Financial services personnel are demanding more perks from their employers to achieve a sensible work/life balance, while the gender pay gap shows no signs of closing.

These are the key findings from recruiter Robert Half Finance & Accounting’s latest salary survey, which reveals that firms have cut back on hiring, and still continue to struggle to find new staff.

Over half (51%) of the 2,160 UK respondents said they were looking for a new job, while 44% believe their company is understaffed.

Finance staff are looking for benefits to make up for increased workloads and employers failing to address understaffing.

Robert Half branch manager Rebecca Bowring-Kingman thinks candidates are increasingly looking for flexibility from their potential employers. She said: “Study time is a big thing now. People want support for their accountancy qualifications and at least 20 days’ holiday a year.”