5 Common Hiring Mistakes Accountancy Practices Make and How to Avoid Them
18 Jun, 20251-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- 5 common hiring mistakes accountancy practices make and how to avoid them.
- More about our accountancy recruitment services to help you recruit leading accountant talent.
Nobody wants to hire the wrong person for their accountancy practice, it’s a risk that can have serious consequences and unfortunately, it’s more common than you might think. The need for a dynamic, adaptable workforce has never been greater, especially as client demands evolve and competition increases.
However, hiring the wrong candidate can lead to increased costs, reduced service quality and damaged reputation. This can hinder business growth, affect trust in an accountancy practice and result in lower employee morale.
According to the UK Accountancy Sector Outlook Report, 67% of accountancy practices rank talent acquisition and retention as their top priority.
Hiring the wrong person or people for your accountancy team can be frustrating especially in the battle for talent, however there are ways to avoid making this mistake and ensure you hire outstanding accountancy professionals for your team.
Throughout this blog, we’ll dive into the 5 hiring mistakes that could be driving accountancy professionals away from your practice and how to ensure you hire the perfect professional.
What are the common hiring mistakes accountancy practices make?
5 common hiring mistakes accountancy practices make:
- Not clearly defining job roles and expectations.
- Creating a drawn-out hiring process.
- Hiring someone whose skills and qualifications don’t align with the role.
- Overlooking cultural fit.
- Not supporting new hires.
Not clearly defining job roles and expectations
A job description that doesn’t clearly set out the responsibilities of a role can lead to people with irrelevant skills and experience applying and result in time wasting during the recruitment process.
Creating a drawn-out hiring process
A long, drawn-out recruitment process not only takes up a lot of valuable time, but can put off potential candidates and affect their perception of your organisation’s efficiency and culture. They may become disengaged and less likely to accept an offer.
Hiring someone whose skills and qualifications don’t align with the role
Finding the right person for the role is crucial as hiring someone whose skills and qualifications don’t align can lead to lower productivity, higher risk of turnover and employee dissatisfaction.
Overlooking cultural fit
It isn’t just about finding someone with the right skills and qualifications. Not considering cultural fit during the recruitment progress can result in hiring someone who disrupts team morale and performance or struggles to align with company values.
Not supporting new hires
Hiring individuals without providing the right support to onboard, train and integrate them into the team can affect their confidence and lead to disengagement, underperformance and high turnover.
How to avoid common hiring mistakes in accountancy practices
How to avoid common hiring mistakes in accountancy practices:
- Create clear, specific job descriptions.
- Streamline your hiring process.
- Ask the right questions to determine a candidate's suitability.
- Prioritise cultural compatibility.
- Don’t overlook onboarding and early support.
Create clear, specific job descriptions
It might seem obvious, but not clearly defining job roles and expectations in the job description can result in a bad hire. Job descriptions don’t only focus on the position available, they also include details on the salary and highlight important company details.
Securing the right support for your accountancy team starts with attracting the right applicants and that begins with a clear, well-crafted job description that draws in candidates who genuinely align with your company's needs.
A poor or overly narrow job specification can confuse candidates, misrepresent the role and lead to costly hiring mistakes for managers. This is especially costly if you are looking for an Accountant or accountancy professional with experience in a particular niche.
When recruiting for niche accounting roles it’s important that you are specific in your job description and that you avoid being too vague or overcomplicating the requirements of the role.
A clear and simple job description that asks for specific skills and demonstrates the company culture can result in hiring the ideal person, someone with the right experience, attitude and values to have a positive impact on your practice.
Streamline your hiring process
Considering the current state of the accountancy sector and the high demand for skilled professionals, a slow or unreasonably long hiring process can put off even some of the best talent.
Multiple rounds of interviews, excessive back and forth interaction and unpaid tasks or assignments can frustrate and deter candidates, causing them to disengage and accept offers elsewhere. If candidates have a poor hiring experience, they might question whether your practice is the right place for them, which can result in a loss for your practice but a win for competitors.
