Industry Insights

Discover how AI is set to impact the education of accountants in this thought-provoking blog. With questions raised about the role of technical knowledge and communication skills, the author proposes changes to the educational system to adapt to the rise of AI and suggests that those who embrace these changes will be in high demand

This informative blog provides a practical model for demonstrating the cost of a bad hire in public accounting and offers tips to avoid making one. Drawing on 25 years of experience, the author emphasizes the importance of hiring with a purpose, mastering the art of interviewing, verifying beyond the resume, emphasizing team compatibility, and swift decision-making.

Unlike other ‘fads’ such as crypto and blockchain, where adoption is slow and patchy, AI is moving fast, of immediate real benefit to public accounting firms, and has possibilities well beyond writing and interpreting emails. Giles discusses where AI is going in accounting on the world's most popular accounting podcast – the Cloud Accounting Podcast

Who’s better – ChatGPT or Jasper? And would they pass a CPA level exam? We thought we’d get Chat GPT and Jasper.ai to take our CPA level Public Accounting Test. This test is used by employers to assess candidates for roles where a CPA licence is usually required. We analysed the questions into categories to try and see where each AI performed. This is not a scientific analysis but here is what we found...

As businesses face a growing demand for experienced and reliable financial guidance, accounting firms are striving to offer more advanced, personalized services such as Virtual CFO and Virtual Controller. Find out how to make sure new and existing hires have the knowledge and experience to offer these services to your clients.

Recent studies have actually put the financial cost of a bad hire in third place for its negative impact on an accounting businesses, behind lower morale and reduced productivity. “Stanley” was recently hired by an accounting firm in Los Angeles. His resume showed the experience he’d had with a reputable medium sized firm in a staff accountant role. He was personable and confident at interview, and was hired. The cracks showed within days...

Its no secret that we are operating in a candidate's market. Become an employer of choice and get your firm noticed by prospective employees. Not only will your workplace attract top talent in this candidate short market, but you'll improve retention of current staff, and create more efficient business systems as well. Discover the key principles and practical advice in this weeks blog post.

With the rapid emergence of AI in our daily working lives, we wondered what would happen if we got ChatGPT to sit our CPA Public Accounting Test. You'll be surprised with the results!

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. 

A successful public accounting firm needs staff that are engaged, enthusiastic, and passionate about the work they do. To make sure you have the best possible employees, it's important to create an online presence that inspires potential employees and encourages current employees to stay with your firm. Here are a few tips on how to promote your public accounting firm to both staff and prospective employees.

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. 

From developing your team to making your own tough decisions, being a manager naturally comes with a lot of stress. The days when you can sit back and relax are rare. Instead, you may find yourself rushing from one project to the next, sometimes working with employees who are unpleasant, unmotivated, or disengaged. Here’s how you can deal with all the stress and keep your career and your life on track.