Executive Recruitment in Accountancy

Accountancy firms have moved on from just being firms who send out auditors. Acquisitions and mergers over the past 10 - 15 years have resulted in huge, global accountancy firms, who deal with a wide variety of business needs. For example, executive recruitment agencies could be asked to source an accountant that has experience with stock market requirements, or one who focuses on tax. Many large accountancy firms have a risk management division, transaction advice services and supply chain planning. The diversity of many accountancy firms, coupled with the client contact, opportunity to travel and structured management training makes it one of the most desirable professions for new graduates.

This means that, for executive recruitment agencies, there is a large pool of accounting talent that can be tapped when new vacancies arise. Much like the law sector, most accounting firms know what’s going on at other accounting firms: who’s winning the best clients, who’s moving up the corporate ladder the quickest, and what sort of packages you have to offer new executives in order to attract them to your firm. Similarly, there are a lot of accountants who finish their training with one firm, and then want to move on to a better position elsewhere and they will approach an executive recruitment consultant with expertise in their area to see if they can place them at a new company.

Executive recruitment consultants don’t just recruit for accountancy firms. They also recruit for in-house accountants and finance professionals to work for businesses. Every business needs to have its own, in-house accountant. Larger companies have more than one qualified accountant, and may also have a tax adviser or a currency specialist to ensure that the business is doing everything that it can to succeed.  These executives often have a position on the board, or work for the Finance Director, and in some cases, are made available to advise the employees as well as the senior management.

Sourcing accountancy professionals like these is more of a challenge to an executive recruitment specialist. Those accountants who have always worked for a traditional accountancy firm may be wary about going into a completely different sector, where they are working in a much smaller team. Others relish the opportunity to show how they can help turn a business around or increase its profit margins.

Burns Carlton are specialists within Finance and Accounting Recruitment. For further information on Senior Finance and Accouting Jobs or Finance and Accounting Executive Recruitment please contact Burns Carlton's specialist team on 0203 008 7500 or via email at professional@burnscarlton.com