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Top finance and accounting staff hard to come by

Nov 15 2010

Businesses struggle to recruit skilled finance and accounting staff

Businesses are struggling to recruit skilled finance and accounting employees despite an anticipated growth in headcount, research finds.

According to a survey of staffing in finance and accounting departments by recruiter Poolia, some 38 per cent report problems finding the right people, despite 30 per cent of respondents expecting an increase in staffing levels in the coming year.

Just 5 per cent of respondents rate candidates a nine or a ten where ten is ‘very high quality’, whilst almost a quarter (23 per cent) of respondents rate the majority of candidates as only four to five.

Lee Shepherd, general manager at Poolia’s finance and accounting practice, says: ‘2010 has been a busy year for heads of finance, as businesses have continued to keep departments trim, freezing headcount, and as the battle to find people with the right skills to fill vital gaps has intensified. Whilst growth is expected by most, the long term prognosis will continue to be challenging.’

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