in the Market – The report will provide greater visibility into remuneration trends, hiring activity and career opportunities across the profession
• Supporting Positive Change – By sharing your views, you help create a more informed and transparent market that benefits both current and future finance professionals

 

What Will Participants Gain from the Final Report?

Once completed, the Remuneration & Recruitment Insights Report will provide practical market intelligence that participants can immediately apply.

For employers, the report will support:

• Benchmarking reward packages
• Strengthening recruitment strategies
• Identifying talent risks
• Informing workforce planning
• Supporting retention initiatives
• Aligning people strategies with business objectives

 

For professionals, the report will provide:

• Insight into current remuneration trends
• Greater awareness of market opportunities
• Better understanding of sought-after skills
• Perspective on career development trends
• Valuable information to support career planning decisions

 

Most importantly, the report will provide an independent snapshot of the current finance and accountancy market, helping organisations and individuals make more informed decisions in an increasingly competitive environment.

 

Have Your Say

We’re inviting finance and accountancy professionals, and anyone working in HR or a leadership role who is responsible for managing or recruiting the finance function in their organisation, from across Scotland to participate in our inaugural survey.

With mostly multiple-choice, it takes around two minutes to complete; your responses will be completely anonymous and every contribution helps build a more accurate picture of the challenges, opportunities and trends shaping the profession today.

Together, we can create insights that help both businesses and professionals make better decisions for the future.

To take part in the survey and help shape the conversation around remuneration, recruitment and talent in the finance profession, please get in touch with Donna at Rutherford Cross: [email protected].