Slideshow Top 10 Recruiting Tactics

Accounting Today’s Top 100 Firms and Regional Leaders shared their strategies on how they attract new talent to their firm. Some firms are shelling out the dough with sweet recruitment bonuses and reimbursement programs, while others are beefing up their search at colleges and universities.

Spring job fairs are fertile ground for finding fresh talent. Most soon-to-be graduates start their job search before they walk across the graduation stage in May, and Top 100 Firm Raffa plans to increase its on-campus recruiting initiatives by attending several job fairs where it will also conduct presentations for the accounting clubs on campus.

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Many firms are still trying to figure out a way to solve the lack of diversity throughout the profession. Top 100 Firm RubinBrown has formed an alliance with several minority organizations. One of the firm’s partners serve as a national director for the National Association of Black Accountants. The firm is also involved with organizations that promote diversity advancement, including the Diversity Awareness Partnership and the Regional Business Council’s Young Professionals Network, which attracts and retains your minority talent.

RubinBrown also takes part in various campus programs to recruit entry- level candidates. The firm plucks top talent through the accounting fraternity, Beta Alpha Psi. The firm also has a job shadow program, GOAL, which is intended for sophomores and juniors who are interested in joining the accounting profession.

Top 100 Firm UHY Advisors has a summer introduction in place, which gives potential prospects a chance to learn as much as they can about the firm. Potential employees will be able to dig deeper into unique opportunities that your firm has to offer.

Does your alma mater have an accounting department? How about the universities in the towns and cities where your offices are located? Top 100 Firm Weaver makes a point of making significant donations to accounting departments at colleges and universities where they recruit.

Develop a plan to connect with potential prospects through social media. Top 100 Firm Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt keeps social tabs on the Top 25 accounting schools where they stay connected with the alumni group.

Do your recruiters have enough help? Top 100 Firm Montgomery Coscia Greilich, which already has two recruiters on its team, plans to hire an experienced recruiter from the outside to help get the job done.

Do you have a dedicated team? To recruit young professionals, Top 100 Firm Warren Averett created its Young Professionals Taskforce. To encourage networking and career development among young professionals, the YPT holds firm wide networking events for associates and senior associates.

Why not try pulling in new professionals through an associate referral program? Make sure to include a bonus to reward your employees who found the firm a perfect fit. Top 100 Firm Grassi & Co. shells out up to $7,500 for a qualified referral.

There are a number of different areas where you can offer reimbursements, which are an attractive tool to lure both new and seasoned professionals to your firm. Top 100 Firm Skoda Minotti plans to implement a tuition reimbursement program for its employees, while BKD offers reimbursement and paid time off to employees training to take the CPA Exam, and Sikich has a fitness reimbursement program in place.