staffing & recruiting

olympics of outsourcing and offshoring for accountants

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the only difference is it’s not a once in four years event.

by hitendra patil

 the olympic games are the epitome of human achievement. the best athletes in the world come together to compete for the ultimate coveted glory. the accounting profession is no different in its competitive spirit and quest for excellence.

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outsourcing and offshoring have emerged as a necessary remedy to overcome the challenges of the accounting talent shortage. accounting firms leveraging outsourcing and offshoring are like the athletes excelling at the olympics. like the olympics, accounting firms need rigorous preparation, strategic planning, and meticulous execution to succeed with outsourcing and offshoring. let us dive into the comparison between the olympics and outsourcing/offshoring strategies. let us see how accounting firms can assure gold-medalist performance in the olympics of outsourcing and offshoring.

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how accounting staffing has changed

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businesswoman sitting on table while talking with four coworkers

and two major drivers of that change.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm staff: managing your #1 asset

“treat people as they are and they will remain as they are. treat people as they can be and should be and they will become as they can and should be.” – goethe

“you see, really and truly, apart from the things anyone can pick up, such as dressing and the proper way of speaking and so on, the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she’s treated. i shall always be a flower girl to professor higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl. but i know i can be a lady to you, colonel pickering, because you always treat me as a lady and always will.” – eliza doolittle in “my fair lady”

more: thirteen traits of partners you’ll want to keep | six rules for keeping partners happy and productive | why strategic thinking impacts your firm’s future | seven things good firms must do | five ways to separate accounting winners from losers | two factors determine firm profitability | don’t make firm profitability a goal | core values: why your firm needs them | five keys in compensating new managing partners | top 20 tough choices for the partner comp committee | voting on ownership basis? three better methods | what partners do and don’t deserve
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

the ancient greek philosopher heraclitus said: “there is nothing permanent except change.” people fly and drive cars instead of using horses and carts. technology has replaced calculators, slide rules and the process for writing books. food is purchased at grocery stores instead of grown on farms.

drastic changes have occurred in the cpa industry as well. one of the biggest areas of change is how staff are managed and treated, as shown by this chart.
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student accounting enrollment shows third year of recovery | cornerstone

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but

new data from the national student clearinghouse research center shows a 12 percent increase in fall 2024 accounting enrollment compared to fall 2023. the increase amounted to an additional 28,672 students.

total undergraduate accounting enrollment for fall 2024 was 267,278 students, the highest accounting enrollment reported since fall 2020 (263,092 students) and just shy of the pre-pandemic fall 2019 enrollment (275,963 students).

understanding the inflection points
in number of cpa exam candidates

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 cornerstone report

the key factors contributing to the ups and downs – mostly downs in the last three decades – of cpa exam candidates reflect broader trends in the economy, regulatory environment, and demographic landscape.

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turnover timebomb: 4 of 5 senior managers at risk

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and seven ways to overcome staffing issues.

by hitendra patil

the talent crisis in the accounting profession has been relentless, and it now seems that the staffing issues are moving up the ladder.

more hitendra patil here
more on staffing here

the preliminary results of the inaugural accountants professional satisfaction survey show nearly two in five directors and senior managers at accounting firms report dissatisfaction. only one in four seniors are highly satisfied. on the other hand, one in three managers are dissatisfied at their firms, and only 17 percent are highly satisfied.

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150 credit hours: helping or hindering?

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one study suggests there is little if any upside but plenty of downside.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

four decades ago, the american institute of cpas promulgated a rule requiring accountants to complete 150 credit hours to qualify for certification, an increase from 120 hours. basically, it required a fifth year of college education.

more: can’t recruit? retain! | the accountant as a strategic business partner | report: efficiency still the top priority for accounting firms | is tech causing both cpa shortage and low salaries? | staffing tops list of woes at cpa firms | to replenish the talent pipeline, go back to the classroom | beware the work-life/workload doom spiral | why the dry pipeline? it’s about time | whole person retention: when it’s not just the money | global trends show many dissatisfied cpas | more big firms shut their doors to new college grads | seven enticements to keep talent on board
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

state boards of accountancy had discretion over when to enact the rule. by 2015, all states and u.s. territories had adopted it.

fun fact: the national rule did not impose any requirements on what courses the students had to take. it didn’t have to be courses on tax law or accounting standards. philosophy, music theory or basket-weaving would do. state boards, however, often mandate specific course requirements.
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can’t recruit? retain!

