Recruitment and management
CPA recruitment: in-demand profiles
The workforce shortage can be felt increasingly in the business world, and the accounting, finance and management fields have not been spared.
It’s no secret that organizations are struggling more than ever to find candidates with the Chartered Professional Accountant designation for various key positions. There are definitely several contributing factors to this problem: retiring baby boomers, annually fluctuating interest in the accounting profession, growing needs in organizations and specific selection criteria in combination with a growing economy.
What are the solutions to the shortage of accounting professionals?
Large organizations with a HR department must proactively plan their succession strategies. Organizations that can afford to do so must always make sure that they are overstaffed rather than understaffed. This limits the negative impact on clients when employees leave organizations and makes it easier to divide up the additional work caused by the smaller workforce.
Smaller organizations should instead set up a referral system with their associates to facilitate contact with candidates from their networks. For instance, a bonus that varies according to the selected candidate's experience and profile could then be offered to the associate who facilitated the meeting with the candidate.
Attracting top talent is about more than just salary!
Due to the unbalanced ratio between the number of candidates on the market and the number of job offers, employers have to double their efforts to attract top talent.
Candidates consider the criterion of compensation more and more as a secondary variable when choosing their potential employer, which is why organizations need to readjust their tactics to keep in step with this general trend. Employers that stand out focus more on the intrinsic motivations of job searchers and their own corporate culture to attract potential candidates. The main weapon that organizations now use is the quality of life that they offer to their employees.
I talk to hundreds of candidates every year and hear the same desire constantly: The desire to be on a team that lets them grow and flourish professionally with team members that share their values.
Therefore, job offers must do more than provide conventional descriptions, but rather put greater emphasis on the work environment, advancement possibilities, continuing education, positive work-life balance and the benefits offered by the company. Beyond positions, organizations must offer a lifestyle and values that are aligned with those of their future recruits. There is no doubt that this recipe for success will create optimal networking.
Edouard Deliancourt
Edouard Deliancourt is a long-time functional consultant of CPA offices in France and Canada. At TOTEM RECRUTE, he assists his clients with their problems in recruiting candidates for all types of positions in accounting firms.
