As an innovator in outsourced Finance and financial management for SME clients, EFM continually adds value to it offering by expanding its services and addressing an ever wider range of client needs. And with our new recruitment operation now in place, we continue to do exactly that.

Behind our latest evolution is a specialist recruitment offering, led by Nils Lloyd-Penny, whose company Mature Accountants works in partnership with EFM, in the heart of our central team, to enable our SME clients to find best-fit, full-time Finance staff (Bookkeepers through to FD / CFOs), complementing the part-time FD and fractional CFO roles we already offer.

How, then, will this help SMEs deal more effectively with the Finance challenges they often face through the different stages of business growth?

The Benefits of Recruitment

Nils describes the service EFM can now offer as being “the full, end-to-end Finance support function capability.”

“Whatever Finance requirement you have in your SME business, we can provide resource. It takes the service beyond the purely part-time or fractional With over 30,000 candidates across the UK we can support any finance role, anywhere.”

What this brings to EFM’s clients and Associates, Nils explains, is a high degree of flexibility. They can combine part-time and fractional engagement. They can also add project or longer-term services, or bring in full-time expertise when needed. Whether the goal is to fill one or two gaps in an existing in-house Finance function, or build a new team from the ground up, EFM now supports all scenarios

“EFM now covers off all the bases for the sourcing, provision, and deployment of Finance expertise, and at all levels – from bookkeepers to credit control, Financial Controller to Finance Managers, FDs to CFOs.”

FD Recruitment Challenges: EFM Responds

Recruiting full-time senior Finance resource like FDs can be especially challenging for SMEs, and by integrating recruitment into the EFM offering, we’re removing these hurdles.

They include:

• Headcount costs - Early-stage SMEs with limited funding may struggle to pay for increased headcount, but better management of finances and cashflow by a competent Finance professional can increase cash availability significantly. Plus, by combining full-time personnel and part-time EFM Associates, a highly cost-effective balance can be struck.
• Lack of experience - For growing businesses, it’s often the first time they have had a need for a Finance person at the FD level within the organisation, and they may not fully understand the role. So, matching them to a ‘good fit’ FD who can show them the ropes, explain them, and interact effectively, is critical.
• Identifying key competencies - FDs are responsible for leading and overseeing everything from monthly management accounts and VAT returns to compliance, risk, and securing sources of external finance such as investment. As such, they are looking for reassurance that the person they select has the necessary skills for the job – skills an experienced recruiter can readily identify.

Why Getting Recruitment Right is Essential

One thing Nils won’t be doing at EFM is firing out as many CVs as possible in the hope that some will stick.

He argues that great recruitment starts with a personalised, advisory service that fits not only the qualifications and experience, but also the person, to the role.

And very often, this means asking deeper questions about the role itself, because these may reveal unforeseen options and alternatives.

This has always been EFM’s consultative approach to its clients, and Nils’ recruitment skills will expand it further, as it “digs deeper into your real business needs and proposes candidates and solutions that match your specific requirements.”

“And whilst there may indeed be a need for a full-time role, we’ll recommend alternatives that could better serve your business where appropriate”

Going Beyond Recruitment

Nils is also busy adding value to many other EFM processes, including budgeting and business plans, working closely with the leadership team as the business grows and seeks new objectives.

He’s also looking into how innovations like AI and automation can streamline Finance and business processes to help make both EFM’s and our clients’ activities more efficient and more scalable.

Our Growth Story Continues

In short, EFM’s new recruitment capability is the latest achievement in a continuous drive to add both broader and deeper value to our clients, and it builds strongly on the extended portfolio of services that our recent integration with MPA has already enabled us to deliver.

To learn more about how our recruitment services can help your SME to bring on board quality, full-time FD and other Finance resource to complement the work done by your existing EFM Associates, get in touch today.