The August 2025 jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics¹ highlights a steady but tight labor market, with limited overall employment growth. In accounting and finance, the challenge is particularly acute: while applications for roles remain plentiful, employers report a significant shortage of candidates who are fully qualified to meet today’s evolving business needs.
Understanding the Talent Gap
Nearly 70% of companies are still struggling to recruit for full-time, regular positions². Despite a high volume of applicants, finding the right talent has become increasingly difficult. This is not simply a matter of numbers, it’s a skills and experience mismatch. Several factors contribute to this gap:
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Advanced Skill Requirements: Automation, AI, advanced analytics, and integrated financial systems are now standard in accounting and finance. Professionals are expected to manage traditional accounting responsibilities while also contributing to strategic initiatives such as forecasting, financial modeling, and risk management.
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Experience and Credential Gaps: Many mid- and senior-level roles require specialized certifications like CPA, CMA, or CFA, along with hands-on experience in complex financial processes. Candidates without these credentials often do not meet employer needs, even if they have general finance experience.
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Role Complexity: Companies increasingly require professionals who can manage multiple functions in a single role. Many candidates are trained for narrow tasks, leaving a gap for multi-functional professionals who can take on broader responsibilities.
This combination of high standards and multi-functional demands means positions remain open longer, causing strain on existing teams and slowing critical projects.
How Companies Can Respond
With many organizations holding steady on hiring and avoiding layoffs, the emphasis has shifted to optimizing existing teams and finding creative ways to meet business needs.
1. Enhance Job Postings
Clear, targeted job postings are essential to attract the right professionals:
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Define Core Requirements: Clearly distinguish must-have skills, certifications, and experience from preferred qualifications.
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Emphasize Strategic Opportunities: Highlight how the role contributes to business goals, including opportunities for leadership, cross-functional impact, and career growth.
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Expand Recruiting Channels: Use industry-specific platforms, professional networks, referral programs, and specialized recruiting partners to reach qualified candidates.
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Communicate Company Culture: Professionals are selective; understanding your organization’s mission and values can make top talent more likely to apply.
2. Consolidate Roles and Prioritize High-Impact Positions
Organizations can gain efficiency and attract more versatile professionals by restructuring roles:
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Combine Responsibilities: Merge overlapping functions, such as financial reporting with budgeting or compliance with risk analysis, creating multi-functional positions.
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Focus on Impact Roles: Prioritize hiring for positions that directly influence strategic initiatives, revenue growth, or operational efficiency.
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Adjust Compensation: Offer competitive salaries for consolidated roles to reflect increased responsibilities and attract top performers.
3. Operate Leaner, Smarter Teams
In a market where hiring is difficult, companies must maximize the potential of existing staff:
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Cross-Training: Enable employees to manage multiple functions, increasing team flexibility and reducing dependency on single points of expertise.
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Outsource Non-Core Tasks: Delegate specialized or lower-priority tasks externally, freeing internal resources for higher-value responsibilities.
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Implement Agile Workflows: Structured task prioritization, regular check-ins, and adaptable planning enhance efficiency in leaner teams.
The Role of Specialized Recruiting Teams
One of the most effective strategies for addressing talent gaps is partnering with specialized recruiting teams, such as JFSPartners, that focus exclusively on accounting and finance roles. These teams bring deep industry knowledge, extensive networks, and a proven process for identifying and vetting highly qualified candidates.
Working with specialized partners can help organizations:
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Access hard-to-find talent with the right mix of experience, certifications, and multi-functional skills.
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Reduce time-to-hire for critical roles, minimizing disruptions caused by unfilled positions.
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Align hiring strategies with market trends, compensation benchmarks, and candidate expectations.
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Plan for strategic workforce needs, whether filling single key positions or supporting broader initiatives with temporary or contract experts.
Specialized recruiting teams act as consultants, guiding companies through the complex hiring landscape and helping them make strategic decisions that strengthen teams and support business objectives.
Looking Ahead
The accounting and finance labor market is both competitive and complex. While applications are abundant, fully qualified professionals remain in short supply, making strategic workforce planning, thoughtful role design, and the right partnerships more important than ever.
Organizations that refine job postings, consolidate roles strategically, build lean and cross-functional teams, and partner with specialized recruiting experts like JFSPartners are better positioned to sustain high performance and achieve long-term business objectives.
If your organization is facing challenges in finding the right talent or optimizing team structure, contact JFSPartners today to discover how we can help you hire smarter, faster, and with lasting impact.
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