JAY Solution GmbH: Why headhunters and recruiters are not a solution for tax consultants (PHOTO)

2024-01-02 14:37:09

Innsbruck (ots) – Between a lack of commitment and high costs: Tax consulting firms are increasingly hoping to provide urgently needed relief from headhunters and recruiters, especially in times of a shortage of skilled workers – but are usually bitterly disappointed. But why is this so and more importantly: How can you reliably close your own personnel gaps?

Massive time pressure shortly before the typical deadlines, limited growth and overworked employees: Their continued significant staff shortages not only present tax consulting firms with unforeseen challenges – a massive amount of work also remains with the management. Although the shortage of skilled workers is certainly no longer a new phenomenon in their industry, the affected law firms are still desperately looking for effective solutions. In desperation, they often turn to headhunters or recruiters in order to be able to fill at least some of their open positions promptly – mostly with only short-term success. “Such approaches usually bring with them a number of additional burdens – but above all they do not solve the actual problems at their core. So anyone who only tries desperately to fill vacant positions arbitrarily and only insists on a quick solution will end up being at odds with everyone in the long run Tax consulting firms, in contrast, are falling behind, which, in contrast, strive for long-term strategies and develop into attractive employers that attract applicants on their own,” warns Martin Kapeller, Managing Director of JAY Solution GmbH.

“However, despite the precarious situation, the law firms still have it in their own hands to improve their situation in the long term: with the help of structured recruiting measures, not only can all open positions be filled in a high-quality manner in a timely manner – tax consulting firms are also laying the foundation for this to permanently attract the best specialists in their region,” adds the recruiting expert. Martin Kapeller supports his customers in developing an attractive employer brand and, among other things, draws attention to their job advertisements via social media in order to attract the best and most suitable candidates – including accountants, career candidates and tax consultants. In this guide, he uses the following six points to illustrate where the weaknesses lie in working with headhunters and recruiters – and how tax consulting firms should instead advance their recruiting efforts.

1. External persuasion

Headhunters and recruiters, most of whom specialize in the recruitment of external applicants, provide short-term relief when it comes to recruiting staff, but they are generally unable to solve the problem of employees’ lack of internal loyalty to the firm. This leads to high fluctuation, which affects the stability and growth of the firm in the long term. At most, you can alleviate the symptoms and push the actual problem into the future. The solution lies in creating a working environment that not only attracts qualified but also motivated employees and binds them to the firm in the long term.

2. Lack of employer branding

The close cooperation with recruiters often leads to the individual brand identity and marketing of the tax consulting firms being neglected. This inevitably also affects their ability to present themselves as an attractive employer on the market and to attract top talent. A strong and visible employer brand is therefore essential to stand out from competitors and attract the best talent.

3. Competition and bargaining power

It is common practice for many headhunters and recruiters to present individual candidates to several tax consulting firms at the same time. This, in turn, gives applicants an extremely strong negotiating position, while driving employers into a corner. In this regard, tax consulting firms should instead rely on directly addressing suitable candidates and offering them unique working conditions and career opportunities – this is the only way they can stand out from the crowd.

4. Comparability

The comparability that arises from presenting applicants to several law firms also makes it more difficult to position yourself as a preferred employer. This requires a targeted strategy to highlight your law firm and develop a unique profile that appeals to and convinces applicants. This is the only way tax consulting firms can compete for the best talent.

5. High brokerage fees

The high placement fees associated with the services of recruiters and headhunters represent an additional financial burden. The same budget could instead be used to address long-term problem solving rather than hoping for short-term miracles. It is therefore important to carefully weigh the cost-benefit ratio and, if in doubt, to invest in internal development and recruiting strategies.

6. Fighting symptoms instead of solving them

Finally, the tendency to fight symptoms instead of solving all underlying problems is also a critical aspect: recruiters often only offer short-term approaches without building a long-term employer brand. The actual problems are usually just postponed by tax consulting firms instead of actually solving them. To avoid this, it is essential to develop a sustainable strategy that enables long-term and effective talent recruitment and retention.

Conclusion

Practice shows again and again that success in recruiting staff at tax consulting firms depends largely on the implementation of targeted online marketing strategies and strong employer branding. These approaches make a decisive contribution to increasing the visibility of law firms and positioning them as attractive employers. As a result, they can attract and retain qualified professionals more effectively. “Individually tailored and long-term approaches are therefore essential in order to sustainably meet the challenges of the shortage of skilled workers. Headhunters and recruiters generally cannot do this – but we can,” emphasizes Martin Kapeller in conclusion.

Do you want to position yourself as an attractive employer in the long term and thus attract more specialists from your region to your tax consulting firm? Then register now Martin Kapeller and arrange a free analysis consultation!