To avoid losing standout candidates and settling for someone who may not thrive within your team, it’s important to have a more efficient hiring process, one that moves quickly without overlooking technical skills and role alignment.
Streamlining your recruitment process ensures you secure the best accountancy talent with the right values and without any unnecessary delays.
Ask the right questions to determine a candidates suitability
Hiring under-qualified candidates is a common mistake that can lead to problems down the line including accounting errors, wasted resources, decreased productivity and low employee morale.
According to StandOutCV, approximately 2 in 5 UK employees, the equivalent to around 11.28 million people, are working in a role that they don’t have the right qualifications for.
To avoid hiring someone who isn’t qualified or knowledgeable in the industry it’s important to take the time to determine a candidate's suitability and the role they will play in your practice.
You want to make sure that the person you hire is aware of the current rules and regulations that are in place when it comes to accounting. To determine a candidate's suitability it's crucial to ask the right questions and keep the conversation flowing in a way that doesn’t come across as an interrogation.
It’s also important that they understand how to handle financial reporting, compliance requirements and client-specific needs with confidence and accuracy. Ask questions such as, ‘What experience do you have working with clients?’ or ‘How do you ensure accuracy and attention to detail in your work?’ and always ask for examples to support their answers, as these are the kinds of questions employers always ask.
Establish the software candidates have previously used as well as their knowledge of tax regulations and whether they have obtained or are working towards an ACCA or CGMA qualification.
Prioritise cultural compatibility
The right hire for your accountancy practice isn’t always the person with the best skills and experience or the most impressive qualifications. The above means very little if the person you hire isn’t compatible with your team and doesn’t align with your accountancy practice’s values.
According to the report What Accountancy & Finance Professionals Are Really Looking for in a Job in 2025, 90% of professionals believe culture was ‘important’ or ‘very important’ when looking for a new job in 2025.
A Junior in the public sector said, “Company culture is a highly important factor for job seekers, often ranking just behind salary and benefits in terms of priority. A positive, inclusive and supportive culture can significantly impact job satisfaction, employee engagement and overall well-being.”
During the interview stage, discuss values, goals and company culture to avoid hiring someone based solely on assumptions or the hope that they’ll fit in.
Practices can benefit from open conversations about expectations, team dynamics and work style early in the hiring process as a proactive conversation can save time, improve retention and strengthen your team in the long run.
Don't overlook onboarding and early support
Even after carefully considering cultural fit, suitability and efficiency and feeling confident that you have hired the best possible person for your accountancy practice, mistakes can still be made.
Don’t overlook the onboarding process and the importance of providing early support as a great hire can quickly turn into a lost opportunity if onboarding fails. Providing support to new employees is crucial - not just for the business but for the employees confidence, engagement and long term success within your accountancy practice.
You want your new hires to start their journey at your practice feeling supported, excited and ready to contribute which is why it’s important to help a new starter settle in and empower them in their role to increase the likelihood they’ll stay.
According to research by Glassdoor, a poor onboarding experience causes 1 in 5 new hires to leave within the first 6 months, even highly skilled employees can underperform without proper guidance and onboarding.
Failing to properly provide early support or guidance is a common post-hire mistake that can be avoided by actively tracking your new hires progress. Having regular check-ins to address challenges and offering additional training or support where needed can help employees succeed and ultimately improve retention.
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.
Accountancy recruitment services
As specialist accountancy recruiters, we support practices nationwide with their permanent recruitment needs.
Whether you’re searching for a tax, audit or payroll specialist, we will help you to find whoever you need to make your practice thrive.
If you’re struggling to fill a vacancy, why not get in touch with Management Consultant Lauren Fisher on 01772 954200 to see how we can help?
Accountancy jobs
If you’re searching for your next accountancy 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 Fisher
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
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