hiring

steve evans: why traditional hiring methods fail | the disruptors

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redefine how you hire and develop top accounting talent.

this is a preview. the complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to pro members | go pro here

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the disruptors
with liz farr

in 2012, steve evans’ friend giles pearson, a big four accountant in new zealand, needed help. pwc kept making the same hiring mistakes because they had no way to assess a candidate’s technical accounting skills. steve, an expert in psychometric testing, thought it might take half a day to scour the marketplace for appropriate tests but found nothing useful.   

more podcasts and videos: roger knecht: can you be an accountrepreneur? | beth whitworth: focus on outcomes not hours | mike sylvester: learn to say no | salim omar: identify your client’s $100,000 problem | jackie meyer: earn more with fewer clients | jack fleherty: don’t be a ‘yes’ person | greg adams: from finance to storytelling | the disruptors | jody padar: make radical changes now if you want to be relevant in 2030 | rebecca driscoll: amplify reach by helping other firm owners | rory henry: create the return on relationships | mike maksymiw: be the leader you wish you had | terrell turner: build a solid business showing up as yourself | kelly mann: be the bull in the china shop | alicia katz pollock: create a human-centric business |  nancy mcclelland: be the one your clients ask first |alan whitman: stop accepting the status quo | sean duncan: discover your own genius | ingrid edstrom: true wealth is not financial |

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“they’re all rubbish,” he recalls telling giles. “they’re out of date. they’re not country-specific. they’re not really accounting-specific. they’re just math questions dressed up as an accounting test.” out of that failure, accountests was born.  

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battling the staffing crisis: is a little-known, but controversial, visa program the answer for 2025 hiring?

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cornerstone report: h-1b hiring and salary trends in tax, accounting and finance

  • the jobs outlook, salary trends, and election year politics.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research estimates and illustration

what it is. how it works. and what cpa firms are doing.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the h-1b visa program is vital for u.s. companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers in specialty occupations, including tax, finance, and accounting.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research estimates that as many as 46,000 tax, accounting and finance professionals work at u.s. firms under the h-1b program. this figure has received scant attention in the profession but is critical to its infrastructure. to the extent that it has received attention, critics say the program holds down salaries for u.s. workers.

in 2024, the biden administration eased restrictions on the h-1b visa program while clamping down on abuses. by 2025, with the trump administration, it had become a lightning rod of controversy.

the nation’s tech industry has a huge stake in the outcome. despite fluctuations in the number of h-1b workers requested and approved, the demand for h-1b workers in computer-related occupations remains strong, and h-1b workers play a critical role in the workforce.

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jobs outlook: strong and steady growth in hiring and earnings for u.s. accountants

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cornerstone study forecasts smooth advances in both employment and salaries for accountants through 2031

cornerstone studies by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research provide decision-makers with a strong, data-based set of sharp insights, useful reference points, and actionable intelligence.

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three ways to thrive with limited capacity

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smiling man working at laptop in office with glass walls

turn the staffing shortage into a new opportunity.

by frank stiteley
the relentless cpa

charles dickens had to be writing about the accounting profession when he wrote, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

clients are plentiful. i met a new client coming out of the restroom at our office complex. we get four to five inquiries a day – out of tax season. during tax season, we turned down four out of five prospective clients.

more on staffing: tax and accounting jobs and salaries show strength | olympics of outsourcing and offshoring for accountants | new study: strong and steady growth for accountant jobs and salaries | can’t recruit? retain! | 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 | whole person retention: when it’s not just the money | 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? | firms culling clients as staffing woes persist
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staff are not plentiful – at least not good ones. i’m getting two or three resumes a day, but they’re the warm body sort most of us learned the hard way not to hire during the pandemic. you’ve seen these resumes too. they are people with six employers in eight years. you are certain to be number seven in nine years. they claim eight years of experience, but you can see from their job history that it’s really two years of experience repeated four times. and – they want $100k for those two years of real experience.

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tax and accounting jobs and salaries show strength

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line chart
overall accounting profession employment hits a glitch.

hourly earnings fluctuate.

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

despite a slowing increase in employment for the u.s. economy in general, the nation’s tax and accounting sector is improving on most fronts, marking more than four years of solid year-over-year gains.

more: new study: strong and steady growth for accountant jobs and salaries | more big firms shut their doors to new college grads | seven enticements to keep talent on board | payroll leads job gains in tax & accounting sector
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to be sure, tax and accounting employment nudged slightly down in july, according to the latest data available to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research. but it remains ahead of last year’s figures. and record highs are popping in key hiring segments, including staff, cpa firms and payroll services. is talk of staffing shortages overblown, or would growth be even stronger if more qualified candidates were available? read more →

what relevance means for staffing in accounting

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five young business people at work in an office setting.

seventeen ways to improve.

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

the business graveyard is littered with major organizations that missed the boat by failing to see cataclysmic game changers happening right before their eyes.

  • ice companies failed to get into refrigeration because they saw themselves in the ice business.
  • railroads missed out on autos and aerospace because they didn’t see themselves in the transportation business.
  • a ceo of digital equipment corporation said he couldn’t imagine why people would want a computer in their own house.
  • it took the wright brothers five years to get the u.s. government to even talk to them about their invention.

more: how accounting staffing has changed
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in all fairness it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to anticipate and accept massive changes like these.
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how we solve the accounting talent pipeline problem | accounting influencers

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“it’s not just debits and credits.”

 

accounting influencers
with rob brown

look into potential solutions for the alarming talent shortage with sue coffey, ceo of public accounting at the aicpa, and lexy kessler, partner at aprio and chair of the aicpa’s national pipeline advisory group, in this episode of accounting influencers, hosted by rob brown.

more accounting influencers with rob brown here

coffey and kessler discuss the overwhelming evidence pointing to a significant talent pipeline issue in accounting, including declining enrolment in accounting programs, fewer students pursuing the cpa credential, and challenges in retaining young professionals in their first five years of employment. but can the profession overcome this challenge?

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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.

take action now: take this 2-minute quick quiz to evaluate if your firm needs outsourcing.
you will instantly get your score and what that score means.

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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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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