The ongoing skills shortage in the accounting profession has hit regional firms across Australia particularly hard. With fewer local talent pools to draw from, many practices are struggling to find qualified accountants, bookkeepers, and auditors to meet client demands and drive growth.
Accounting firms in regional and rural areas face unique challenges in attracting and retaining skilled professionals.
On initial inspection the limited local talent pool seems to be the main issue, as historically smaller towns and cities often have a limited number of accounting graduates and experienced practitioners, making it difficult to find suitable candidates.
But we found that it is the competition from metro firms to be the number one issue as top local talent is frequently lured away by larger metropolitan firms offering higher salaries and more career opportunities.
Ultimately these points result in a difficulty meeting demand of the firms customers. With fewer staff, regional firms can struggle to take on new clients or provide specialised services, hampering their growth potential.
We hear from our customers that they are spending so much time in the hiring process as employees may leave for city roles, creating a constant need to backfill positions and impacting client service continuity.
To overcome these hurdles, an increasing number of regional accounting firms are turning to Global Remote Partners (GRP) to access a global pool of skilled remote professionals.
GRP specializes in providing highly-qualified remote accountants, bookkeepers, auditors and client service staff to firms worldwide. By tapping into this global talent network, regional firms can:
- Expand their talent pipeline: Access professionals from across the globe, eliminating geographical constraints.
- Achieve cost efficiencies: Engage remote staff at competitive rates, reducing overhead costs.
- Scale capacity on-demand: Quickly ramp up or down staffing levels to match fluctuating workloads seamlessly.
- Offer specialized expertise: Bring in professionals with niche skills to service clients more comprehensively.
- Improve work-life balance: Distribute workloads more effectively, reducing burnout among local staff.
"The skills shortage was really hampering our ability to grow and service clients effectively," says Sarah Thompson, Partner at Regionally Focused Accountants. "Working with GRP has been a game-changer – we now have access to a deep talent pool that allows us to be more agile and responsive."
A Sustainable Solution
As the accounting profession continues to grapple with talent scarcity, regional firms leveraging global remote staffing solutions like GRP are well-positioned to thrive. By embracing this flexible resourcing model, they can overcome local constraints, deliver exceptional client service, and drive sustainable growth – ensuring their vital role in supporting regional economies.
About the Author:
Adrian is a ' Business Process Outsourcing Industry' researcher and blogger at Global Remote Partners, your premier accounting outsourcing firm offering top-calibre accounting services in Australia . The GRP team has over 23 years of experience in Finance Industry, and are passionate about Business Process Outsourcing.
Connect with GRP on X.com or LinkedIn for more insights on BPO You can also visit https://www.globalremotepartners.com.au/ to learn more about how GRP can help you unlock efficiencies and growth with Business Process Outsourcing in your business.