CFOs face challenges around attracting and retaining skilled talent in 2025, with 18% of finance chiefs citing it as their greatest concern for enterprise performance in the year ahead, according to a report from Gartner.
A similar proportion of CFOs (19%) are most worried about slower top-line growth, according to the same survey. For 17%, strategic alignment and execution gaps on the executive team are their biggest worry for the year ahead.
CFOs must strike a delicate balance between sustainable growth and investments in emerging technologies, the report suggests, while still managing day-to-day financial responsibilities. Many finance teams are understaffed or overworked, which amplifies the urgency of finding the right combination of talent, skills, and technology to meet complex demands.
Alexander Bant, chief of research for Gartner Finance practice said: “CFOs are absolutely trying to streamline and free up resources from the transactional element to their finance function in order to fund two new big skill sets that we continue to look for.”. Those include professionals with digital skills - especially those related to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence - as well as those with “better analytical storytelling” skills, he said.
In addition to addressing staffing shortages, CFOs are navigating a landscape shaped by macro-economic and geopolitical changes, as well as new regulations that impact business models and strategies for 2025. These factors are driving the need for finance teams that can analyse and interpret data to create relevant, actionable recommendations for the enterprise.
As such, CFOs are focused on creating an environment that attracts top talent with the right data and technology skills, and are working closely with HR departments to track productivity and plan for future hiring.
Another challenge that CFOs face is integrating AI into business processes. With businesses increasingly looking to leverage artificial intelligence, CFOs must be discerning about where to invest, balancing the need for innovation with fiscal responsibility.
The ongoing conversation about AI’s role in business models presents a unique challenge: how to adopt new technologies without overspending, and how to measure the return on investment before committing further funds.
As CFOs look to the future, building and retaining a workforce that is both skilled in emerging technologies and able to communicate data-driven insights will be crucial to navigating the complexities of 2025 and beyond.