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If you’re hiring an AP professional this quarter, here are some things you need to know…
AP by any other name is still accounts payable. The exact role is defined by the processes and procedures used by a given company to manage invoice processing/payment, but the name varies depending on the company. You might know it as:
- AP
- PTP
- P2P
- S2P
- Or simply Accounts Payable
We meet hundreds of AP professionals every year across a wide variety of companies, structures, and jurisdictions and here is some of what we’ve learned from them over the years.
#1 Base
For AP talent it can be all about the base, so let’s talk reward first. Here is what you would expect to pay today:
You can expect a 10-15% reduction on the above numbers, when considering appointments outside of Leinster. For bespoke advice, our team can provide further details, for contact cole.carroll@barden.ie (Leinster) or tara.higgins@barden.ie (Munster).
#2 Continuum of Activity in AP
Scale is the primary driver for differentiating AP roles. Generally, the larger the AP team, the less of the continuum a specific role will cover, and the smaller the team the more of the continuum is covered. Simple.
Other variables that matter are listed above. There are many and they are what differentiate one role from another. What variables are relevant to the role you are looking to hire matter a lot. Fact.
#3 Demand vs Supply
The continued shift in the market has given further rise to supply of AP professionals seeking employment opportunities across Ireland. The “demand” or “open roles” across this space is slightly down on earlier this year.
The surplus of talent has allowed managers to be selective in their hiring processes, as the supply of accounts payable talent exceeds the available job opportunities. However, this surplus relates specifically to junior and mid-level AP professionals, with the demand for senior and specialised talent still being identified in the ‘very high demand’ category.
Below are some data points about the AP market in Ireland this quarter. The estimated number of talent available per role for Q4 2024 was undeterminable based on data available at the time of publication:
What are companies doing to attract talent?
The AP Leaders and Financial Controllers that we work with use some of the following tactics to make sure they get the best results:
- Competitive base salaries that are talent-led rather than budget-led.
- Additional benefits (bonus, healthcare, working abroad for short periods of time).
- Considered Hybrid working patterns that reflect the nature of the role.
- Pathways for development internally.
- Investing in company culture dynamics.
- Outsourcing or automation.
- Identifying junior talent and investing in upskilling.
In Barden, we understand that each team, role, and requirement is unique. If you would like to discuss what tactics and approaches that would suit you, contact Cole Carroll or Tara Higgins our AP Talent Advisory & Recruitment team here in Barden (cole.carroll@barden.ie; tara.higgins@barden.ie); we’re where leaders go before, they start looking for AP talent.
This information is accurate as per October 2024 and will be updated periodically. Data sources include Barden Proprietary Data, LinkedIn Analytics and other 3rd party data sources. If you have a request and would like real-time information to inform your hiring decisions contact Cole Carroll (Leinster) at cole.carroll@barden.ie or Tara Higgins (Munster) at tara.higgins@barden.ie