The market has moved: what today's top finance candidates want

You’ve launched fast, delivered against investor expectations and yet when you go hunting for a CFO or FD, the best talent just isn't biting. You feel like the market has shifted under your feet: compensation and growth stories alone aren’t enough anymore.

As the CEO of Sowena Group, I specialise in recruiting executive-level finance leaders, especially CFOs and FDs for high-growth pre/post PE-backed businesses. I’ve placed hundreds into roles where they can truly leverage their skills, not just crunch numbers, but shape strategy.

In this post, you’ll discover why the market has shifted, what today’s top finance candidates really want, and how our technology platform can act as a differentiator to candidates and help align the perfect ones to your business.

What’s Changed: The Rise of the Strategic, Purpose-Led CFO

Not long ago, the CFO role was all about control: budgeting, compliance, reporting. Today? It's a launchpad for strategic leadership. Top CFOs and FDs want to drive decisions, shape the future, and partner with CEOs, not just react to board demands.

This shift is more than anecdotal. According to Gartner, 58% of finance functions are now using AI and advanced analytics to help leaders steer through uncertainty and growth. Finance leaders aren’t just plugging gaps, they’re driving innovation.

In PE-backed environments, this is even more pronounced. The best candidates don’t want to inherit a spreadsheet and be told to “keep the wheels turning.” They want to understand the mission, influence it, and work with founders who view them as co-pilots, not just number-crunchers.

They’re asking:

• What strategic role will I play?
• How do I influence the trajectory of this business?
• Will my voice be heard in decisions that matter?

And if they don’t get convincing answers? They’ll walk.

This means you need to sell more than just the business; you need to sell the role as a platform for impact. Let’s explore what else top finance candidates are prioritising in 2025.

Top Priorities for CFOs and FDs in 2025

The top finance candidates today aren’t just comparing salaries, they’re weighing alignment, impact, and trust. If you want to land the best, you need to understand what’s really driving their decisions. Here’s what’s I’m hearing from a number of elite-level CFOs and FDs:

1. Strategic Influence

Today’s FDs/CFOs want to do more than close the books. They want to be part of setting the agenda. They’re asking: “Will I be listened to?” and “Will I have the autonomy to shape where this business goes?” If they sense they’ll be left on the bench, they won’t engage, no matter how strong your numbers look.

2. Transparent Equity & Upside

Equity is still expected, but what’s changed is how candidates view it. Vague promises of “significant upside” won’t cut it anymore. They want clarity: vesting schedules, valuation logic, and how exits are structured. Transparency breeds trust, and trust is a differentiator.

3. Flexible & Authentic Culture

Finance leaders are scrutinising the work environment more than ever. They’re looking for businesses where performance expectations are high, but where leadership is human. Hybrid working, flexibility and mental wellbeing are now boardroom topics and top talent expects leadership to reflect that.

4. Real Transparency About Challenges

Here’s where most businesses fall short. Candidates aren’t expecting perfection. They’re expecting honesty. They want to know what they’re walking into, warts and all. That’s why we developed Kelmi Intelligence: an in-depth discovery model that lays out the good, the bad, and the ugly in plain terms. It shows candidates that you’re serious about transparency and it attracts leaders who want to build, not just inherit.

5. Founder Alignment

Finally, and maybe most importantly, candidates want to work with founders they believe in. They’re listening closely during the first meeting. If you’re guarded, defensive, or trying too hard to sell the dream, they’ll pull away. If you’re open, clear-eyed, and respectful of their expertise? That’s when you earn their trust.

Where Businesses Go Wrong And How to Fix It

Even the most ambitious, well-funded, high-growth companies make mistakes when it comes to hiring top-tier finance talent. And the frustrating part? They’re usually unaware they’re doing it. Here are the most common mistakes and what to do instead.

1. Relying Too Heavily on Compensation

Offering a competitive salary and equity is table stakes. But many businesses lead with money as their only selling point. The issue? Today’s FDs and CFOs and want meaning and strategic influence. If the role lacks depth or clarity, the best candidates won’t engage, no matter the size of the package.

Fix it: Reframe the offer around impact. Show how the finance leader will shape the business, not just support it.

