The accounting profession is facing a well-known challenge: too few young professionals are entering and staying in the field.
Between the decline in accounting graduates, the pressures of busy season burnout, and the perception that accounting is more compliance than creativity, the pipeline is thinning just as the demand for skilled professionals grows. To put this in perspective, a
Luckily for us, the problem isn't unsolvable, and many solutions are already taking shape inside forward-thinking firms that are reimagining what it means to build a career in accounting. As a young professional myself, other accountants always ask me "What's the key to getting young people interested?" My answer: we need to blend technology, mentorship and entrepreneurship to create a profession that's as dynamic and rewarding as the people it hopes to attract.
Technology as a talent magnet
Remember the last time someone asked what you do for a living, and you said, "I'm an accountant"? My guess is their response wasn't, "Wow! That sounds amazing, tell me more!" Now, that perception isn't because accounting is actually dull, but for decades, it's simply been labeled as a "numbers and spreadsheets" job or just plain boring.
But in today's environment, technology is transforming the role into something far more strategic. Artificial intelligence, automation and analytics aren't replacing accountants — they're freeing them to focus on higher-value work: advising clients, interpreting data and solving problems creatively.
Firms that embrace these tools don't just improve efficiency; they change how their teams experience the work itself. When younger staff see that technology is used to empower them rather than to monitor or overburden them, they're more likely to stay engaged in the short and long run. While learning the fundamentals is still important, let's be honest: no one wants to do unnecessary grunt work. Letting younger people champion our daily technology efforts helps create a sense of ownership, improves creativity, reduces burnout, and might even help senior-level employees upskill.
Implementing AI-driven workflows, cloud-based collaboration tools and modern client communication systems signals to younger professionals that a firm is forward-looking and it shows that leadership understands the need to evolve and is willing to invest in the infrastructure to make accounting more efficient … and more human.
Mentorship that feeds the next generation
Technology alone won't fix the pipeline. Take a moment to think about who or what motivated you to become an accountant. Oftentimes, people join accounting because of people — professors, mentors, peers and managers who show them what's possible. Yet, mentorship in many firms has become transactional or nonexistent, replaced by performance reviews, feedback portals and vague success metrics.
To truly retain young talent, firms need to reintroduce genuine mentorship and connection. This means creating relationships that help newer professionals connect their daily work to their long-term growth and see how it impacts the firm's success. The younger generation wants to feel like they are making an impact and to visibly see how their efforts have influenced the bigger picture.
Mentorship can look like shadowing partners in client meetings, learning how to communicate complex ideas, debriefing after an engagement has ended, or being encouraged to present at a local business group. Ultimately, mentorship fosters a sense of ownership and connection to one's work … something young professionals actively seek but too often struggle to find.
I constantly hear the incoming talent pool has "changed," but perhaps current accountants are the ones that need to change. We need to adapt our training and mentorship programs to match what the new generation of accountants needs, not what we needed years ago. The most effective programs aren't top-down — they're relational. Senior leaders should invest in mentoring not because it's a firm initiative, but because it's an investment in the future of the profession itself.
Entrepreneurship as a retention strategy
One of the biggest misconceptions about accounting is that it's a static career path. In reality, the skills accountants develop — financial literacy, problem-solving and strategic thinking — are inherently entrepreneurial. The challenge is helping professionals see and apply those skills in their daily work.
Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset doesn't just mean starting your own business; in our firms, it means encouraging employees to take initiative, solve problems creatively and contribute ideas that improve processes, client service or internal operations.
This could look like streamlining internal workflows, automating repetitive tasks or piloting AI tools to deliver faster insights for clients. It might involve developing client-facing resources, such as educational content or improved reporting templates, or leading internal training sessions to share expertise and onboard new team members more efficiently. Even smaller contributions, like organizing innovation brainstorming sessions, suggesting ways to improve team collaboration, or proposing initiatives that enhance workplace culture, help employees feel their ideas matter.
By supporting this kind of ownership and creativity, firms transform accounting from a task-driven job into a platform for impact and professional growth, thereby making it far more engaging for younger professionals in the long term.
A profession worth joining
Fixing the accounting pipeline requires more than raising salaries, reducing hours, or providing free breakfast. It requires rebuilding the narrative of what accounting is and who it's for.
Accounting is a profession that sits at the intersection of trust, technology and transformation. We help businesses grow responsibly and ethically and translate complexity into clarity. We build confidence in the systems that keep the world economy running.
To attract and retain the next generation, firms must show that accounting is not a relic of the past. Accounting is a career for innovators, thinkers and leaders who want to make a tangible difference.
If firms can blend cutting-edge technology, meaningful mentorship and entrepreneurial energy, they won't just fix the pipeline. They'll redefine what it means to be an accountant in the modern world.
