NEW SURVEY RESULTS: ‘Decisiveness’ Rated Top Trait for Success in Accounting Business

keys to success surveyFirst insights from “How to Succeed in the Accounting Business?” survey.

Join the survey; get more answers.

By Hitendra Patil

Although seven personality traits seem closely related to success as an entrepreneur in the tax and accounting business, the vast majority of accountants believe that one stands above all the rest in importance: Decisiveness.

Preliminary new findings from a CPA Trendlines survey of more than 300 accountants, more than 80 percent of them owners or CEOs of their firms, shows that the biggest success factors are not just knowledge, not just experience, not just problem-solving ability, and not just vision.

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U.S. Accounting Pay Beats London, but Not Asia

New global study shows 43 percent of accountants are ready to jump ship. Here’s why.

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By CPA Trendlines Research

Source: ICAS, via CPA Trendlines Research

The war for top talent in the U.S. accountancy profession is spreading worldwide, fueled by growth and increased confidence, according to a new global study obtained by CPA Trendlines.

Some 43 percent of accountants at multinational firms say they’ll probably leave their jobs within the next year or two, seeking more pay, better opportunities or both. The figures closely follow those found by CPA Trendlines in U.S.-focused studies (CPA Firms Paying Top Dollar for Talent in Nationwide Hiring Binge).

GET THE INSTANT DOWNLOAD of the FULL-SIZE INFOGRAPHIC:

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CPA Firms Paying Top Dollar for Talent in Nationwide Hiring Binge

Pay raises trending
Pay raises trending

Wages hit new high; hourly rates at CPA firms up nearly 10 percent.

By CPA Trendlines Research

As the economy adds jobs, the accounting industry is grabbing its share and sometimes more, according to CPA Trendlines sourcesAt the same time, respondents to The CPA Trendlines Careers and Hiring Outlook tracking polls show nearly 60 percent ready to jump ship if the right offer comes along.

Join the survey. Get the results.

In this report, CPA Trendlines covers:

  • Current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, tax, payroll and CPA segments of the industry, indicating growth and shrinkage among sectors.
  • Average hourly wages for key segments, with trends in employee pay rates.
  • Typical hours worked per week, showing utilization and productivity.
  • Trends concerning women in the workforce, including hiring rates.

It’s not all about the money.

Higher wages aren’t everything, as clearly indicated in The CPA Trendlines Careers and Hiring Outlook tracking polls. READ MORE →

When Accountants Don’t Know They Don’t Know

blindfolded at computer By Sandi Smith Leyva
The Accountant’s Accelerator

Early in my career, one of my favorite things to teach was Maslow’s four stages of learning.  I still think it’s one of the most valuable and profound pieces of information I have come across in my learning.

Maybe you recall, too:

  1. Unconscious incompetence.
  2. Conscious incompetence.
  3. Conscious competence.
  4. Unconscious competence.

Here’s how it applies to accountants: READ MORE →

Five Thinking Patterns That Will Keep You Playing Small

What makes you flinch?

By Sandi Smith Leyva
Accountant’s Accelerator

If you feel you should be doing better than you are in business, you may have a belief pattern that is unconsciously holding you back. The first step is to bring it to the surface. Only then can it be addressed, released and replaced with a belief that will lead you to increased success.

Here are five of the most common thinking patterns or beliefs that will keep your accounting business from growing. READ MORE →

Accounting Firms Launch New War for Talent

Firms are hiring, and many staffers are thinking about a job change.
Get more details, join the survey.

By Rick Telberg
CPA Trendlines

Now five years since the banking crash that forced record layoffs at tax and accounting firms, new survey results from CPA Trendlines Research show intensifying competition for talent, with more than 42% of accountants reporting that their firms are hiring and about half of all staffers ready to make a move.

Chris Hatcher
Chris Hatcher

“There’s a labor shortage out there,” according to Chris Hatcher, a partner at Louisville, Ky., Baldwin CPAs. “Finding good talent is hard.” Hatcher says Baldwin CPAs is looking for professionals with ambition, which he defines as an “owners  mentality.”

In this report, CPA Trendlines Research:

– Reports the percentage of firms hiring, cutting or holding steady on headcount in the next six to 12 months;
– Gathers comment from a representative sample of professionals on key economic and business trends; and
– Analyzes latent discontent in the ranks of staffers,
– Propensity to seek a job change, and
– Overall confidence in the job market. READ MORE →