An Additional Recruiting Resource

The article, “CPAs Add HR to the Mix” ( JofA, Oct.00, page 67) , offered the accounting profession valuable insight into human resources. The profession is definitely experiencing a shortage of qualified workers, and we all—whether sole practitioners or partners in international consulting companies—face solid competition when trying to attract the best and brightest in our field.

With more than ten years of experience as a recruiter in the accounting and finance profession, I have witnessed the market evolve into a strategic battle for a limited number of qualified professionals. I would like to offer an additional resource for accounting executives to explore as they develop their human resource programs—the Internet.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, the Internet provides a cost-effective answer to many human resource needs of accounting firms. Career Web sites specifically tailored to the accounting and finance industry provide employers with the opportunity to reach potential employees at little or no cost compared to traditional classifieds. (See “Landing a Job in a Strange New World,” JofA, Dec.00, page 55. )

Professionals searching for highly qualified candidates save more than money by using the recruiting power of the Internet; they also save time—a precious commodity when every battle for a new employee is a race against another firm that would like to hire the same candidate. Many job seekers have noted they received offers through the Internet before other companies even acknowledged receiving their resumes. Clearly, the fast-paced hiring habits of today’s business world lend themselves to Web-based recruiting.

It is important that CPA firms harness the power of the Internet in their quest for outstanding employees. Career sites focused exclusively on the accounting profession provide firms with a valuable service that is crucial in today’s aggressive employee market.

Robert G. Epstein, CPA
President
CareerBank.com
Vienna, Virginia