Alternate Ways To Find Great Accounting Talent

If your company has been attempting to fill accounting job openings over the last few years the process has likely been very painful. You are probably wondering where have all the good accounting candidates gone?

Filling Accounting positions with today’s smaller pool of qualified talent requires a different approach than the approach which has been used historically at most companies. I’ve found that three of the best sources of alternative accounting talent include (1) non-degreed Accountants, (2) recent retirees, and (3) working parents seeking part-time opportunities.

NON-DEGREED ACCOUNTANTS

There has been a nationwide trend in the United States regarding moving to a skills-based hiring approach and away from the requirement to have a Bachelor’s degree. The number of candidates earning bachelor’s degrees in Accountant hasn’t kept up with demand so pursuing candidates who have many years of work experience in the Accounting but don’t have a bachelor’s degree has proven to be an effective way to fill certain accounting roles. Not only does considering non-degreed accountants increase the talent pool, but the non-degreed accountants also typically aren’t as in-demand as candidates with bachelor’s degrees so the risk of turnover with these candidates is less with the candidates who hold bachelor’s degrees. 

RECENT RETIREES

I suggest you consider recent retirees as an option to fill certain accounting openings. I find that within the first few years of retiring, candidates often decide to return to the workforce most often on a part-time basis. Typical reasons include financial issues (retirement is more expensive than they thought) and the need for mental stimulation and human interaction. Retirees often possess great skills but are often very flexible with regards to compensation and work hours. My experience with hiring recent retirees has been extremely positive 

PRIMARY CAREGIVERS FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN

The primary caregiver for school age children often is often only able to work part-time positions and typically also needs the flexibility to stay home if the children are sick or have days off from school for other reasons. These parents often have very limited employment opportunities, so I’ve found them to be generally very loyal to employers offering some flexibility. Pursuing these candidates can certainly expand your pool of accounting talent.  

In summary, today’s pool of high-quality accounting talent isn’t large enough to meet current demands. I’ve provided three less traditional sources of talent I’ve found useful. Staying with the hiring approach that has been successful in the past for your company will likely result in Accounting jobs are that open far longer than expected so the time to change your hiring approach is NOW!

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