According to data from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and recruitment specialist Global Accounting Network, 41% of accountants are satisfied with their recruitment partner and almost one third, or 31%, state they are ‘positively’ dissatisfied. 

The survey, which collected responses from almost 8,000 institute members and student members, found that 71% of qualified accountants and 54% of students had previous experience with a recruitment consultant. The report finds that levels of satisfaction vary significantly between sectors. In banking, for example, 33% of respondents reported that they are satisfied with their recruiter, in manufacturing and engineering, on the other hand, 48% were pleased with their experience.

When dissatisfied respondents were asked what changes they wanted to see in recruitment partners, the most frequently mentioned suggestions were; ‘listening to client needs’ (70%), ‘better briefing on jobs and clients’ (45%) and ‘responsiveness’ (40%). Respondents from the banking industry had ‘knowledge of the market’ as the third most frequently mentioned improvement.    

“At a time when demand for top accounting talent is positively booming, it is a concerning that the recruitment industry as a whole is failing to meet the needs of candidates and clients,” Adrian O’ Connor, Founding Partner at the Global Accounting Network, said.

“When we speak to our network about how they’ve found the services of other recruiters, the message is consistently the same, that other recruiters aren’t listening to their needs and being candid about the advice that they give, and they don’t feel sufficiently briefed for potential roles or candidates,” O’Connor said. “It’s a shame that such a vast percentage of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants’ members are not satisfied with the service which they are being offered.”

“The decision to move on to a new employer is not often taken lightly, a new job can be truly life changing, and recruiters have a professional responsibility to manage the process diligently and efficiently,” O’Connor said.

“It is interesting that when asked what the most important criteria members are looking for in a recruitment partner, fewer than one in five (19%) considered a personal recommendation to be an important factor with just 5% citing strong testimonials. Just one third (32%) believe the knowledge of consultants is important. It seems that accounting professionals should perhaps be spending more time researching which recruitment partner would be the best fit for their individual needs before entrusting their career to them if they are to avoid future disappointment.