Accountingfly Monthly Hiring Update: March 2024
Welcome to Accountingfly’s new monthly market update for accounting leaders!
As leading recruiters in the accounting industry, we review thousands of candidates and talk to dozens of employers every month.
Our goal is to share what we’re seeing and hearing so that you know what’s happening RIGHT NOW in the accounting industry hiring market. We’ll hit on hiring trends, salary news, big picture issues, and more. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if we can help with your staffing needs.
Market Trend of the Month: Candidate Priorities Change; Auditors are Back
1. Work/Life Balance Becomes Candidates’ Priority
Candidates’ top priority for a new accounting job, 2024 YTD:
Fully remote position (same as in 2023)
Work/life balance or schedule flexibility; with a majority expressing willingness to accept LOWER salary in exchange for balance or flexibility (not in top 3 in 2023)
Professional growth/salary (this was #2 priority in 2023)
***Based on data from Accountingfly screening interviews.
2. Auditors Available Again (Finally???!!!)
For the last three years, quality public accounting audit candidates have been extremely hard to find.
The market is starting to shift: in the last two months, Accountingfly has screened and worked to place ~10 qualified audit candidates.
Salary News: 2024 Salary Growth Report; Tax Managers Command a Premium?
For a great summary of 2024 public accounting salary trends, check out this analysis from our colleagues at GoingConcern.com.
According to the national data, Tax Manager salaries stayed flat in 2024. That’s not what we saw in Q4 2023. Tax Managers were in high demand, and qualified candidates asked for premium salaries and typically received multiple offers.
Meta-trend to Watch: RTO vs. WFH
We’ve written about this before: many employers (not just in accounting) want employees back in the office.
On the other hand, most Accountingfly applicants’ NUMBER ONE is a fully remote position. And it’s not just us: the vast majority of accounting job seekers industry-wide are looking for remote or hybrid roles.
Something has to give.
Our best guess? Employers interested in retaining top talent will offer a variety of options, ranging from remote to flexible hybrid to “traditional” 3-days-in-the-office hybrid, especially for hard-to-fill positions.
What is “flexible hybrid”? Check out our recent blog post to see how some Accountingfly clients have won the race for talent by reimagining the hybrid work model.
Current Hiring PITA: Ghosting
93% of Gen Z’ers reported ghosting (not showing up for) a job interview, and
87% failed to show up for the first day of a job! (read about it here)
Accountingfly News: Always-On Recruiting–95+ Clients in 8 Months
Last spring, Accountingfly fully launched our Always-On Recruiting service, which provides weekly email summaries of available, pre-screened candidates to accounting industry employers.
Less than a year later, 95+ accounting employers are a part of the Always-On Recruiting network, resulting in dozens of hires.
If you’re interested in a regular flow of pre-screened candidates, with no hassle and no upfront cost, you can get more information and register for Always-On Recruiting at our website.
Also, stay tuned for Always-On Plus, a premium service scheduled to launch in late spring 2024.
