Industry Insights

Assessing project management skills in accounting firms can be challenging through interviews alone. It is recommended to use personality, specifically Big-5/OCEAN based questionnaires, to gain valuable insights into a candidate's suitability for project management by evaluating traits such as conscientiousness, self-discipline, social boldness, assertion, and calmness. These traits are associated with success in project management roles within the accounting field.

Explore effective strategies to boost engagement in hybrid accounting firms, ensuring remote employees stay connected and motivated. Uncover the secrets to overcoming remote work challenges and fostering a thriving environment in this new era of accounting.

As we move away from the traditional office towards a hybrid and remote workplace, it is important to understand the potential benefits of personality testing in this new environment. Personality tests can be used to assess role suitability, identify work styles, and support career development and hiring. 

What can employers of accountants and bookkeepers do to assess whether a job candidate is likely to thrive or struggle in a role where they may work remotely most of the time, or in the case of international or inter-state hiring, may never meet their employer face-to-face?

Last summer I listened to a podcast on the AFO Wealth Management series where Amber Setter was interviewed. Amber is the Chief Enlightenment Officer for Conscious Public Accountants - a professional coaching firm that teaches accountants how to grow their careers without losing their souls. The team was carefully curated with the accounting profession in mind. 

How’s that personal development plan for your bright young star going? Tough isn’t it? What about the one for the team member who thinks they should be promoted faster than is justified by their performance. Ouch! How about an accountants specific personality profile that comes complete with a personal development plan roadmap? Sound good?

A recent UK survey of senior HR people revealed that whilst 53% of them ranked talent shortages as the biggest threat to their businesses continuity, only 19% felt they were ready to face the challenges of acute staff turnover and candidate scarcity. 

Check out this quick read to get real time tips for conduction stay interviews. You’ll also learn the best questions to ask to get to the core of what motivates your staff at work, how to encourage loyalty, and foster an attractive workplace culture

Starting a conversation about under performance is never easy. Acknowledging the role you play in this person’s success (or otherwise) is crucial to setting the stage for a constructive discussion

Guest author Ed Chan from Wize Mentoring walks us through the 3 top principles to get the best out of your accounting staff. This is the key to working ON your business and not IN it.

Hilary Briggs shines a timely light into the perplexing subject of whether to invest in Team Building during tough economic times, and recommends an effective approach to match budgets and circumstances