5 Ways To Get the Most From Your Accounting Team
03 Jun, 2025
3 Reasons Why Accountants Aren’t Joining Your Practice
12 May, 20251-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn
- Why Accountants aren’t joining your practice
- What you can do to attract accounting talent to your practice
- Accountancy recruitment solutions to discover the best accounting professionals
- How to find and apply for the best accountancy jobs
Why Accountants aren’t joining your practice
Recruiting Accountants can sometimes be challenging, and there could be various reasons why they might not be joining your practice. Over the past few years, the cost of living crisis and the shortage of talent and jobs, have significantly influenced the job market.
According to the Accounting Talent Index, of the 280 senior practitioners interviewed, 74% said their firm is ‘significantly’ or ‘severely’ affected by a lack of skills.
According to a report by Spencer Clarke Group, 41% of accountancy professionals are considering searching for a new job and a further 29% are unsure.
An Assistant Manager said, “Most people leave practice due to the poor work-life balance that it causes.” With many people in the industry not confident in their futures, it’s important that your practice offers the best benefits, competitive salary and opportunities for employees. Think about what accountancy professionals want and how you can effortlessly attract amazing accountants to your practice.
Here are the three potential reasons why Accountants aren’t joining your practice and how to make changes to prevent it:
- Lack of flexibility
- A low or uncompetitive salary
- Lack of career progression
Lack of flexibility
According to a report by Spencer Clarke Group, when asked what perk is most important, the majority (32%) of men in the accountancy profession said flexibility and 26% of women agreed. By introducing flexibility into your accountancy practice, you could improve job performance and employee satisfaction among accounting professionals as well as reduce costs and become more sustainable.
It’s important to be accommodating to your employees as much as possible, and that means being open to negotiate opportunities to work from home and offer flexible working hours. Flexibility has a significant and positive association with improving wellbeing as it can cause less job stress and reduce burnout.
A recent Forbes advisor poll of 1,100 respondents found 63% worked remotely either all or some of the time.
According to the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, more than a quarter of working adults in Great Britain (28%) were hybrid working in the autumn of 2024.
Unlike other professions and industries, Accountants have the advantage of having a fair amount of flexibility when it comes to choosing where they want to be based because an Accountant's services can be accessed from virtually anywhere.
Incorporating remote or hybrid opportunities into your recruitment and retention strategy could open up more opportunities to hire people from a wider demographic and increase your chances of finding the perfect candidate for the role. It would provide opportunities for more candidates to apply to the role if they know the accountancy practice offers flexible working arrangements. This could promote a healthy work-life balance, which can be beneficial to employees' emotional needs. It could also improve employee mental health and tackle high turnover in accountancy practices.
A low or uncompetitive salary
In light of the cost of living crisis, people want a secure job they can rely on to reduce stress and financial worries. Salary is at the forefront of people's minds and employers are recognising this as they strive to stand out from their competitors.
A report by Spencer Clarke Group asked accountancy professionals what there biggest career concerns and the majority (41%) said low salary. You don't want to lose or let go of a great candidate if you aren’t willing to negotiate salary or be open about discussing a pay rise further down the line.
At the very least, people want to maintain their existing lifestyle. Ensure the salary you are offering is genuinely competitive. You don’t want to risk insulting or deterring potential candidates with a salary that isn’t comparable to others on the job market. Research the salaries offered at other companies and benchmark your salaries to stay competitive in the market. Assess the market rate of the role you are trying to fulfil and any regional differences in salaries for similar roles before you make a solid decision.
It would be wise to align the suggested salary with competitors, responsibility and expertise to see how you compare in the job market. If you want to attract top talent, the salary must reflect the level of responsibility and expertise required for the role. Therefore, the salary should communicate what is expected and demonstrate the value your accountancy practice places on the potential employee.
Review and improve benefits to differentiate your offer and best support staff. Conduct regular reviews with salary re-evaluation. Implement bonuses and performance reviews that could result in a pay rise or additional perks. Alternatively, offer one-off payments, overtime or subsidies where pay rises aren’t viable.
Additional ways to improve benefits in your accountancy practice
Offer additional benefits that might entice potential employees on top of the competitive salary. Great incentives include:
- Comprehensive health and dental plans
- Wellness perks (e.g. gym memberships, fitness apps, cycle to work schemes)
- Financial benefits (e.g. commission or annual bonus)
- General perks (e.g. free parking, food and drinks, on-site childcare)
- Generous pension
Lack of career progression
Most finance and accounting professionals have greater opportunities to progress and develop their skills and qualifications at a faster pace in comparison to other industries. Your employees don’t want to be stuck in a rut so it’s important to provide opportunities for individuals to thrive and progress as Accountants.
If it’s career progression that people are looking for when they apply, they need to be able to see a clear path. Many people have a structured career plan, and want an accountancy practice to be able to support them with their career development.
If there is no clear path, it can be difficult for people to commit to a role or your accountancy practice. People want to be fulfilled, not frustrated or feel as though they are stuck or stunted in their careers.
It would be wise to find out what it is people want from their career - particularly during the interview process. Today’s generation of new starters don’t want the safe traditional accounting career for life or a rigid structure. They want something with meaning, purpose, and the opportunity for personal development.
You need to make it clear when you are recruiting that there will be room for career growth, so as not to run the risk of ‘quiet quitting.’ Quiet quitting is when employers put in the minimum amount of effort to keep their jobs and this can have a significant detrimental effect on your practice. Include information on job descriptions and throughout your website about how you support and nurture personal development to attract ambitious and talented individuals.
Start making changes to move your accountancy practice forward; maybe undergo performance reviews to assess people's futures and opportunities to grow, or allow feedback and ideas from employees to explore their career goals for the future. Or provide training and development opportunities for employees to ensure they choose an accountancy practice that's right for them.
Discover what Accountancy & Finance professionals are looking for in a job
As a specialist accountancy and finance recruitment agency, we understand how to support accountancy practices and private sector businesses in their mission to attract, engage and retain the best talent.
After conducting extensive research with accountancy and finance professionals, we compiled the What Accountancy & Finance Professionals Are Really Looking for in a Job in 2025 report.
The report delves into the key factors shaping job preferences and expectations within the industry and uncovers topics such as preferred salary, perks, benefits, work flexibility and work culture.
Read the full What Accountancy & Finance Professionals Are Really Looking for in a Job in 2025 report here.
Struggling to recruit Accountants?
As specialist accountancy recruiters, we support practices nationwide with their permanent recruitment needs.
If you’re struggling to find ACCA, ACA or CIMA qualified Accountants, why not get in touch with Management Consultant Lauren Bailey on 01772 954200 to see how we can help?
Accountant jobs
If you’re searching for your next Accountant job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Meet Lauren Bailey
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations.
In 2024, we were named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the prestigious Recruiter Awards, an accolade we are extremely proud of.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
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