Analysts, accountants and digital marketing specialists top a list of in-demand roles in 2019, as employers focus on navigating an increasingly digitalised business landscape and a shortage of key skills among the UK workforce, reveals Robert Half UK. 

According to our 2019 Salary Guide, more than half of CEOs (53%) admit finding candidates with data analysis and digital skills – as well as softer skills, such as resilience, adaptability to change and critical thinking – a challenge in the current market. Industry 4.0 is leading the evolution of traditional roles and the skills required to fulfil them, while also creating a need for new jobs and specialisms. This has resulted in a talent dilemma as businesses need to adapt to the widened skills gap.

The top 10 roles and their respective pay brackets are listed below:

1. Financial Planning Analysts (£47,500 – £80,000)

The ongoing skills shortage has intensified competition for top performers in accounting and finance, with financial planning described by 40% of CFOs as one of the hardest roles to hire for. As automation and digitisation reach new heights in 2019, commercial skillsets within finance will become even more sought after in the coming months.

     2. Assistant Management/Financial Accountants (£20,000 – £35,000)

The skillsets required for assistant accountant positions is undergoing a shift with the increased need for techy-savvy skills alongside a collaborative and communicative approach. CFOs predict teams with the right mix of technical and soft skills will become indispensable, alongside skills such as adaptability and data analysis.

     3. Business Analysts (£33,250 – £54,250)

Business analysts will become one of the most in-demand roles in the future of IT. Business-facing skills will hold equal importance with technical skills. Business analysts with a desire to stay up to date with the latest IT software and platforms will be attracting the highest remuneration trends as employers set out to attract the best talent.

   4. Business Intelligence Developers (£23,750 – £50,500)

With the digital technology sector expanding rapidly and the demand for technical qualifications increasing, business intelligence developers will be in demand in 2019. Finding developers with the right technical ability but can also interpret the insight through a commercial lens is the reason business intelligence is one of the most difficult IT positions to fill. According to our survey of CIOs, 36% of respondents expressing a gap in their hiring in this role.

  5. Digital Marketing Analyst (£31,250 – £60,000)

Digital marketing analysts must be data-savvy professionals with strong commerce acumen. As data insights become fundamental to marketing teams in assessing their true return on investment and revenue generation, it is no surprise that digital marketing analysts are sought after in 2019.

  6. HR Advisor/Senior Advisor (£23,250 – £37,250)

HR advisor roles are set to become even more integral to business outcomes in the next year, leading to an increased demand for HR professionals – particularly those with digital skills. As HR department face more regulation and reporting requirements, these roles are needing to business partner, prioritise employee engagement and improve retention rates for the year ahead.

  7. Company Accountants (£32,000 – £58,000)

As companies grow by acquisitions and diversity their customer offerings, company group accountants with the right expertise are in growing demand. As professionals receive multiple offers for roles, rarely remaining on the market for long, the value of company accountants will undoubtedly be on the rise as organisations consolidate their accounts.

  8. Compliance Analyst (£35,000 – £65,000)

With GDPR compliance continuing to be a key priority for many firms and the 5^th Anti Money Laundering Derivative on the horizon, compliance analysts will continue to be in demand.

  9. Regulatory Accountants (£40,000 – £65,000)

The financial services sector continues to receive increased scrutiny and remains highly affected by the resulting talent shortage, with graduate and junior roles most in demand within the accounting and finance profession. This fast-paced market is likely to continue to drive increasingly competitive salary negotiations as businesses pay more to secure their favoured candidates.

 10. Finance Managers (£35,000 – £80,000)

Responsible for providing financial guidance and support, the specialist skills of Finance Managers will continue to be in-demand over the next couple of months, as businesses rely more heavily on their revenue generation and monitor their costs more closely to improve profitability.

Matt Weston, UK Managing Director at Robert Half commented: “Technology and digitalisation is propelling the evolution of the workplace at a rapid pace. As companies adjust to the challenges and opportunities these technologies can have on their business, the need for the right skills intensifies intensifying the war for talent.

“As traditional roles become increasingly digitally-focussed reflecting the changing business landscape, businesses face a talent dilemma; they must attract professionals with the skills they need while also identifying opportunity to upskill their existing employees. While attractive salary and benefits packages continue to attract and retain top talent, training and development is vital for employers to win the ongoing war for talent.”