UK – Majority of Accountants not Satisfied With Their Recruitment Partner

Data from the Institute of Accountants Management and the specialist of the Global Network of Accounting Recruitment, 41% of accountants are satisfied with their recruiting partner and almost a third, 31%, say they are "positively" dissatisfied.

The survey, which gathered responses from nearly 8,000 Institute members and student members, revealed that 71% of qualified accountants and 54% of students had prior experience with a selection consultant. The report concludes that levels of satisfaction vary considerably from one sector to another. In banking, for example, 33% of respondents reported being satisfied with their recruiter, manufacturing and engineering, on the contrary, 48% were satisfied with their experience.

When asked dissatisfied with the changes they wanted to see in recruiting partners, the most frequently mentioned suggestions were: "Listen to customer needs" (70%), "better information about jobs and clients' (45%) and "reactivity" (40%). Respondents from the banking sector had "market knowledge" as the third most mentioned improvement.

"At a time when demand for the top talent in accounting is booming, it is a concern that the recruitment sector as a whole does not meet the needs of candidates and clients," said Adrian O Connor.

"When we talk to our network of how they found the other recruitment services, the message is always the same, that other recruiters are not listening to their needs and to be frank with the advice they give, T consider themselves sufficiently informed of the possible functions or Candidates, "O'Connor said. "It's a shame that a percentage of the members of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants are not satisfied with the service being offered."

"The decision to move to a new employer is often not taken lightly, a new job can really change lives, and recruiters have a professional responsibility to manage the timely and effective process," O'Connor said.

"It is interesting that when asked what are the most important criteria to look for in a recruiting partner, less than one in five (19%) consider a personal recommendation as an important factor. Only a third (32%) believe That the knowledge of the consultants is important.It seems that accounting professionals perhaps should spend more time researching the hiring partner would be better suited to their individual needs before entrusting their careers if they want to avoid future disappointments.