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bar chart

other options: outsourcing, m&a, even freelancers with different skill sets.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

there’s no good news coming out of the talent pipeline. there are fewer accounting majors coming in at the college end, and fewer coming out at the cpa exam end.

the reasons are legion. kids these days have little interest in a career reputed to be boring and exhausting. they can make more money in some other area of finance or business. the extra credit hours take too long and cost too much.

more: the accountant as a strategic business partner | report: efficiency still the top priority for accounting firms | is tech causing both cpa shortage and low salaries? | audit firms nervous about new tech | what accountants can learn from t-ball | staffing tops list of woes at cpa firms | to replenish the talent pipeline, go back to the classroom | beware the work-life/workload doom spiral | why the dry pipeline? it’s about time | business model transformation: do it or die | misperceptions, corrections, accountancy and lemonade
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

the 2024 thomson reuters state of tax professionals report sums it up with illustrative stats.

  • 39 percent say recruitment will be “highly challenging” in 2024.
  • another quarter say it will be “somewhat challenging.”
  • 33 percent of firms with four or more employees say talent will be a top priority.

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is tech causing both cpa shortage and low salaries?

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dot chart
the number of accounting degree completions from bachelor’s programs from 1994-2021. source: 2023 aicpa trends report

 

there’s a paradox going on.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

a working paper by three academics presents a paradoxical contradiction in the accounting industry. somehow, technology, which is starting to replace some accounting functions, is causing a shortage of accounting professionals. and despite the high demand for the few graduates who major in accounting, starting salaries are lower than in related professions.

more: audit firms nervous about new tech | what accountants can learn from t-ball | staffing tops list of woes at cpa firms | to replenish the talent pipeline, go back to the classroom | beware the work-life/workload doom spiral | why the dry pipeline? it’s about time | business model transformation: do it or die | misperceptions, corrections, accountancy and lemonade | whole person retention: when it’s not just the money | global trends show many dissatisfied cpas | more big firms shut their doors to new college grads
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

and in a related paradox, technology’s most powerful tools may be augmenting the accountant’s workload.

how can all this be concurrent?
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overworked accountants are racking up financial errors

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blame understaffing and overwork. and roll in the ai robots.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

eighteen percent of accountants make financial errors at least daily, a third make at least a few financial errors every week, and 59 percent make several monthly errors, according to a new survey that blames “capacity” issues.

related: hiring experience vs. training inexperience | to replenish the talent pipeline, go back to the classroom | beware the work-life/workload doom spiral | why the dry pipeline? it’s about time | business model transformation: do it or die | whole person retention: when it’s not just the money | disruptors: nicole davis & jw davis show how to create your own pipeline | more in staffing & recruiting

goprocpa.com exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

is technology the best answer?

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hiring experience vs. training inexperience

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young woman in job interview

invest your mentoring time where it matters most.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

question: we were looking for an additional experienced person since september and hired someone with five years experience in mid-november, but she said she couldn’t start until january. she said she had work she had to finish up.

more: eleven ways new staffers can help bring in business | should you merge? here’s how to chart your path | hold staff accountable if you want them to listen to you | how to raise your rates | higher fees to start: ten ways to make your tax season better | three ways to start an accounting practice | free consultation? not always | referral fee? forget it | how much is your tax practice worth? | merge in lower-priced work without losing out
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

two days before christmas she called to tell me her firm made her a “better” offer and she decided to stay there. it meant we had to enter busy season short a person. this seems to happen a lot. what do you suggest?
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to replenish the talent pipeline, go back to the classroom

