Accountants with good cost analysis skills are increasingly in demand, according to Chris McCarthy, director at Hays Senior Finance. McCarthy told Recruiter: “Analysts are in demand. I know one organisation that was making a lot of people redundant but carried on recruiting analysts. Companies want them for the commercial savings they can bring. If you are trying to cut costs and save money a good team of analysts is worth its weight in gold.” Kirsten Spittle, director at Twenty Recruitment, adds: “We are seeing more of a focus around the cost analysis and cost accounting area. Firms want people who scrutinise budgets. When you are looking at central finance teams, they are the people that ensure everyone understands where budgets are set, where overspend occurs and why. We are seeing an uplift, but while there is a focus on being cautious when it comes to spend, firms are looking at system projects and change management projects. All of those require a project accountant looking at all the costs involved, so that those projects are delivered on budget and on time.”