Leading PLC Strengthens its Finance Team with Lincoln Recruitment.
A leading PLC partnered with Lincoln Recruitment to hire newly qualified accountants from Big 4 firms — successfully expanding its Group Finance team with high-calibre talent.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Worked closely with the TA team to gain deep understanding of the requirements
- Majority of shortlisted candidates were invited for interviews
- Provided prompt post-interview feedback
- Hired 4 newly qualified, Big 4 trained accountants
- New hires all matched skill set and organisational culture
About
Our client is an industry-leading PLC with a presence in over 160 countries. Following a successful IPO, they have experienced significant growth in recent years and have ambitious plans for further expansion.
Objective
Due to ongoing business growth, the Finance function was expanding, with multiple roles available at the Newly Qualified Accountant level. The brief was to source newly qualified accountants who had trained in Big 4 practices and were seeking their first post-qualification move into industry.
The Challenge
The primary challenge in sourcing suitable candidates was driven by external market conditions. In 2024/2025, the Irish talent pool for newly qualified Big 4-trained accountants is particularly tight due to salary pressures and the tendency for candidates in this demographic to emigrate upon completing their training contracts. As a result, strong candidates often receive multiple offers, driving salaries upwards.
An additional challenge was the client’s location outside the city centre, which was not easily accessible for all potential candidates.
What We Did
We worked closely with the Talent Acquisition team to gain a deep understanding of the role, team dynamics, and the ideal candidate profile. This went beyond qualifications to include cultural fit within the organisation.
We sourced candidates through a combination of advertising, networking, leveraging our industry contacts, and headhunting.
All candidates were interviewed by a Principal Consultant to assess not only their skill set but also their goals, ambitions, and key career drivers to ensure alignment with the organisation’s culture. Candidates received a detailed briefing on the role and the broader opportunities within the business. Several candidates were disqualified at this stage to ensure a highly focused shortlist was presented to the client.
The majority of the shortlisted candidates were invited for interviews.
We gathered detailed post-interview feedback from all candidates and provided it promptly, highlighting any concerns or potential issues to help avoid pitfalls in the process. Open communication was maintained between the client and candidates throughout. When navigating career transitions, having the right guidance can make all the difference.
Offer management was handled by the Principal Consultant, with continuous feedback provided, ensuring the Talent Acquisition team remained fully informed.
The Results
Successfully Hired
4 Newly Qualifieds
Specialists
Big 4 Trained
Skillset
100% Skillset Matched
Culture
100% Culture Aligned
