Insights from Recruiters on the Hiring Landscape for Accounting and Finance Professionals

According to a report by Intuit on the state of the accounting profession in Canada, 97% of companies surveyed are experiencing challenges finding quality candidates with five or more years of experience. We also know that in general, younger workers tend to change jobs more frequently than previous generations, especially if they feel their needs and goals aren’t being met in their current role. So, employers who want to attract and keep the best-and-brightest need to be proactive about employee satisfaction and retention.

Support and Advice from Accounting and Finance Recruiters

Recruitment for accounting and finance professionals has been a core specialty of The Headhunters since our founding. Recruitment Consultants Barry Milne, Georgia Harper and Lindie De Gouveia help employers find exceptional accounting and finance candidates who meet both the technical skills for job success and fit the team dynamics and culture.

In this blog, they share their insights on the accounting and finance job market, with advice for employers and job seekers:

For Employers: Hiring for Accounting and Finance Teams

Get Clear on Who and What You Actually Need

Accounting and finance roles can often seem very cut-and-dry in terms of the skills and experience needed to do the job. But the ‘what’ is only one piece of the hiring puzzle—the ‘who’ is also important.

Figure out ‘what’ you need

• What skills do you need this person to already have vs. what will you train?
• Do you need someone who has worked in a specific industry?
• Are there specific apps or software they need experience with?
• How senior is this role? Will they be supervising other staff? Does it require management experience?
• Is this a current and well-established position to be maintained or will they be responsible for building out this function?
• What are your business goals now and in the future, and how will this role contribute to those goals? For example: Do you need a growth specialist? Do you need someone skilled at finding efficiencies and cutting costs?

And then think about the ‘who’

You may end up with a stack of resumes from candidates who all meet the basic requirements for the open position, but the key to success is finding someone who truly fits your company’s culture and team dynamics. As Georgia points out:

“Fit is important at all levels and career stages, however, this is especially true with more senior positions. Managers can have a significant impact on the dynamics and performance of a team, so finding the right work style and culture fit for these roles is crucial.”

This is where validated hiring assessment tools such as our Workstyle and Performance Profile (WPP) are valuable. The WPP helps predict workplace performance and behaviour, and takes the guesswork out of finding the right ‘fit.

Lindie has noticed that companies hiring for accounting and finance roles are increasingly more aware of the value of factoring cultural fit and soft skills into hiring decisions:

“Designations, certifications and work experience are important, but our clients are also putting more emphasis on fit. The WPP allows us to assess beyond technical skills and look at work style, team dynamics and personality fit.

For example, for accounting positions, one area we might look at is how the candidate thinks and processes information. Some roles might need someone to be more a more strategic and flexible thinker, whereas others need a person who is highly detail-oriented and thrives with more structure.

It’s also usually important for accounting and finance candidates to have strong communication skills, especially those in senior roles. These individuals often need to be able to ‘translate’ financial data into understandable information for other departments or executives. Someone who can do this well is an invaluable contributor to data-driven decision making and business strategy.”

If you are interested in learning more about how the Workstyle and Performance Profile can be used for hiring on your team, please contact us.

Give Some Consideration for Resume Gaps

If your organization has had a hiring policy of screening out candidates with resume ‘gaps,’ it may be worth reconsidering that approach. In particular since 2020, many people’s resumes have been more atypical as the world has been navigating unusual circumstances.

Although gaps can at times be indicative of an issue, there are often reasonable explanations—it’s worth probing, rather than dismissing those resumes outright. After you learn more from the candidate, you can also speak to their references about their work ethic and motivation.

This is an area in which a third-party recruiter can be helpful! Good agency recruiters have in-depth conversations with candidates before presenting them to you, so they will know the story behind the resume. They will also conduct the reference checks, so you don’t have to, and they can arrange for background checks if required. Recruiters will offer deeper insights that enable you to make better hiring decisions.

Know How to ‘Sell’ the Role and Your Company

Accountants may not always be natural salespeople, but it’s vital that someone on your hiring team is able to ‘sell’ the job opportunity effectively. Reflect on the reasons why someone might want to work for your organization (or why your current staff choose to stay!) and translate that into a features and benefits list.

Salary usually isn’t a candidate’s only consideration, so the list should go beyond compensation and include key points such as your culture and values, work environment, benefits and perks, growth potential, professional development opportunities, company stability, etc.

Think About Flexibility

Flexibility is important for many workers, including those in accounting and finance. This could include remote or hybrid work, but even for teams who are fully in-office, there are many other ways to offer flexibility.

Be Transparent About Compensation

Pay transparency requirements are in effect in certain Canadian provinces, US states and other countries around the world—and this is likely to continue expanding. As an employer, you need to ensure you include salary information in your job postings if it’s required where you operate. However, even in areas where it isn’t mandatory, including compensation details is an effective way to attract job applicants.

A report by Mercer found that 40% of Canadian workers are unlikely to apply for a job that doesn’t contain compensation information. In an Indeed study, 83% of Canadian respondents said fair pay was a very important factor to consider in a new job and 75% said they’re more likely to apply for a job that lists a salary range in the job posting.

