Finance and accounting professionals don’t just track numbers—they safeguard profitability, ensure compliance, and fuel business strategy. But in 2025, finance and accounting hiring is harder than ever.
Whether you’re a CFO, HR leader, or business owner, the stakes are high. One bad hire can lead to costly errors, audit issues, or missed growth opportunities. With talent shortages rising and competition fierce, hiring right the first time isn’t just a bonus—it’s essential.
Here are 7 proven strategies to improve your finance and accounting hiring this year and build a stronger, more reliable team.
1. Build a Feeder Pipeline Early
The Challenge: A staggering 83% of financial leaders report difficulty attracting and retaining finance and accounting talent. A shrinking pipeline and looming retirements are creating even tighter competition.
The Solution:
- Partner with Universities: Engage local accounting and finance programs for internships or new graduate opportunities.
- Create Referral Incentives: Encourage current staff to refer past coworkers or classmates with a referral bonus.
- Target Adjacent Talent Pools: Upskill professionals lacking the right skills but have the right potential from economics, mathematics, or business backgrounds.
- Reconnect with Past Candidates: Revisit applicants from past roles who showed potential but weren’t the right fit at the time, who may have more experience now.
- Offer Part-Time or Contract Work: Appeal to experienced professionals not seeking full-time roles.
Why It Works: Proactive sourcing gives you a reliable pipeline—reducing the pressure when a role opens. It’s a foundational step in smart finance and accounting hiring.
2. Be Market Competitive
The Challenge: With accounting and finance unemployment below 2% and 71% of leaders reporting skills gaps, it’s a candidate-driven market.
The Solution:
- Benchmark Compensation Annually: Use BLS or local salary reports to stay competitive (Hoops offers targeted, comprehensive reports at a fraction of the cost).
- Showcase Total Rewards: Go beyond salary—mention 401(k) matches, CPE budgets, wellness perks, and bonuses.
- Be Transparent: List pay ranges in your job ads to attract informed, serious applicants.
- Offer Flexibility: Offer flexible hours or hybrid (or even fully remote) roles to attract diverse talent pools.
- Offer Career Support: Support career advancement through tuition or certification reimbursement (CPA, CMA, CFA).
Why It Works: A competitive, transparent offering helps you stand out in a tight market and builds immediate candidate trust.
3. Write Targeted, Impactful Job Ads
The Challenge: Vague or overly broad postings slow hiring and attract unqualified applicants.
- Differentiate Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves: Be specific about licenses (CPA, CMA), tools (Excel, QuickBooks), and domain expertise (FP&A, GAAP compliance).
- Use Action-Based, Specific Language: “Lead financial modeling for M&A” is clearer than “responsible for financial projects.”
- Showcase Culture and Benefits: Differentiate what makes your company a better place to work (e.g. mention opportunities for promotion, the company’s flexible policies, etc.)
- Keep It Clean: Avoid listing every possible task—focus on what matters most: key responsibilities, must-have and nice-to-have skills, and what the candidate gets out of it.
Why It Works: Sharper targeting reduces noise, improves applicant quality, and speeds up hiring—critical for success in finance and accounting hiring.
4. Speed Up the Hiring Process
The Challenge: Nearly half of finance and accounting roles take over 60 days to fill. That’s too long when top candidates often accept offers sooner.
- Implement a 3-Step Process: Phone screen → technical interview → culture/team interview.
- Use Interview Scorecards: Align interviewers on what matters most. Scorecards focus feedback, reduce debate, and help you move forward without comparing every new candidate to the last.
- Automate Admin Tasks: Use tools to automate administrative tasks like scheduling, reminders, and follow-ups (Hoops has advanced AI tools that does this and more).
- Set Clear Timelines: Set and communicate a hiring timeline, then stick to it. (e.g., “We aim to complete interviews in 10 days.”)
- Provide Timely Feedback: Follow up with decisions or next steps quickly (ideally within a few days of interviews).
Why It Works: A faster, more transparent process increases candidate engagement and reduces the chance of losing top talent to competitors.
5. Screen for Ethics, Attitude, and Communication
The Challenge: 89% of hiring failures stem from attitude or cultural mismatch—not technical skills. Missing this in hiring leads to poor performance and reputational risk.
The Solution:
- Ask Behavioral Questions: “Tell me about a time you discovered a financial discrepancy—how did you handle it?”
- Gauge Cross-Team Collaboration: “How do you explain financial data to non-finance stakeholders?”
- Test Real Scenarios: Use real-world role plays or case studies to assess how they think under pressure.
- Include Stakeholders in Interviews: Invite marketing or ops leaders to assess communication and alignment.
Why It Works: In finance and accounting hiring, technical skills aren’t enough. Great candidates must also communicate well and act with integrity.
6. Define Career Development Clearly
The Challenge: Without a visible growth path, skilled hires may leave once they’ve “outgrown” the role —taking key knowledge with them.
- Outline Progression Paths: Share the typical journey from Accountant to Controller or FP&A Lead.
- Support Credentials: Offer stipends or time off for CPA, CMA, or CFA prep.
- Schedule Career Check-ins: Meet quarterly to align goals and expectations.
- Invest in Training: Provide CPE hours or budgeting courses that deepen their business impact.
Why It Works: Strong candidates want growth. Clear development paths signal that you’re investing in their future—and they’ll invest in yours.
7. Confirm Technical Mastery Upfront
The Challenge: Oversights in tax codes, audit rules, or financial reconciliations can cost thousands—or worse.
- Run Skills Assessments: Test Excel formulas, forecasting logic, or GAAP knowledge early.
- Verify Credentials: Check licenses and certifications through NASBA or state boards.
- Request Work Samples: Ask for anonymized reports, dashboards, or reconciliations (as appropriate).
- Discuss Regulatory Knowledge: Ask about ASC 606, lease accounting, or other hot topics relevant to your business.
Why It Works: Confirming core skills early in the finance and accounting hiring process reduces risk and improves confidence in your hires.
Build Your Finance & Accounting Dream Team
Accurate numbers and sound strategy fuel your business. But the best results start with the right team. And successful finance and accounting hiring isn’t about luck—it’s about smart systems and proven tactics. That’s where Hoops comes in.
With our Hire-Ready Finance & Accounting Package, we make finance and accounting hiring easier than ever:
We write and post your job across hundreds of sites, plus use advanced sourcing tools for you
We pre-screen candidates for skills, licenses, and culture fit, delivering only qualified candidates
We book interviews directly to your calendar—no stress, no guesswork
And the best part? No placement fees. No long-term contracts. Just a flat monthly rate and great hires.
Let Us Handle Hiring—So You Can Focus on Strategy: Stop wasting time on unqualified applicants. Let us find your next finance or accounting professional, ready to hit the ground running.
