Imagine being told your 20 years of diverse accounting experience don’t qualify you for a job because you never worked at a Big Four firm. This is absurd, and it happens every day in our profession.
In a recent episode of The Accounting Podcast, we examined the hiring bias that is creating an artificial barrier in our field. It’s not just a minor inconvenience – it’s limiting diversity, overlooking valuable talent, and perpetuating a dangerously narrow view of what constitutes “success” in accounting.
A Barrier to Diversity and Talent
Scroll through job postings for corporate accounting roles, and you’ll quickly notice a pattern: “Big Four experience required” or “Big Four experience preferred.” This requirement is so commonplace that many in our profession barely question it. But we should.
Why should one to three years of experience on a resume dictate your entire career trajectory? Demanding Big Four experience in job postings is lazy, and it borders on discrimination and classism.
This hiring bias creates an artificial barrier that significantly narrows the talent pool. It overlooks the wealth of experience and skills accountants gain in smaller firms, industry roles, or alternative career paths.
Consider the CPA who wrote to us. (Listen to the episode for details.) They have two decades of diverse experience across multiple industries, including exciting projects with buyouts and public company purchases. Despite this rich background, they are potentially disqualified from roles simply because they never worked at a Big Four firm.
The impact of this bias extends beyond individual careers. It homogenizes our profession, limiting the diversity of thought, background, and experience crucial for innovation and problem-solving. This practice also disproportionately affects professionals from underrepresented groups who may have had fewer opportunities to enter Big Four firms early in their careers.
Big Four Experience vs. Operational Expertise
The emphasis on Big Four experience stems from a perception that it provides a unique skill set essential for success in corporate accounting roles. But does this perception align with reality?
Our listener’s feedback paints a different picture: “I have worked with employees of Big Four firms during audits, and frankly, they are disconnected from the reality of operational accounting.” The listener continues, “They can review the heck out of internal control issues, but none of them ever worked with a badly implemented ERP system with an AR module failing and unable to reconcile cash for eight months because of poor IT support.”
As our listener points out, the skills honed in Big Four firms, while valuable, don’t necessarily translate directly to the day-to-day challenges of operational accounting. Audit experience focuses heavily on reviewing past transactions and assessing controls. But operational accounting requires implementing and managing systems, solving real-time problems, and navigating the complexities of business operations.
If you require experience from the Big Four, you might be overlooking candidates with hands-on experience in favor of a resume line item that may not indicate readiness for the role.
Moving Towards a More Inclusive Hiring Approach
Our profession needs to broaden its definition of what makes a successful accountant. We must move beyond the Big Four checkbox and adopt a more holistic view of professional qualifications that values diverse backgrounds, operational expertise, and adaptability.
What might this look like in practice? We should emphasize problem-solving skills and adaptability over pedigree, value diverse experiences and skill sets, consider candidates’ proficiency with various accounting systems and technologies, and assess their ability to handle operational challenges.
By adopting this more inclusive approach, we’ll tap into a broader talent pool, bring more diverse perspectives into our teams, and build teams better equipped to handle complex, multifaceted challenges.
Professional organizations like the AICPA and state societies could play a crucial role in this shift by discouraging the practice of requiring Big Four experience in job postings and promoting more inclusive hiring practices.
Embracing a New Era in Accounting Recruitment
The Big Four bias in hiring isn’t just a topic for academic debate – it’s a real issue affecting careers and shaping the future of our profession.
This shift isn’t just about fairness. In a rapidly evolving business landscape, we need accountants with varied experiences and skill sets to drive innovation and tackle new challenges.
The accounting profession must embrace a more inclusive approach that values diverse backgrounds, operational expertise, and adaptability.
Listen to the full episode of The Accounting Podcast, where we explore the hidden costs of hiring biases, share more real-world examples, and discuss practical strategies for implementing more inclusive hiring practices. Whether you’re a hiring manager, a job seeker, or simply passionate about the future of accounting, this episode offers valuable insights to help reshape our profession.
It’s time to redefine what success looks like in accounting – and it starts with how we hire. Join the conversation and be part of the solution.