Be Proactive About Technology

Start thinking about the role that emerging technologies play in your organization, in particular as they relate to accounting and finance. How are you using automation or AI? Are you upskilling your accounting team? Think about what skills your staff need now, but also what your needs might be in the future if you implement new accounting tools, processes or platforms.

Technology-savvy accounting and finance candidates are often looking for companies who are keeping up with current technologies and best practices, so if you’re lagging behind the industry, this could impact your ability to attract top talent.

Retention is Key

Once you have found the talent you need, focus on employee satisfaction and retention. Intuit’s report suggests some ways to attract and keep top accounting and finance talent:

1. Offer opportunities for professional advancement
2. Provide training and skill development
3. Invest in strategies to create a competitive advantage over other firms
4. Have the right tools in place and adapt quickly to evolving technology
5. Implement financial management systems that reduce administrative tasks and allow your team to focus on engaging work

Conducting employee surveys, such as the Employee Engagement Survey offered by our partners at TalentClick, can help you better understand your staff and enhance the engagement, productivity and performance of accounting and finance teams.

Advice for Accounting & Finance Job Seekers

Think Big Picture

When you’re searching for a new job, it’s tempting to find the right thing for now and not think about the bigger picture of your career. Barry advises:

“For any job offer you’re considering, ask yourself if that position will get you to where you want to be in five years, ten years and beyond. Think about growth opportunities with this potential employer, as well as how this job could set you up for future success in other companies.”

If you’re in a job interview and the interviewer doesn’t talk about career advancement, that’s a great area for you to ask questions about. You can also do your own research by checking out past and current employees on LinkedIn. Look at whether there are employees who have grown within an organization. Or, if accounting and finance jobs are limited within that company, what kinds of companies and roles did that position prepare them to move into next?

Be Flexible About Flexibility

Flexibility is a key factor for many workers. If flexibility is important for you, be sure to ask about it in interviews—but also be open to variations of what ‘flexibility’ can look like. There is a tendency to equate flexibility to remote or hybrid work, but there are many other types of flexibility.

Spend some time thinking about what flexibility looks like for you, and what compromises you’d potentially be willing to make in this area if the other aspects of a job offer are good. For example, if you wanted remote work, would you accept fully in-office if parking or transportation were paid for by the company? Or if the start time was flexible for dropping your kids off at school? Or if there was more flexibility with break times?

When identifying what you want in your next job, Lindie advises:

“If you’re firm on every single point, you might miss out on an opportunity that could be a fantastic fit and help you achieve your career goals. It’s important to discuss the flexibility that you want but also to listen to what the employer is offering. Consider where you might be willing to compromise and keep an open dialogue throughout the process.”

Do Your Due Diligence

As your search progresses and you receive job offers, do your due diligence on any employer you’re considering:

• Reach out to your network: See what people know about the organization, especially their culture and what past and current employees think about working there. Apps such as LinkedIn, Fishbowl and Reddit can also be useful for online discussions.
• Read reviews: Glassdoor, Indeed, Google and other sites offering reviews can be helpful, but take these with a grain of salt. Reviews are subjective and may not reflect everyone’s experience. Also, employees who are happy might not think about leaving a positive review, whereas someone who is unhappy or upset is more likely to seek out a place to share their experience. Look for trends and patterns, rather than focusing on one or two reviews.
• Research online: What is going on with this organization? Have they been in the news? What’s happening on their social media accounts or blog? Are they going through any mergers or acquisitions? What do their clients or customers say online?
• If you’re working with a recruiter: Be transparent with your recruiter about what you’re looking for, and ask them lots of questions. They will know their clients (the companies they represent) well, and should be able to answer questions about the team dynamics, management style, expectations and company culture.
• Be reflective: Every team, no matter how great, will experience tough days and challenging situations. As you learn more about the role and the organization, ask yourself: “Is this a place I would still want to be, even on the bad days?”

Ongoing Learning & Growth

Make yourself competitive in the job market by ensuring you’re prepared for the careers of today and the future.

• Strengthen your skills in auditing and interpreting complex data. Technology can now easily produce financial statements, so you can add value by shifting focus from producing statements to understanding and articulating the story that they tell.
• Expand your computing skills. Go beyond complex Excel skills and learn other tools such as Power BI to generate business intelligence for executives. Or, if you are primarily familiar with desktop apps, familiarize yourself with cloud-based accounting and finance solutions.
• Explore automation and artificial intelligence. Get comfortable with these quickly evolving technologies and learn how they can improve the effectiveness of finance and accounting teams.
• Deepen your understanding of risk management and compliance. These are areas in high demand due to increasing government regulations and evolving risks posed by global events, rapid technology change, cybersecurity threats and ESG concerns.
• Learn how to secure funding for projects and growing businesses. Knowledge of debt financing, equity financing, grants, subsidies and venture capital is valuable to many modern organizations. Accountants and finance experts play a crucial role in preparing financial projections and business plans to present a compelling case to investors.
• Don’t forget about soft skills! Strong communication skills are crucial, especially being able to effectively ‘translate’ complex financial data into actionable business insights for executives. If you’re interested in climbing the corporate ladder, you may also wish to expand your leadership and managerial skills through formal education or the support of a career coach or mentor.

