18% of finance chiefs cite attracting and retaining talent as their greatest concern for the year ahead

Chief financial officers (CFOs) face challenges around attracting and retaining skilled talent in 2025, with 18% of finance chiefs citing it as their greatest concern for enterprise performance in the year ahead, according to a Gartner report.  

This concern closely follows the 19% of CFOs who are most worried about slower top-line growth, according to the same survey. With talent shortages continuing to grow, CFOs are focusing on ensuring their teams have the right blend of skills to drive both current and future growth.

CFOs must strike a delicate balance between sustainable growth and investments in emerging technologies, all while managing day-to-day financial responsibilities. Many finance teams are understaffed or overworked, which amplifies the urgency of finding the right combination of talent, skills, and technology to meet complex demands.

Alexander Bant, chief of research for Gartner Finance practice said: “CFOs are absolutely trying to streamline and free up resources from the transactional element to their finance function in order to fund two new big skill sets that we continue to look for.” Those include professionals with digital skills — especially those related to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence — as well as those with “better analytical storytelling” skills, he said.

Arjun Mahajan, chief of client partnerships at AND Digital, commented: “Financial services leaders are being tasked with balancing growth with cost cutting, putting increasing pressure on finance departments and a greater emphasis on data skills to achieve these goals. Attracting talent adept in key skills such as data analysis help finance teams to identify functions that can be streamlines as well as create actionable insights for enterprise decision makers.

“As financial institutions build out their workforce, they should prioritise a people AND innovation approach, equipping all staff with digital skills to navigate the ever-evolving environment of macroeconomic headwinds, regulatory pressures and constant drive for ROI. Training in important areas such as data and AI will empower staff to overcome these market challenges, unlocking greater productivity individually and for the business.”

In addition to addressing staffing shortages, CFOs are navigating a landscape shaped by macro-economic and geopolitical changes, as well as new regulations that impact business models and strategies for 2025. These factors are driving the need for finance teams that can analyse and interpret data to create relevant, actionable recommendations for the enterprise.

As such, CFOs are focused on creating an environment that attracts top talent with the right data and technology skills, and are working closely with HR departments to track productivity and plan for future hiring.

Another challenge that CFOs face is integrating AI into business processes. With businesses increasingly looking to leverage artificial intelligence, CFOs must be discerning about where to invest, balancing the need for innovation with fiscal responsibility.

The ongoing conversation about AI’s role in business models presents a unique challenge: how to adopt new technologies without overspending, and how to measure the return on investment before committing further funds.

As CFOs look to the future, building and retaining a workforce that is both skilled in emerging technologies and able to communicate data-driven insights will be crucial to navigating the complexities of 2025 and beyond.

Image: Campaign Creators on Unsplash

Robert Welbourn
Robert Welbourn is an experienced financial writer. He has worked for a number of high street banks and trading platforms. He's also a published author and freelance writer and editor.