How to Attract Top Accounting Talent in a Candidate-Driven Market
11th Nov 2021
Candidate shortages and shifts in employee demands brought on by the pandemic is requiring organisations to rethink how they can best attract top talent.
This means that the very few candidates who are actively looking for new opportunities have multiple roles to consider at any one time. With skilled accounting and finance roles at a premium, candidates can afford to be much pickier, waiting for the right position with a great salary and all the requirements they’re looking for.
If you want to stay competitive by attracting the talent your company needs, here are the strategies you might want to consider going forward.
Career Development Opportunities
Ensure you have a strong mentorship program or learning & development scheme and make sure to highlight these opportunities during the recruitment process. High performing accountants want to learn from others and have someone championing their careers, helping to develop them. While an organisation can have a reputable brand name, having supportive and well-equipped managers is just as important.
Flexibility
Listening to candidates’ needs has become imperative in the current candidate-driven market. Ensure to ask them what they need and what would make them work with you. For example, someone may want to work four days a week to help with childcare.
Rather than dismissing the idea, try and consider the benefits of having this person onboard and tailor your offer to their needs.
Work Fast
In the current market, if you’re serious about attracting top accountancy & finance candidates and securing them, you need to be decisive and fast or they will be secured by another business quickly. Really good candidates will be receiving multiple offers, so reactivity is of the essence.
Your recruiting process should be streamlined and sped up to ensure a fast turnaround.
Remote and Flexible Working
Following on from that last point, in recent years, there’s been several surveys showing that a significant amount of people value remote and flexible working more than a higher salary.
The more flexible you can be as an employer, the greater the number of people who’ll be attracted to your role. Therefore, promoting this on job specs is a no brainer, not only will it increase the chances of finding the best candidate; a more flexible approach supports workplace diversity too.
Health and Wellbeing Support
Health and wellbeing support has become a must-have benefit, particularly due to the changes the pandemic has brought about, meaning more people are now either prioritising their wellbeing or need support to prioritise it.
Having a support programme in place will set your organisation apart from competitors and demonstrate to potential employees that your business truly values and cares for its staff. Beyond that, individuals who are healthy and happy are far more likely to be motivated and find enjoyment in the work they are doing.
Wellbeing support can come in many forms from discounted gym memberships and online mindfulness courses to a 24/7 GP helpline. Additionally, it's important your organisation must regularly make wellbeing a topic of conversation internally.
Written by Nathalie Smyth.
For more information on how W&A can support your recruitment and talent management needs, please contact Andrea, Guy or Ross.