Transforming the finance function for a Property SME

Finance functions are key to the infrastructure of high-growth businesses. It's never been a better time to futureproof your organisation, add value and streamline your processes. For leaders to maintain growth and make key business decisions, they need to have the right finance professionals in place to support them. Here at Huntress, we have partnered with local SMEs for over 20 years to do exactly that. We wanted to share this recent case study on how our finance expertise has built an integral finance function for national growth.

What did they need?

Our client is a specialist property management business. Their impressive portfolio and clientele range from professional property owners, developers, and investors, and they apply their specialist support through their property management services. Their services are applied across a range of business parks and centres, industrial parks, multi-let offices and shopping and leisure centres.

Huntress had approached the client after knowing they had typically worked with agencies, albeit unsuccessfully, due to significant candidate turnover. The client’s initial recruitment brief was for an experienced Accounts Assistant at a lower base salary to join their existing team of 8. Market analysis and salary expectations meant it would be difficult to achieve the level of quality at this package. Due to the demand for experience across accounting and finance and the need for key finance functions, this meant the business needed to lift their hiring budgets to secure the right talent.

How did Huntress solve it?

Our Huntress consultant advised the Finance Director on a new approach to hiring where they bring in Trainee Accountants to grow with the business.

After consultatively steering the client away from experienced hires that wouldn’t stick, our Huntress expert suggested one candidate who had 6 months’ experience, but on a temporary-to-permanent basis. This way, the client would feel more comfortable monitoring the fit of this new hiring brief. Due to the success of this first hire, the business wanted to continue with the suggested trainee accountant hiring model, with our consultant strategising with the partners and advising on who, and how, we would approach the process and the candidates.

What were the results?

This new approach ensured the foundation of trust was built with Huntress and the client. By producing high-quality, relevant shortlists across 6 years, Huntress provided a range of expertise that the client did not know they needed. Recruitment briefs were successfully filled, but other quality candidates were introduced to other line managers due to their passion in certain areas of accounting. With a total number of 28 placed candidates from Huntress, the client did not want to miss out on the skillset, so ensured a role was found for them. Over 7 years, the finance function has grown from 8 to a team of 29, with 5 of those new key hires being promoted to a senior role, mainly from Trainees through to Senior Accountant or Team Leader.

All accounting and finance hires would now be successfully overseen by our consultant, and Huntress was able to support the internal growth of the company whilst they expanded rapidly. Due to an increase in their property portfolio, the need for accounts payable professionals and operational support was high. The professional life cycle of the original trainees meant each could be trained internally to reflect the needs of the business from within. With this established business model and original trainees now as managers, each candidate across the finance function knows the nuances of the organisation. Along with the success of the revised hiring model, the finance professionals now have study support offered as part of their package, as suggested by Huntress.

This creates further career growth from within and a true investment from the business to their people.

28 Placed Candidates

5 Hires Promoted to Senior Roles

9 Years of Partnership

With the increasing demands from property investors and their portfolio, the needs of the client meant their finance function needed different skillsets and more capacity. With the new finance hiring structure in place, and successfully working, the leadership team and line managers were able to push the business forward without overstretching their finance function or their hiring budget.

The client also gave Huntress a glowing referral to another property investment business to offer advice on their finance function.