Accountants in demand as future leaders sought

Trend was dramatic shift from last year when most organisations were merely recruiting for critical roles.

Businesses are taking steps to attract, secure and invest in their future leaders, which is increasing demand for the top accountancy talent, says recruiting experts Hays.

“The number of accountancy jobs at the executive level is now starting to climb as employers look for future leaders who can come into the business and up-skill current teams, add value and drive commercial decision making to increase revenue and performance,” said Chris Mead, General Manager of Hays in Singapore.

“For example, Finance Managers/Controllers are wanted as a 2IC to take ownership of hands-on work.

“Employers also want mid-level talent, not just as part of their succession planning process but to help the business grow rapidly. Strong accountants looking for their first move from a big 4 accountancy firm are of great interest to employers, particularly the major banks who are all going after the same talent pool.

“This focus on recruiting tomorrow’s leaders is a dramatic change from this time last year, when most organisations were recruiting for critical roles only. Since Christmas 2009 employers have been repopulating their headcount to pre-GFC levels and now that they’re staffed appropriately they’re turning their attention to reinvesting in future leaders.

“Budgets for human capital are steadily increasing, enabling employers to act in their long-term interest and offer compelling progression, remuneration and benefits options to secure the top talent.

“Also in demand as a means to add value and increase performance are Management Accountants, Business Analysts, Cost Accountants and Financial Controllers with large industry exposure and a history of three to five years tenure with previous employers.

“Employers looking to engage these skills will only consider candidates with a stable CV. As they plan for the future they will not take a chance on a candidate who has changed employers too often,” he said.