Accounting, Finance Jobs Among Toughest to Fill

Despite a 7.3 percent jobless rate across the country, accounting and finance executives are still having difficulty finding experienced, competent professionals, according to a recent survey from the workforce solutions firm ManpowerGroup of Milwaukee, Wis.

For the third consecutive year, accounting and finance jobs are among the ten toughest for employers to fill, according to the 2013 Talent Shortage Survey, ranking No. 5 in the United States.

More than 1,000 employers in the United States participated in the study. According to their answers, 48 percent said they are having difficulty filling open positions because potential candidates lack technical ability (hard skills), 33 percent say candidates don’t have the workplace ability (soft skills) and 32 percent say there is simply a lack of or no available candidates.

Dan Prier, owner and managing partner of Prier Burch & Schermerhorn CPAs in Fayetteville, said finding candidates with the necessary hard skills is a problem he has struggled with for years, but it’s been more pronounced the last five years.

“It is really hard to find good, quality, accurate and efficient people to work in a public accounting office,” said Prier, a University of Arkansas graduate who began his own accounting practice in 1978. “I hear that from other CPAs, and I definitely find it true for us.”

Besides Prier, there are four other CPAs at his company with an average tenure of 13 years. One has been at PBS for 28 years. The most junior member has been with the firm just a year — hired to replace someone who retired last year after 33 years with the company.

The other five professionals on staff at PBS have been there, on average, about seven years. Once he has a good one, Prier said he “bends over backwards” to keep them on staff.

“This is not easy work, and there are many deadlines, pressures and different things to do,” he said. “Basically, one must like this kind of work, deal well with filing deadlines and the pressures related to such, procrastinating clients and other things.”

Prier also noted the most important skills in his industry are accuracy, efficiency and timeliness.

Without accuracy, nothing else matters, he said.

“If one is not efficient and cannot make sure everything is done on time, then they aren’t good accountants,” he said. “I have seen my share of those.”