How to Attract and Retain Accounting Talent?

In 2025, the accounting profession is changing quickly. New technologies, changing workforce expectations, and a global talent shortage mean that firms can’t use old methods to attract and retain great people. Firms will have to take a strategic, people-centered approach to attract and keep accounting talent.

In this blog, we discuss the trends affecting accounting talent in 2025, and how firms can differentiate themselves as an employer of choice.

Accounting in 2025: What Is Changing?

Before discussing strategy, it is helpful to understand the trends that impact the accounting landscape.

Key Forces Impacting the Profession:

• From compliance to advisory: Clients are demanding insights over audits.
• New tech-driven efficiency: Cloud technology, artificial intelligence, and automation remove routine tasks.
• Remote work is mainstream: Location is still a limiting factor for recruitment, but it also raises the stakes of global competition.
• Rising expectations for CPD: Accountants are expected to keep up to date across tax, reporting, ESG, and data analytic areas.

These trends mean that firms cannot only reconsider their approach to recruitment, but also challenge how they design ongoing training, upskilling, and engagement.

Why Training Is No Longer a Nice to Have—It’s a Retention Strategy

Many firms still do not realize the potential retention power of training.

Why training is important:

• Conveys a commitment to employee development
• Builds confidence regarding evolving client needs
• Fosters loyalty and reduces flight risk
• Keeps your firm competitive

A study by Deloitte found that companies who do a good job of learning and development are 2.6x more likely to retain employees.

One example would be giving your team access to a CPD platform, like learnsignal, so they can complete their mandatory CPD hours through on-demand lessons that can fit into their busy schedules.

The Talent Challenge in Accounting

Right now, the accounting profession is facing a perfect storm:
A declining talent pool as baby boomers retire, and less young professionals entering the profession,

• A market – need for accountants with advisory, tech and strategic skills
• A talent pool with increased mobility as remote work allows top-tier talent to work anywhere,
• Changing expectations of Gen Z and Millennials who prioritize flexibility, growth and purpose over pay alone.
• If we are going to compete into the future, firms need to change how they think about recruiting and engagement.

How to Create a Learning Culture within Accounting Teams

It is about a mindset, not just offering training.

Practical suggestions to embed learning:

• Encourage “micro-learning” – 15 to 30 minute lessons during periods when workloads are slow
• Set a CPD goal for the individual in performance reviews
• Develop team learning challenges (e.g., ‘Tax Update of the Month’ episodes)
• Reserve time for self-directed CPD during quiet times

When learning is part of the essence of daily work—not simply a mandate—you have a future-ready team.

1. Create a Unique Employer Brand

Your employer brand is how people view your firm as a place to work. It is influenced by your online reputation, your employee experiences, and word-of-mouth subscriptions.

What will you do?:

• Showcase your values and company culture on social media and your website.
• Share authentic stories from employees—videos, testimonials, behind the scenes.
• Be open about work-life balance, benefits, and career paths.

Why does it matter? Accountants today are not simply looking for a job. They want belonging and growth.

2. Re-Think Your Hiring Process

Talent attraction is more than tick boxes. Firms have to be more agile and focused on the candidate experience.

What are you going to do?:

• You will need to fast track your hires. Top talent does not sit around waiting for you.
• You will need to harness skills-based hiring – test what they can do not just what the candidate wrote on their CV.
• You will need to invite your current team on the interview to assess for culture fit.

3. Make Onboarding Meaningful

We all know that first impressions matter. Structured experience onboarding can increase retention rates drastically.

Best practices:

• Create a 90-day roadmap with goals and check-ins.
• Assign a mentor or buddy.
• Introduce the firm culture, not just the processes.

Tip: Treat onboarding as part of your retention strategy and not an administrative task.

4. Offer More Than Salary

Of course, competitive salary is good, but it is not everything.

What do modern accountants want?

• Flexible and hybrid work hours
• Mental health and wellness support
• Paid CPD and study support (ACC, CIMA, AAT especially)
• Time off exam periods.

For instance, firms that use Learnsignal promote their investment in continuous learning and this is often part of their benefits—and it matters.

5. Invest In Continuous Learning and CPD

Training is no longer an added benefit, it is expected. If you want to retain your best people you must demonstrate you are invested in their future.

Ways to achieve this:

• Support access to good quality affordable CPD, like Learnsignal.
• Develop individual learning and development plans that align with AT’s performance appraisal.
• Host internal lunch and learn sessions, or invite speakers in.

Bonus: CPD is a way for your firm to stay ahead of regulatory change as well as new technology.

6. Offer Clear Career Progression

One of the main reasons accountants leave? No ability to grow.

You can keep your talent by:

• Establishing defined paths for promotion, timelines for promotions
• Support the transition to tax, advisory, or finance leadership
• Develop leadership or coaching for emerging managers

7. Build a positive work culture

Accountants put in the effort. Make sure your firm is somewhere they want to come to work.

Ideas for building culture:

• Celebrate wins and milestones
• Facilitate peer feedback and consistent manager check-in points
• Create social time during the week, even if virtually
• A solid culture builds loyalty and lessens burnout.

8. Adopting technology and innovation

Young accountants expect modern technology. They do not want to spend their careers inputting entries into spreadsheets every day.

Technologies that help attract talent:

• Cloud-based accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite)
• Automated administration and data entry work
• Artificial Intelligence for audit and analytical work

Attracting top talent becomes compelling when you position your firm to be tech forward.

9. Provide flexibility

Hybrid work is no longer a perk; it is a floor.

Flexibility could include:

• Remote-first or hybrid positions
• Core hours with flexible start and end times
• Compressed workweeks in slower seasons

People stay where they feel trusted.

10. Prepare for the Future

The goal of retention is far more than today. It’s about creating a long-term team.Ways you can future-proof your firm:

• Spot high-potential talent in advance.
• Offer succession planning and internal mobility.
• Keep in contact with former interns and past employees—there’s a chance that they will return.

Conclusion

Attracting and retaining accounting talent in 2025 is not only about salaries and benefits. It is about ensuring that accountants feel valued, challenged, and inspired to improve.

If you create an investment in training, culture, flexibility, and leadership, you can create loyalty even in a cohort of workers that will “future-proof” their career and your pairing.

We know the profession is evolving rapidly—AI is automating much of the esoteric repetitiveness of accounting and clients demand deeper thinking of the profession—your people are your strongest asset. Give them the tools, training, and trust to flourish. Provide an environment where they want to stay, grow, and eventually lead.

Firms that will flourish in the next decade will not be defined as the most “leading-edge” tech or most guaranteed number of clients being retained. They will be the firms that differentiate themselves by relentlessly investing in their workforce.

After all, retaining talent is not a “people issue”, it is a “leadership issue”.

Ready to upskill your team or have questions? Get in touch with us!