Public sector considers private sector experience for their accounting & finance departments
As the Blurring the boundaries report revealed, commercial focus is now a key requirement for many public sector employers and this is particularly true within finance.
Although NHS and local government clients continue to look for experienced public sector candidates that are familiar with the accounting guidelines and policies that govern their activities, central government and housing recruiters are increasingly seeking private sector talent.
Within central government, minimising cost and maximising back office efficiency is high on the agenda; this has led to the relocation of several finance functions and a surge of activity around shared services.
The emergence of Project Management Offices within government departments to facilitate this change demonstrates how much priority these initiatives have been given.
Within the housing sector, growth is predicted and some of the larger housing associations are setting up limited ‘arms’ to generate additional funding to focus on new development projects. This commercial focus has meant that associations are taking on private sector expertise within their finance departments. As a result, they are finding that they can manage a larger number of properties with fewer people.
The biggest challenge for recruitment companies has been to dispel the traditional perception of the public sector in order to attract commercial talent. Slowly but surely this is happening, and finance candidates at both the qualified and part qualified level are realising the impact and reward they can gain from these organisations which are so willing to embrace change.
Advances in financial systems, e-payments and e-learning are also helping to support this change, and, over time, the mindset and skill requirements of the public and private sector will become increasingly similar.
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