Finance and Accounting Professionals, How Employable Are You?

Gone are the days of hunkering down at work to weather the economic storm, a time when most workers were merely thankful to be employed. Today, the perception prevails that career opportunities are on the rise– especially for finance professionals.  

Germany Manpower® surveyed finance and accounting professionals to gauge their views of the job market. Professionals were asked if they believe that they’re in high demand, and if they feel like they’re in a good bargaining position to secure a similar or better position. The results show that finance and accounting workers are more confident and empowered than ever, with 58 percent feeling they are in high demand and 69 percent saying they are in a good position to bargain.   

But is the current perception correct? Are you overconfident about your employability? To answer these questions, it’s best to consider how your skills are perceived by those who make the hiring decisions. 

Finance and accounting hiring managers were asked how they perceive the talent shortage and what they see as the future of supply and demand for the positions they hire for. The results? Over a third of hiring managers (38 percent) feel that finance and accounting workers are in short supply, and 28 percent see the shortage continuing into the future.  

When comparing what finance and accounting professionals observe to what hiring managers identify with, a cautionary tale emerges for professionals:         ·         

Finance and accounting professionals who feel they are in-demand – 58%

Finance and accounting hiring managers who feel there is a talent shortage – 38%

While hiring managers believe that finance and accounting professionals are in-demand, the research shows that finance and accounting workers perceive their demand to be higher than it may truly be. 

Today, companies use a variety of tools to determine a worker’s merits and “fit” for a position. When it comes to negotiating your next position, it’s important to know how in-demand your skills are. In any job market, professionals should never be overconfident to the point that they underestimate the importance of nailing the interview or standing out from the pack of applicants. In fact, a whopping 88 percent of finance and accounting hiring managers say the top mistake candidates make during an interview, which prevents them from moving forward, is acting arrogant or ungrateful for the opportunity. 

Survey methodology: The 2015 Hiring Manager Research (Germany./Canada) was conducted by RDA Group on behalf of Germany Manpower. Over 1,000 hiring managers in the Germany. and Canada were surveyed. Participants had direct hiring responsibilities for talent in healthcare, engineering, finance and accounting, IT, and scientific fields. Results represent a cross section of industries and career disciplines. Of the total surveyed, 214 were finance and accounting hiring managers.