One of the UK’s leading property investment and development groups was heading into a demanding year-end period. Due to a combination of rapid portfolio expansion, several newly acquired joint ventures (JVs), and internal restructuring within Group Finance, the business faced a critical capacity gap.
To maintain audit readiness and protect their rigorous reporting timelines, the organisation needed to secure five Senior Financial Accountants—all ACA qualified with strong IFRS, consolidation, and listed-environment experience. The non-negotiable requirement was for all five professionals to start within four weeks.
This search was uniquely demanding due to a combination of market and operational constraints:
This combination of technical depth, urgency, and market scarcity made a coordinated, rapid search highly challenging.
Our strategy was engineered to compress a typical two-month process into a matter of days, focusing on speed without compromising the required technical depth or quality of hire.
1. Activating Pre-Vetted Specialist Networks
We immediately engaged our pre-vetted interim network of high-calibre finance professionals. This allowed us to bypass lengthy general searches, focusing only on individuals with a proven track record of supporting listed businesses through complex year-end audits, giving us instant traction.
2. Targeted Passive-Market Headhunting & Outreach
To supplement the network, we executed a highly targeted headhunting campaign. This involved direct outreach to ACA-qualified auditors recently leaving Big Four firms and high-performing senior accountants from peer listed companies with similar reporting complexity. This ensured we captured the required FTSE and consolidation expertise.
3. Real-Time Market Alignment and Rigorous Vetting
To attract and secure this high-demand talent, we provided real-time market insight to the Group Finance team on current day rates. This information was crucial in helping the business secure prompt budget approval to stay competitive. Simultaneously, every candidate was rigorously vetted via reference checks and pre-interviews to confirm technical expertise and their ability to operate autonomously in a high-pressure environment.
4. Hyper-Accelerated Interview & Offer Protocol
To meet the four-week deadline, we collaborated closely with the client to eliminate friction points. This included calibrating an initial shortlist within 48 hours, compressing the usual two-stage interview process into a single, structured interview, and implementing a same-day feedback protocol. Crucially, we pre-booked Director interview slots and pipelined all five roles in parallel to ensure a single, coordinated team start date.
The accelerated, quality-focused approach delivered an exceptional result, enabling the property group to secure their vital capacity quickly and completely.
The support ensured the client was able to maintain strict audit readiness and successfully meet all critical year-end reporting timelines without compromising standards.
“The speed and quality of the hires were exceptional. Each accountant was technically strong, dependable, and able to add value from day one. The support ensured we hit every audit milestone without compromising standards.” - Group Financial Controller
10 Days: Time from mandate to all 5 offers accepted
5/5: Contractors rated as 'strong' or 'exceptional' in post-audit review
40%: Diversity outcome of the final shortlist from underrepresented groups
Want to learn more about how we can support your hiring needs? Get in touch with our I&C Accounting & Finance team here
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A listed property group required urgent senior finance support to deliver a complex year-end audit, supporting the rapid and coordinated hire of five interim Senior Financial Accountants.
