Being ambitious in 2025 means evolving your approach to work and talent. Many accounting and bookkeeping firms struggle to find and keep skilled staff as industry demands grow but qualified candidates decline. Experienced bookkeepers frequently retire, while graduates move to other industries and accountants in Brisbane report this trend. The sector is often seen as dull and low-paid, with most candidates leaving after four years unless promoted to ownership roles. Firms increasingly seek talented bookkeepers who understand business and can drive strategic decisions. To stay competitive, accounting firms must take a strategic approach.
This blog offers five actionable tips to help you build a valuable accounting team for the future.
Here’s a quick guide.
5 Key Strategies for Success:
1. Retain and develop talend
Retaining skilled professionals is far more sustainable than constantly hiring new ones. Encourage long-term loyalty by guiding your current employees through clear career paths, skill development programs and regular recognition. Offer creative benefits such as extra holiday leave, company lunches, gym memberships, team trips and flexible work-from-home options to boost morale and engagement.
Explore more about successful talent retention strategies from leading bookkeeping firms in Melbourne that have mastered the art of keeping their teams motivated and committed.
2. Build a future-ready accounting workforce
Preparing for the future means investing in continuous learning across every level of your team. Create clerk-level positions with clear pathways for training and upskilling to develop talent from within. According to a study, estimated between 70-85% of accounting tasks could be automated by 2030, making human advisory and analytical roles more essential than ever.
Encourage your team to focus on client advisory, financial insights and problem-solving skills that technology cannot replace.
3. Soft skills for accountants and advisors
Indeed, you must check the core accounting skills of the candidate while hiring. However, don’t forget the importance of soft skills. For example, problem-solving, critical thinking, leadership and risk analysis skills are what an accountant must possess.
Roles like client advisory and auditing require more soft skills. Thus, your employees will feel more secure and satisfied if they possess sufficient soft skills.
4. Strengthen client-accountant relationships
With technological advancements, clients have evolved as well. Nowadays, they don’t just rely on your basic financial services. They demand more from your firm, seeking help in budget analysis, forecasting, financial planning and business scaling, rather than just simple record-keeping and payroll handling.
To develop relationships, you must advise your clients about their needs and solve their queries. Keep their work on priority and engage more with them.
Looking to scale without the hiring hassle? Explore our accounting & bookkeeping services to build a future-ready finance function that retains talent, boosts efficiency and delivers client advisory at speed.
5. Outsource accounting and bookkeeping to save time
Take the support of an accomplished outsourcing accounting and bookkeeping services firm. When searching for an outsourcing supplier, pick an agency sufficiently large to take on work immediately.
Allow one individual, like your office supervisor as a point of contact to guarantee consistency and clarity for your outsourcing group. Additionally, some outsourcing organisations will provide a free trial of their services so you can choose the best one.
How Outbooks supports Australian firms
Having proficiency in budgeting and forecasting, management accounts and payment management, experts at Outbooks can set up the systems you need to begin within a few hours. They also oversee most parts of the technical handover to provide comprehensive support.
In case you’ve limited staff and are facing an occasional spike in your responsibilities, a 10-minute call is all it takes.
Offshore Accounting & Bookkeeping Services in Australia
Parul is a dedicated writer and expert in the accounting industry, known for her insightful and well-researched content. Her writing covers a wide range of topics. She is committed to producing content that not only informs but also empowers readers to make informed decisions.