2. Overselling the Upside

There’s a temptation, especially in PE-backed businesses, to hype the growth trajectory. But high-level candidates have heard it all before. Empty phrases like “the sky’s the limit” or “huge exit potential” raise red flags, not interest.

Fix it: Be specific. Talk about market size, unit economics, the exit roadmap. Show where the upside is real, and where the risks are. That’s where our Kelmi Intelligence software can help.

3. Lack of Transparency

This is the big one. If candidates sense you’re hiding something or just painting the rosiest version of reality, they’ll disengage. They want to know what’s broken, what’s hard, and where their expertise is genuinely needed.

Fix it: Embrace radical honesty. Again, our Kelmi Intelligence model is designed to surface the whole picture. It’s not about scaring candidates, it’s about empowering the right ones to step up.

4. Vague Job Specs

Too many finance role descriptions are a mashup of BAU tasks and broad clichés like “business partner” or “strategic thinker.” This gives candidates no clear sense of what the first 6–12 months will actually look like.

Fix it: Define the outcomes. What does success look like in the first year? What problems need solving? What decisions will this hire be making?

5. Poor Interview Experiences

Some companies lose great candidates not because of the role, but because of the process. Endless interviews, slow feedback loops, or inconsistent messaging between founders and investors can all kill momentum.

Fix it: Run a tight, intentional process. Prep your interviewers. Align your narrative. And keep communication sharp and timely.

How to Adapt: Reframing the Role for Today’s Market

If you want to win top finance candidates in today’s landscape, you can’t just list responsibilities and talk about “growth potential.” You need to rethink how you position the role, the business, and yourself as a founder or CEO. Here’s how:

1. Frame the Role Around Strategic Outcomes

Candidates want to see a clear path to influence. Instead of saying “you’ll support the CEO,” say, “you’ll lead the commercial model that supports our Series C raise.” Define why this role matters and what they’ll be accountable for.

2. Lead With Transparency

FDs and CFOs are trained to spot holes in a pitch. If you try to spin the story too perfectly, you’ll lose credibility. Instead, share the honest picture: what’s working, what’s broken, and where their skillset will make a real difference.

This is where Kelmi Intelligence gives you the edge. It’s our structured discovery tool that surfaces key insights, warts and all, that candidates genuinely care about. It helps you move from a vague sell to a compelling, credible story. And it’s consistently helped our clients land better-aligned hires, faster.

3. Show Them the People, Not Just the Numbers

Yes, candidates care about the commercial picture. But they also want to know: Who will I be working with? What are they like? Do they walk the talk? You’re not just selling a balance sheet, you’re selling a leadership culture.

Our Kelmi Intelligence survey goes beyond the numbers. It pulls out key insights about your culture, leadership style, and team dynamics, exactly the kind of information top candidates are hungry for, and rarely get upfront. It helps them picture what life in your business actually looks like and whether it aligns with how they want to lead.

4. Tighten Your Hiring Process

Top CFOs aren’t hanging around. If you’re taking too long to move from intro to offer, or sending mixed messages along the way, you’ll lose momentum. A refined, founder-led interview process that shows respect for the candidate’s time and expertise goes a long way.

5. Position Yourself as a Thoughtful Partner

The best candidates aren’t just vetting the company, they’re vetting you. They want to see a founder or CEO who listens, who values finance, and who’s open to being challenged. That’s what builds trust. That’s what turns an interview into a partnership.

The Talent You Attract Will Define Your Trajectory

The market has moved and standing still is no longer an option. If you're still hiring like it’s 2019, you're not just missing out on great candidates. You're missing out on the type of finance leadership that can genuinely transform your business.

The right CFO or FD won't just help you meet investor targets, they’ll reshape how your business thinks, acts, and grows. But that kind of talent doesn’t respond to outdated job specs or vague promises. They want clarity. They want trust. They want to know what they’re walking into and what they can help build.

At Sowena, that’s exactly what we help you deliver. Through our Kelmi Intelligence model, we make sure candidates see the full picture of your business, so the right ones lean in, and the wrong ones self-select out. The result? Faster hires, better alignment, and leaders who stay for the long haul.

Because in a market like this, it’s not enough to hire a finance leader. You need to hire the right one.

Get in touch with myself to discuss your hiring strategy or to learn more about Kelmi Intelligence.