How to Survive The Great Resignation

March 17, 2022

At a glance

  • The main takeaway: Though many headlines focus on the labor shortage The Great Resignation has created, there are also plenty of opportunities for businesses to capitalize on the phenomenon to fuel their own growth.
  • Impact on your business: The key to targeting and keeping top talent lies in cultivating your differentiators, from cutting-edge tools and technology to opportunities for career growth.
  • Next steps: A specialized staffing team can properly position you in the marketplace to retain and hire the right people for finance, accounting and IT roles.

Schedule a consultation with an Aprio advisor


The full story:

The Great Resignation is chugging along full steam ahead — in fact, there are now more jobs available in the United States than any time in history.

Much ink has been spilled over this phenomenon, and most articles have discussed the challenges it creates for businesses in terms of competition and labor shortage. But what about the silver lining? How can businesses use the current job market to their advantage to fulfill their hiring objectives, keep their most talented employees, and ultimately, achieve their long-term growth goals?

Here are a few ways to leverage The Great Resignation to fuel your growth and stand out from the crowd, while hiring and retaining the best finance, accounting and IT talent.

Remove manual processes

Talented employees want to work smarter, not harder. They are not looking for jobs with long nights and weekends spent working through cumbersome processes or tasks that take hours to complete. Your ideal employees want to know what your business is doing to increase efficiency — and that’s where automation comes into play.

If you haven’t already, take stock of the internal operational processes and procedures that could be automated for greater efficiency. Tout these attributes in your job advertisements and make sure current employees have the ability to leverage them and perform their duties better and faster.

Offer opportunities to innovate and diversify expertise

Finance, accounting and IT positions are highly technical and specialized. Finding and keeping the right candidate for the role, with the right experience and credentials, is crucial. But in today’s market, many employees are looking for positions that allow them to cultivate other skill sets that could enrich their career paths.

For instance, many accounting professionals are looking for opportunities to broaden their advisory and consulting skills so they can provide more solutions-oriented advice outside of just technical expertise. Be sure to create and promote opportunities for professional and personal development outside of role-specific duties to attract more top talent to your business. Importantly, make sure those opportunities are available to internal talent, as well.

Outside of diversifying expertise, it’s also smart to provide employees with opportunities to innovate in their everyday roles. A key area that candidates are seeking in future opportunities beyond compensation is the ability to be innovative and creative. Focus on developing a work environment that is conducive to innovation, which will help you attract and retain the right people that can transform your business over the long term.

Make an investment in cutting-edge tools and tech

In the finance, accounting and IT fields, competition is intense, and it can be hard to differentiate yourself from the sea of other firms vying for top talent. In your employees’ and candidates’ eyes, technology — specifically, the tools and platforms you utilize to drive growth and productivity — will set you apart from the crowd. Not only do the right tools serve to make employees’ jobs easier, but they also allow them to broaden their skill sets and contribute to their future professional growth and development.

The bottom line

The Great Resignation has raised the stakes for companies interested in retaining and attracting top talent. But if you leverage it correctly, you can capitalize on the phenomenon to hire and keep valuable team members that set up your business for continued, long-term growth and success.

We’ll leave you with this challenge: think and hire without boundaries. The more flexibility you can provide your employees, the larger the pool of talent grows for consideration. Embrace that anyone, anywhere can be a part of your team.

Related resources

When you need advice for recruiting finance, accounting and IT talent, look no further than Aprio. Our Talent Solutions team helps businesses of all sizes find the right employees to fill key positions across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Schedule a consultation with us today.

Stay informed with Aprio.

Get industry news and leading insights delivered straight to your inbox.

Stay informed with Aprio. Subscribe now.

About the Author

Mitchell Nelson

I provide advisory and digital transformation and IT solutions to businesses of all sizes — from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. I advise C-level executives and key business decision-makers, as well as technology, sales and marketing professionals. My solutions are relevant to any industry, but I primarily focus on the healthcare, financial services, consumer goods, manufacturing and retail sectors.