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woman lecturing on business

maybe we should front-load the coolest parts of our profession.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

if you’re wondering why it’s so hard to find and hire qualified accounting professionals, think back to your college days … your first class in accounting, probably something like “principles of accounting.”

obviously you, a future accountant, passed the course, and apparently you found it interesting.

more: beware the work-life/workload doom spiral | why the dry pipeline? it’s about time | whole person retention: when it’s not just the money | seven enticements to keep talent on board | disruptors: talent crisis? what talent crisis? | seven steps to a stronger future | auditing standards ‘yellow book’ updated | compensation’s up, but up enough to retain staff? | cpas needed to help small biz adopt ai
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

but that puts you in a minority of students with an interest in business. according to a survey from the center for audit quality, 32 percent of students who chose not to major in accounting said lack of interest or passion was the main reason, and 70 percent said it was at least part of the reason.

no surprise, then, that only one in eight graduates in business areas major in accounting. and that’s down from one in seven in 2016.
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beware the work-life/workload doom spiral

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man on spiral staircase

five strategies for keeping your firm out of it.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

is your firm in a doom spiral?

more: business model transformation: do it or die | misperceptions, corrections, accountancy and lemonade | whole person retention: when it’s not just the money | global trends show many dissatisfied cpas | more big firms shut their doors to new college grads | seven enticements to keep talent on board | employee retention is easier than attraction | let interns fix the staffing shortage? | disruptors: talent crisis? what talent crisis? | three ways to raise the bar for your business | accountants’ advice: be careful, quick, creative … and lean
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

here’s what it looks like:

  1. a cpa quits or retires.
  2. the firm can’t attract a replacement.
  3. the firmwide workload remains constant.
  4. increased workloads get redistributed.
  5. a cpa quits because of stress.
  6. workloads increase again.
  7. someone else quits. no one gets hired.
  8. the firm turns away clients.
  9. revenue drops. salaries stagnate.
  10. uncompetitive salaries hinder hiring.
  11. a cpa quits or retires.
  12. repeat.

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why the dry pipeline? it’s about time

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serious young man studying

and it’s about time the profession took action.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

it’s been with us from the beginning. we can measure it but we can’t see it. it’s our friend and our enemy. it’s infinite, yet we never have enough of it.

and it may be the big leak in the cpa pipeline.

more: business model transformation: do it or die | misperceptions, corrections, accountancy and lemonade | whole person retention: when it’s not just the money | global trends show many dissatisfied cpas | more big firms shut their doors to new college grads | seven enticements to keep talent on board | employee retention is easier than attraction | let interns fix the staffing shortage? | disruptors: talent crisis? what talent crisis? | three ways to raise the bar for your business | accountants’ advice: be careful, quick, creative … and lean
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

yes, it’s time.

so concludes the illinois cpa society’s 2024 “re-decoding the decline” survey and report on why the pipeline of incoming accounting talent has been going from dribble to drip.
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business model transformation: do it or die

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pair of diagrams
adapted from aicpa and other sources.

 

four areas ripe for change.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

five ugly facts your firm may need to deal with:

  1. seventy percent of cpas are at or near retirement age.
  2. the numbers of accounting graduates and cpa exam candidates are both dropping.

more: global trends show many dissatisfied cpas | more big firms shut their doors to new college grads | seven enticements to keep talent on board | employee retention is easier than attraction | let interns fix the staffing shortage? | disruptors: talent crisis? what talent crisis? | accountants’ advice: be careful, quick, creative … and lean | top performers lead in leverage, culling, outsourcing | firms culling clients as staffing woes persist | compensation’s up, but up enough to retain staff? | are accountants charging too little?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

  1. gen z (ages 20-30) is transforming the labor market with new values on workplace environment, compensation, benefits, leadership, dei policies, culture and corporate mission.
  2. the majority of current cpas have no interest in becoming partners.
  3. roughly half of current cpas might consider finding another firm, and almost 15 percent wouldn’t mind leaving the profession altogether.

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