​I recently heard about a growing trend that’s wreaking havoc in the hiring market – AI augmented job applications. According to numerous sources, job seekers armed with newly emerging AI tools are now applying to jobs at unprecedented rates. They are using AI to submit mass applications, generate multiple versions of their resume, and even write customized cover letters for them. In fact, according to recent data, approximately half of all job seekers are leveraging AI tools during their job search, which has resulted in more than double the number of applicants for any given position.
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And yet, grappling to cope with a huge influx of job applicants to find the right match is not a new topic for hiring managers. Let’s take a look at how we got here and discuss how hiring a recruiter can help you weather the storm! 

How important is a culture fit in hiring? As it turns out, it isn’t!
In almost a decade as an accounting/finance recruiter I’ve gradually come to realize something is far more important than finding the right cultural fit for your organization. I’d like to make the case for hiring for a “culture add” rather than a “culture fit.” 

​What makes the best accountants great at what they do? Is it financial acumen? Experience across various accounting functions? Years of expertise? Industry-specific knowledge? Sure, those are certainly important, especially at the leadership level!
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However, when you need to hire an accounting manager, there’s one indicator of success that often gets overlooked – being a good listener.

​Sometimes when a client has a job opening, we hear “We want to try recruiting on our own for a bit before engaging a recruiter.” It may seem to be a perfectly logical response to try and find someone on your own before looking for outside help such as hiring an external recruiter. However, there are many reasons you should go ahead and get started with a contingent recruiter right away versus relying solely on your own internal efforts. Let me explain why!

Can you trust an accounting recruiter?

Some business owners and hiring managers are skeptical of the kind of value that recruiters can provide, specifically around whether they’re capable of delivering talent that will actually stick around. Sometimes there’s a misconception that a recruiter will work hard to find a pool of appealing candidates, provide support during the offer process, and then just disappear, leaving clients just hoping that the new hire will remain with the company past the guarantee period (and no recourse if they don’t). However, this simply isn’t true.

Top recruiters will support their clients through every step of the process and remain available even after the hire is made in case additional hiring needs arise. They will walk alongside their clients for the long haul and avail themselves if questions or concerns develop. Their goal isn’t to take your check to the bank and walk away! The best recruiters aim to foster trust to build a relationship that will continue past the current engagement for everyone’s best interest.

Of course, there is always the possibility of bad actors in any industry, which makes being able to discern what constitutes trustworthy recruiters from less reputable recruiters a key component of finding an accounting recruiter for your next hire.
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Let’s look at the value recruiters can bring to your next accounting search and what sets top recruiters apart!

As experienced accounting recruiters our team has their finger on the pulse of what’s going on in accounting hiring. Every month we put out a Recruiting Market Report that details what we’ve been hearing from clients and colleagues, but there are some surprising ongoing trends that we’d like to highlight further. Whether you are a hiring manager or a jobseeker, these are the top trends you need to be aware of as we close out 2024 and head into 2025:

As a recruiter with over 45 years of experience, we asked Perry Paden to give his thoughts and opinions on some topics that are currently facing the accounting industry. Here’s what he had to share when we sat down to talk with him…
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Q: There has been so much ongoing discussion about the talent shortage in accounting, how has this changed in the last year or so?
Perry: “It’s simple. It really has not changed tremendously. Among accounting and finance professionals there’s a shortage of talent – period. Recent data tells us that there are over a million accountants employed in the US currently, but the accounting profession is expected to fill out over 130,000 positions every year until 2031. That’s a gap that’s going to cause problems!”

​As recruiters, we often talk with clients that have an extensive list of everything they would like in their next hire. Sometimes this includes items that cause employers to voluntarily get in their own way of filling their open roles. We hear things like, “We want an up-and-comer that can grow with the company” or “This person needs to be 100% on-site” or “They need to have an accounting degree.” While it’s good to know what you want, more often than not these kinds of limitations lead employers to pass on candidates who are actually well qualified for their roles. For this reason, it may be worth stretching your hiring parameters to get an open role filled.

We all know that unemployment continues to be at near record lows (and it’s even lower in the accounting and finance field!), which means you need to be prepared to be flexible. Removing the assumptions of what you need from your mind may be the first step in the right direction of getting your role filled. Even if it feels a little bit uncomfortable at first, stretching is good for your hiring efforts!

Time and time again we have clients come to us expressing regret over their accounting hiring decisions. They say things like:

“…We hired what we could afford and the person we brought in is totally underqualified…”
“…We’ve had so much turnover in the role – we just can’t keep anyone, and we don’t have the budget to get someone who will stick around…”
“…We simply can’t find what we’re looking for these days at the price we’re willing to pay…”
“…We put off hiring because we didn’t want to spend the money before, but now we’ve waited far too long and we need to find someone immediately!..”

​The lesson here is clear – trying to cut costs with accounting hiring is always going to cost more in the long run! Let’s look at why hiring a “cheap” accountant is actually more expensive than hiring a good accountant and how you can improve your hiring strategy. 

A resource offered in partnership between The ASP Team and CFO Selections

​One commonality among our businesses at The ASP Team and CFO Selections is that we often talk to business leaders that aren’t sure which kind of accounting role they need. They typically understand the duties they would like the person to perform and the deliverables they expect to receive, but they aren’t sure what to call the role exactly. Without the proper title it makes it difficult to hire into the role or find an accounting services company to provide exactly what they need.

Sometimes clients will come to us at The ASP Team saying that they need a “bookkeeper” as a catch-all phrase for someone doing any kind of accounting work but what they are really looking for is something more – an Accountant, Senior Accountant, or even Controller. Similarly, sometimes clients will come to us at CFO Selections saying that they need a “CFO” as a catch-all phrase for someone doing more advanced accounting work or leading an accounting team but what they actually need is something less – a Controller, Accounting Manager, or Senior Accountant. How do you know which you need?