Resumes & Interviews

As recruiters, we understand there’s more to your story than what’s on paper. That said, your resume is your first chance to make an impression with employers—it should be a powerful gateway to your next opportunity.

Focus on Accomplishments

Georgia emphasizes the importance of highlighting accomplishments on your resume:

“Many resumes simply list the tasks or responsibilities of previous positions, focusing on accomplishments is what will make your resume ‘pop.’ The duties of an accountant are usually fairly straightforward. Hiring managers are looking for more than just a job description, and what will stand out is highlighting the value and impact you had on the organization.”

Georgia, Lindie and Barry shared some examples of accomplishments that could appear on an accounting/finance resume:

• “Improved processes for month-end accounting, decreasing the completion time from five to two days”
• “Led the implementation of a new ERP system, which integrated all operating departments and provided real-time financial data to decision makers across the organization”
• “Successfully integrated the financial accounting of a newly acquired company”
• “Led a finance project team that was able to reduce overall operating expenses by 5.5% through streamlining operations, reviewing vendors and analyzing costs”
• “Worked with outside legal and accounting partners to complete the organization’s first financial audit and improved internal controls, enabling the company to successfully obtain a public listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)”

Make Your Work Experience Clear

Lindie shared a tidbit that can be helpful in ensuring recruiters and hiring managers gain a clear understanding of your experience from your resume:

“For each previous role, it can be helpful to include what kind of organization it was, especially if you’ve worked for smaller businesses or companies that aren’t well known. This could include the industry or sector, whether it was public or private, the annual revenue, or the number of employees. This helps recruiters and hiring managers understand the scope of your responsibilities and the complexity of the organizations you’ve worked for.”

For example:

Director of Accounting
Cabela’s Canada
Cabela’s is a leading North American specialty omni-channel retailer of hunting, fishing, camping, shooting sports, and related outdoor merchandise, with 78 stores in the U.S. and 11 in Canada.

Job Hopping

Lindie has advice for candidates who have “job hopped” in their career:

“Although job hopping has become more common, many employers still value longevity and stability. If your resume includes shorter stints, be prepared to explain them during an interview. If you’re working with a recruiter, make sure they fully understand your work history, so they can present you effectively to potential employers.”

If a job was short term by design, such as a temporary position or internship, include that detail on your resume. For other situations, think about what you’ll say if asked in an interview, focusing on the positive aspects and your future plans. For example:

• “I was only at Widget Company for six months because they decided to outsource their accounting functions, and the internal accounting team was laid off. But I gained valuable skills and learned how to adapt to unexpected situations. I’m eager to find a position where I can make more of a lasting impact.”
• “I’ve always been committed to finding the right fit, both for myself and the companies I work for. I’ve realized over time that I’m better suited for a Controller position within a small business, rather than as part of a large organization. I’m confident that this role aligns with my long-term career goals and that I can make a lasting impact with ABC Company.”

Prepare Well for Interviews

Barry advises candidates to prepare well for any job interview you do:

“Preparing before an interview is crucial. You want to feel confident, make the best possible impression on an employer, and ensure you get your questions answered. If your communication skills need improvement, then practicing can be very helpful! You can practice answering questions in front of a mirror, with a colleague or family member or find a service that offers mock interviews.”

Before you go for an interview, make sure you understand the organization, have a mental portfolio of your accomplishments and specific examples for behavioural interview questions and prepare questions to ask the interviewer. You should also send a follow-up email after the interview.

We have a number of interview tips that you can check out on our Career Resources page.

The Headhunters: Your Trusted Partner for Accounting & Finance Staffing

Finding the right accounting and finance talent for your business can be a daunting task. This is where a specialized recruiter can help. Accounting/finance is a long-time specialty area for The Headhunters, and Georgia Harper, Lindie De Gouveia and Barry Milne are all experienced recruiters who can bring you the best candidates anywhere in Canada.

As Georgia points out, one of our core strengths is recruiting for ‘fit”:

“We are in the people business. In a very technical field like accounting and finance, it’s helpful to rely on a recruiter who brings that ‘people expertise.’ We recruit and headhunt all day every day, and our deep understanding of the talent pool allows us to match candidates with roles and workplaces where they will thrive and drive success.”

And Barry adds the value we bring as headhunters:

“As full-time Recruitment Consultants, we also headhunt. While internal recruitment teams might rely on inbound applications from job boards, we can go out into the market and find passive candidates. These individuals might not be actively looking for a new job, but may be open to a change for the right opportunity. This allows us to uncover the best candidates in the market, which our clients would otherwise not find on their own.”

If you would like to start a search with us or discuss the current job market for accounting and finance talent, please give us a call at 1.888.887.4868 or email info@theheadhunters.ca.

Accounting and Finance Jobs Across Canada

If you are looking for job opportunities, you can explore our job board. When you apply online, your application will go directly to the recruiter(s) specializing in accounting and finance—Barry, Georgia and Lindie! You can also check out our Career Resources for tips and tools to support your job search.