Accounting talent is scarcer than ever, and workloads are expanding faster than leaders can hire. It is no longer accurate to view this as a cyclical labor fluctuation; the accounting talent shortage is now a structural reality. The hybrid finance workforce report reveals how forward-thinking finance leaders are shifting their strategies. Instead of relying solely on traditional recruiting, the fastest-adapting CFOs are building a new hybrid workforce model that combines in-house expertise, AI and automation, and strategic outsourcing to close the capacity gap.
Key Takeaways
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The Talent Shortage is Growing: The average number of open finance roles sits at 17, representing a massive increase from five in 2025 and two in 2024.
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AI Adoption is Accelerating: 63% of leaders are actively using AI and automation to reduce the need to fill open roles, up from just 23% in early 2025.
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Outsourcing is the New Standard: 94% of finance leaders now use outsourcing to fill open accounting positions and manage expanding workloads.
“The time for doubling down on recruiting has passed. Now, the innovators are combining resources in new ways to create the capacity they need to get the work done,” says Matt Wood, Global Head of Finance & Accounting Outsourcing at Personiv.
Inside the Hybrid Finance Workforce Report
This comprehensive survey of 203 finance and accounting leaders across 19+ industries explores:
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AI Use Cases Gaining Momentum: How companies are reducing operating costs and saving up to 20+ hours per employee.
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The Hardest Roles to Fill: Why senior-level accountants are currently the scarcest talent in the market.
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The Capacity Gap: How expectations for data-driven, strategic finance are widening the gap between workloads and hiring abilities.
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Building the Next-Generation Team: Strategies for combining in-house experts, powerful technology, and global outsourcing to realize more value from your resources.
Stop Waiting for the Talent Pool to Recover
Download the full survey report to redesign your operating model for balance and agility. And while you are here, don't forget to browse our other past pulse survey reports to see how the industry landscape has evolved.
Ready to close your capacity gaps and build a high-performing hybrid team? Contact us today to discover how our team of experts can build a custom virtual accounting solution tailored to your exact operational needs.
