Cryder said accounting is experiencing the same talent crunch many other professional services are seeing, but perhaps “more acutely” because of the specific educational requirements for public accounting. A CPA must complete 150 credit hours of college education, get a year of work experience, and pass an exam.

To bring in new hires, firms have gotten more flexible in their hiring, said Christine Endres, a senior regional director for recruiting firm Robert Half. They may bring on somebody with a lower skill level who seems trainable, or they add flexibility for remote candidates or hybrid work arrangements.

Grace Kowal, Molly Kowal’s twin sister, is also an accountant. She has worked for the Maryland office of Atlanta-based Aprio since 2021 but moved back to Haddon Township last year when she noticed that her company was hiring more people remotely as a way to attract candidates. She likes being able to take a midday break to exercise or take care of her dog.

“The ability to work remotely and work from home really helps me stay on top of my work and also have the ability to get other things done,” Grace Kowal said. “It’s a good way to ensure (people) stick around or to make hiring easier.”

But for some young talent, time in-person with colleagues may be a draw. Molly Kowal is expected in the office three days a week, and she likes being there. During busy season, she said, “the days are long, but you get to see your coworkers and suffer through it together.”

Endres said fully remote hiring has largely subsided in accounting, but “free-flowing” hybrid arrangements with less-than-strict requirements for in-office hours are the most common.

“I don’t think there’s a right answer in terms of fully remote or hybrid,” Cryder said. “That is so specific to the firm culture and who their team is and who they’re serving in their client base.”

A 55-hour rule

While the Kowal sisters have different arrangements and preferences for where they work, both have seen their firms encourage a limit on billable hours per week.

Molly Kowal said some firms are also advertising this externally, often using a “55-hour rule” during busy season as a way to draw in candidates. Grace Kowal said this seems to be a decrease from years ago, when people might bill 60 to 70 hours a week, or more.

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