The short answer: budgets have reset, business confidence is cautiously confident, and the demand for commercial finance professionals is outpacing supply. If you're planning to grow your finance team in FY26/27 - or you're a finance professional thinking about your next move - now is the time to pay attention.
A new financial year changes the plan. Suddenly, headcount requests that were on hold re approved. CFOs who spent the back half of FY26 doing more with less are now being asked what they need to deliver more profit. And hiring managers who've been sitting on a wish list are finally getting the green light.
We're already seeing it across our accounting and finance specialisations The first few weeks of July tell us a lot about how the rest of the year will unfold - and FY26/27 is shaping up to be one of the more active hiring periods we've seen in this space.
Here's what's happening in the market right now.
Budget resets have unlocked headcount approval
This is the most immediate shift. A new financial year means a new clean workforce budget, and for many businesses, that means roles that have been sitting in a "pending" queue are finally being activated.
We're seeing this play out most noticeably in mid-market and growth-stage businesses - the kinds of organisations that have been lean through a period of economic uncertainty and are now actively building out their finance function to support the next phase of growth.
What that looks like in practice: more permanent hiring conversations, a renewed appetite for senior appointments, and a rush to move quickly before Q1 gets away from them.
If you're a finance leader trying to time your hiring, the start of FY26/27 is one of the better windows you'll get. The best talent is accessible. Give it another 90 days and the competition for talent will be noticeably tighter with projects already well underway.
FP&A and commercial finance are the hottest briefs
If we had to pick the specialisation attracting the most attention right now, it's FP&A - Financial Planning and Analysis.
Businesses are no longer satisfied with finance functions that report on what happened. They want finance people who can tell them what's likely to happen next, and what to do about it. That shift towards forward-looking, commercially oriented finance has been building for a few years, but FY26/27 feels like the year it's become genuinely mainstream.
What organisations are specifically looking for: finance business partners who can sit alongside operational leaders, commercial analysts who can translate data into decisions, and FP&A managers who can build and own the planning cycle without constant hand-holding.
The challenge? This cohort is hard to find. Strong FP&A talent is in demand across almost every sector, and the professionals who genuinely have this skillset know their value. Salary expectations have shifted accordingly.
For talent with a genuine commercial finance background - particularly those who've worked closely with C-suite or operational teams - FY26/27 represents a strong opportunity to move into a more senior or better-remunerated role.
The CFO is a strategist and hiring is representing that shift
The traditional CFO was a steward of financial integrity. The CFO of FY26/27 is increasingly expected to be a strategic co-pilot - someone sitting alongside the CEO and the board, driving commercial decisions, owning investor relationships, and leading transformation, growth.
That evolution has a downstream effect on hiring. When CFO is enabled to be strategic, they need a strong operational number two to keep the engine running. We're seeing increased demand for Financial Controllers who can step up and own the day-to-day finance function, freeing the CFO to operate at a higher altitude.
We're also seeing more organisations - particularly those that haven't historically had a CFO - making that appointment for the first time. Businesses that outgrew their Financial Controller structure but delayed the hire are now making it a priority.
If you're a Controller ready to make the leap, or an experienced CFO looking for a business where you can genuinely influence strategy, there are real opportunities in the FY26/27 market.
Where Talent is actually moving
Talent movement at the start of a new financial year always tells an interesting story.
Right now, we're seeing finance professionals, particularly at the mid to senior level, who sat tight through a period leading into end of financial year re-engaging with our recruiters. The combination of budget clarity, new year energy, and a sense that conditions have stabilised is prompting people to ask: is this still the right role and business for me?
That's creating both opportunity and urgency. For employers, it means there's a window to attract talent that wouldn't have been available six months ago. For candidates, it means they're not alone - competition for the best roles will increase as the year progresses.
The sectors drawing the most finance talent movement right now are all the services sectors, where regulatory complexity and growth are driving sustained demand for experienced professionals.
What this means if you're hiring
A few things worth keeping front of mind as you plan your FY26/27 finance hiring:
Move faster than you think you need to.
Top talent in this market aren't sitting on job boards waiting. They're being approached directly, and they're entertaining multiple conversations at once. A slow process will cost you.
Get specific on what you actually need.
There's a meaningful difference between a transactional finance manager and a commercially oriented one. Be clear internally about which you're hiring before you go to market - it changes everything about how you attract, assess and onboard.
Think about the talent you're retaining, not just the talent you're acquiring.
FY26/27 hiring also means your existing team is being approached. A new financial year is a natural trigger for finance professionals to reassess. Make sure you're not losing your best people while trying to recruit new ones.
A note from our team
At FutureYou, our accounting and finance desk has been placing finance professionals across Australia for years - across everything from CFO appointments and executive search to commercial analysts and financial controllers. Our consultants have an average of 18 years' experience, which means we've seen a lot of financial years come and go. What makes FY26/27 feel different is the combination of pent-up hiring demand, a market that's starting to move again, and a genuine shift in what organisations need from their finance function. The businesses that get ahead of this - that hire with intention rather than reaction - will be in a meaningfully better position by the time Q4 rolls around.
If you're planning a key finance hire in FY26/27, or you're a finance professional thinking about what's next, we'd love to have a conversation. We're not here to fill a role and move on. We're here to make the kind of introduction that actually matters.
FutureYou | The power to connect
FutureYou is an Australian super boutique talent agency specialising in accounting and finance recruitment, alongside eight other specialist disciplines. We work with organisations across Australia to find, attract and retain the finance professionals that drive real business performance.
