Is your professional services team ready for September?

A leadership perspective from Meraki Talent’s Professional Services experts Alice Hudson and Jenna Gallagher.

The summer slowdown can be deceptive. Across global professional services, hiring rarely stops in July and August. It simply becomes quieter as leadership teams make decisions that shape the rest of the year.

And with most Manager-to-Director level professionals working to three-month notice periods as standard, organisations planning to grow, restructure or transform before year-end need to be acting now.

September hiring success is usually decided in May and June.

The global practice market moves earlier than many expect

In Audit, Tax, Transfer Pricing, Risk, Corporate Finance and Advisory functions, the autumn hiring window is one of the most competitive periods of the year.

Firms are simultaneously protecting delivery capacity ahead of busy season, supporting new service line launches, strengthening promotion pipelines, preparing for regulatory or transaction-driven demand and positioning teams ahead of the next financial cycle

By the time September arrives, the strongest candidates are often already committed to their next step and this is particularly true across internationally mobile talent pools.

The Manager–Director gap is still the pressure point

One of the most consistent themes we see across Europe and offshore markets is the continued shortage of experienced professionals in the 5–10 year qualification window.

These individuals lead engagement delivery, stabilise teams during expansion, support Partner groups as well as underpinning new office growth strategies

Yet supply has not recovered fully since pandemic-era hiring slowdowns. Firms that wait until Q4 to address this gap are rarely choosing from the full market.

Transformation plans require earlier decisions than growth plans

There is also a difference between hiring for growth and hiring for transformation.

Growth hiring can tolerate delay. Transformation hiring cannot.

Whether a firm is launching a new Transfer Pricing capability in Amsterdam, strengthening Risk Advisory coverage in Luxembourg, or expanding Transaction Services teams in Zurich or Dublin, the timeline for securing leadership-level talent is measured in months, not weeks.

That’s particularly true when relocation is involved, something we support every single day across major European and offshore hubs.

September hiring starts with decisions made now

The organisations that move most effectively in September are rarely the fastest movers at interview stage, but they are the best prepared.

Typically, they have already:

• clarified which hires are business critical.
• aligned internally on budgets and grade.
• defined relocation support where needed.
• reviewed promotion timelines.
• mapped succession risk within existing teams.

This preparation allows them to act with confidence when the right individuals become available.

We ask a simple question for leadership teams

If a director-level candidate aligned to your growth strategy became available tomorrow, would your organisation be ready to move? Because across the global practice market, the firms that answer yes in early summer are usually the ones shaping their teams by autumn.

An Invitation

We both work closely with leadership teams across international Audit, Tax, Transfer Pricing, Risk and Advisory functions, and are always happy to share what we are seeing across key hiring locations ahead of the September window.

If you are thinking ahead, please talk to us now about what you need this September. Email Jenna or Alice or connect with them on LinkedIn Alice Hudson and Jenna Gallagher