Resources

Property Law Continues to Dominate Hiring Demand If you’re a solicitor in Yorkshire or the North West and you’ve been wondering whether it’s “a good time to move”, here’s what we’re seeing day-to-day. Over the last 43 days, the most consistent hiring demand we’ve observed has been in: The headline isn’t “look at our vacancies”.The headline is: Property law isn’t...

Recruitment has a reputation problem. Most people have a story where they felt like a number, a CV was sent without permission, or a conversation suddenly turned pushy the moment money was involved. If that’s been your experience, you’re right to be cautious. But here’s the honest truth about how we’ve built Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions: I’d rather lose a fee...

You hand in your notice. You’ve rehearsed the conversation. You’ve been respectful. You’ve done it properly. And then your employer comes back with: “We’ll match it.” Same salary. Sometimes a title tweak. Maybe a promise of flexibility. So why does it still feel… off? This is one of the most common moments candidates describe to me, and it’s rarely because...

Counteroffers are one of those moments where leadership gets tested. Handled well, they can save a key person and reset trust. Handled badly, they can create a bigger problem than the resignation itself: pay resentment, a wobble in team confidence, and a culture where people learn they only get valued when they threaten to leave. This guide is a practical,...

In recruitment, both sides can feel like they’re the one with the power, right up until they don’t. The recruiter’s value is making sure neither side overplays their hand. It sounds simple. It rarely is. I’ve been doing this long enough to watch the same dynamic play out repeatedly, across legal sector hiring, accountancy recruitment, and just about every salary...

For a long time, I was trained that being a good consultant meant being quick. Get the brief, get the CVs, get them out, keep the process moving. Speed matters in recruitment. But over time, confidence and experience have changed how I work. Not because I care less about pace, but because I care more about quality. If you’re applying...

Why Your Job Ad Isn’t Converting (and the 6 Lines to Fix First) If your job advert is getting views but not the right applications, it’s rarely because “there aren’t any candidates”. Most of the time, the advert is missing clarity in the first few lines. Good candidates skim. They decide in seconds whether a role is worth their time....

Hybrid Working:  What Candidates Mean vs What Firms Hear Hybrid working should be simple. In reality, it’s one of the biggest sources of frustration I see on both sides of the market, because “hybrid” isn’t a standard term. In this guide, I break down what candidates usually mean when they ask for hybrid working, what firms often hear, and how...

Offer drop-outs are one of the most frustrating parts of hiring. You do the hard work, you find someone good, everyone agrees they’re the right fit and then it wobbles at the last moment. The good news: most drop-outs aren’t random. They’re usually the result of avoidable gaps in process, communication, or expectations. Here’s a practical guide UK firms can...

Are These Killing Your Ability to Hire? Most hiring issues are not “a candidate problem”. They are process problems. If you are struggling to land the people you actually want, here are three common culprits I see in professional hiring markets (legal and accountancy included). Use these as credible internal conversation starters, not as hard promises externally. 1) Speed wins...

Accounts Roles Salary Bands in Accountancy Practice (London vs UK-Wide) Hiring or job-hunting in practice can feel messy because “accounts” titles aren’t always consistent between firms. Below is a clear, practical guide to typical salary bands for core accounts roles in accountancy practice, split into London and UK-wide (outside London). These figures are designed to be a helpful benchmark, not...

Family Law Solicitor Salary Bands (UK-Wide): London vs Outside London (by PQE) Hiring solicitors in 2026 is weirdly simple and weirdly hard at the same time. Simple, because the pattern is consistent: candidates aren’t “inactive”, they’re cautious. They will move for the right role, but they need clarity fast. Hard, because too many firms are still hiring like it’s 2019:...

Why tailoring your CV matters (and why good candidates get ignored) If you’re applying for roles and not getting traction, there’s a good chance it’s not your experience. It’s how your experience is being presented. We recently advertised for a Recruitment Consultant role and received 109 applications. A few people told us in messages or cover notes that they had...

Personal Branding – Forget the Noise (David Did It!) Starting the year off with a topic that’s a bit left-field for me: personal branding. Yes, it’s a little “me, me, me” (what do you expect from someone who named his blog and business after himself? 😂). But stick with me, because this one’s for anyone navigating legal, accountancy, or recruitment...

I get asked a lot by clients about their offer, how does it stand out against the market. A lot of the time people are still trying to pitch a standard benefit such as Pension (and I mean standard pension not enhanced pension) as a lucrative benefit. Thankfully we have seen less fruit baskets and team pizza days in the...

It was Dec 2023 that I decided to make a career move and sat down to think what that would look like. That decision launched my career forward and now I have a business I am excited to work at every day (mainly thanks to my team, clients and candidates). The festive season is upon us, and while most people...

Why December is the Best Month for a Career Move (and Why Waiting for January Could Hold You Back) December. For most, it’s a time of mince pies, Christmas jumpers, and winding down. But if you’re thinking about a career move, especially in the legal or accountancy sectors, this is the golden window you shouldn’t ignore. If you want to...

Last week, I swapped CVs and interviews for something completely different: building new pages on the H-FTS website. No, I’m not rebranding as a web developer any time soon. But I did spend my evenings writing content, adding images, and even getting stuck into the HTML. And honestly? I really enjoyed it – especially knowing it will help more people...

Why Ethical Recruitment Matters | H-FTS When Doing the Right Thing Means Losing Business Last week, I faced a decision that perfectly demonstrates why Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions operates differently from traditional UK recruitment agencies. A law firm contacted us about Private Client Solicitors  and from the email they reached out to us with, we had 2 suitable candidates locally from...

If you’re searching for accountancy recruitment in Yorkshire or exploring accountancy jobs in Leeds, Sheffield, York, or across the region, you’ve come to the right place. I’m David Hawthorne-Finch, Managing Director of Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions, and over the past decade, I’ve helped candidates find their perfect role across Yorkshire’s thriving accountancy sector. Yorkshire’s accountancy market is unique, it’s a blend...

We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions has been recognised with not one, but two prestigious awards at the 2025 Northern Enterprise Awards hosted by SME News! Following a rigorous merit-led research and evaluation process, H-FTS has been honoured as the deserving recipient of: 🏆 Best Professional Services Recruitment Agency 2025🏆 Ethical Business Services Excellence Award 2025 What...

By David Hawthorne-Finch, Managing Director at Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions Last Updated: 13 October 2025 If you’re an accountancy practice trying to hire an Audit Senior right now, you’ve probably experienced the frustration firsthand. You post the advert, wait weeks for applications, sift through CVs from candidates who aren’t quite right, conduct multiple rounds of interviews, and then, six months later,...

Why Professional Recruitment Isn’t About CV Volume Last week, I encountered a situation that perfectly illustrates the fundamental difference between professional recruitment services and the “spray and pray” approach that’s damaging our industry. The Client Experience That Changed Everything A Yorkshire-based accountancy practice approached H-FTS about filling a senior accounts role. Following our proven recruitment process, I: Their response? “Thanks...

If you’re in recruitment and have faced job rejection, or you’re considering internal recruitment vs agency partnerships, this story reveals why rejection often redirects us toward better opportunities. Sometimes the door that closes leads you to a better window – and occasionally, you get to prove exactly what they missed out on. The “Perfect” Internal Recruitment Opportunity That Wasn’t A...