Upskilling your finance team: what employers should prioritize in 2025
As the function of finance teams evolves from number-crunching to strategic insight, employers need to stay ahead of the upskilling curve. In 2025, a finance team’s value lies in tech savvy, digital literacy, soft skills, and Enviromental, Social, & Governance (ESG) awareness.
Here’s a roadmap for talent leaders based on recent industry analysis and trends.
Digital transformation and AI adaptability
- AI and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are no longer optional, they’re essential. Over 30% of finance teams now use AI for forecasting and automation, with RPA streamlining repetitive tasks such as reconciliations.
- Nearly 40% of finance roles will be reshaped by finance technology in 2025, according to Gartner, with the core skills being digital fluency, data literacy, and AI governance.
What to do: prioritize training in AI frameworks (predictive analysis, GenAI), machine learning basics, and RPA implementation.
Data and analytics proficiency
- With finance dashboards becoming self-service, analytical interpretation matters more than ever. Predictive analytics underpin strategic FP&A roles.
- A staggering 89% of finance firms are focusing on data analytics in reskilling efforts.
What to do: offer structured programs in data visualization (Power BI, Tableau), statistical methods, and storytelling with data.
Cybersecurity and compliance
- Finance is a high-profile target. A KPMG/Confluence survey shows that 68% of financial services firms rate AI in risk and compliance as a top priority.
- As audit committees prioritize finance transformation and talent, cybersecurity and internal-audit skills rank among top concerns.
What to do: ensure your team is getting regular training in emerging risks, such as phishing, SOX, cloud security, and regulatory compliance.
ESG reporting and sustainability literacy
- ESG reporting is no longer a niche: finance teams are now leading the charge on carbon tracking, social impact metrics, and governance transparency.
- ESG credentials are in high demand, and finance’s role in steering cross-department sustainability is rising.
What to do: Invest in training for Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) or Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) frameworks, ESG data integration in ERPs, and inter-departmental collaboration for sustainability initiatives.
Soft Skills & Leadership Capabilities
- Although “people skills” might seem like more of a soft skill, they are becoming increasingly more essential. Finance roles now call for communication, influence, and storytelling.
- Senior finance staff must lead teams, take complex data and make it into compelling, concise narratives while also coaching emerging talent.
What to do: Launch leadership workshops, bullpen data-presentation training, mentoring programs, and behavioral coaching to cultivate these competencies.
Cross-Functional & Strategic Mindset
- F&A teams are leaning into strategic planning, working closely with HR, IT, procurement, and operations to deliver unified insights.
- Cross-training, rotations, and hackathons are particularly effective in building collaborative, big-picture thinkers.
What to do: Develop rotational programs across business units, offer integrated workshops, and create initiatives that bridge finance with strategy, IT, ESG, etc.
Personalized & Agile Learning
- Employees want learning tailored to their roles—69% believe specialized programs increase satisfaction, and upskilling budgets have risen significantly.
- Organizations are shifting toward AI powered, competency-based platforms, microlearning modules, and VR simulations.
What to do: Deploy digital learning platforms offering role-specific tracks, micro-credentials, immersive simulations, and real-time assessments.
Key Takeaways & Employer Actions
| Priority Area | Why It Matters in 2025 |
| AI & Analytics | Automation + insights = higher strategic value |
| Cyber Risk & ESG | Mandatory compliance + stakeholder trust |
| Soft Skills & Leadership | Influence & coaching powers finance’s strategic voice |
| Cross-functional Collaboration | Unified data = aligned business outcomes |
| Personalized Learning Paths | Engagement + retention fueled by tailored development |
For talent and HR leaders in finance, upskilling isn’t a one-off, it’s a strategic, ongoing investment. By prioritizing future-fit digital competencies, data mastery, regulatory readiness, leadership acumen, and cross-functional fluency—and wrapping it in personalized learning—you’ll build a finance organization that’s agile, resilient, and ready for tomorrow’s challenges.
Looking to expand your finance and accounting teams in 2025? Addison Group can help. For more than 20 years, our expert recruiters have been placing top talent with innovative companies. Let’s talk about how we can find talent that’s the right fit for your team, not just who’s available.
