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Problem-solving skills will be in high demand while employees will swap the career ladder for a job lattice.
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Accounting, finance professionals the next CEOs: CPA Australia
08 December 2022
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10 minute read
Accounting and finance professionals will emerge as favourites for company top jobs thanks to their track record during the pandemic, according to CPA Australia.
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CPA Australia media chief Jane Rennie said the pathway to CEO was evolving and the qualities embodied by accounting professionals are becoming more recognised.
“Accounting and finance professionals are valued for their technical expertise and problem-solving skills,” she said. “These skills have been in high demand during the pandemic and other global crises — we expect to see more CFOs stepping into the top job in 2023.”
CPA Australia said its ability to observe both the accounting profession and business world meant it was well placed to comment on career trends.
“The accounting profession is a global network of hundreds of thousands of business advisers,” she said. “This gives us an extraordinary insight into the labour market.”
“Based on past trends, we expect there will be a spike in jobseekers over the summer holidays. Now is the time for employees to reflect on their career and ensure they’re prepared for the changing professional landscape.”
Workplaces would become even more flexible during 2023 as businesses attempted to attract talent.
“Allowing employees to work from home will no longer be enough to attract candidates in a tight jobs market,” said Dr Rennie.
“Employers looking to differentiate themselves will start offering hyper-flexible workplaces.”
“This will include international remote working and more employers may begin offering a four-day working week at full pay.”
The association said traditional notions about a career trajectory would be out of date in 2023 as professionals looked to move around and expand their skills by taking non-traditional work paths.
“The concept of the career ladder is dead. Employees now climb a career lattice,” Dr Rennie said. “Stepping sideways, changing industries and taking secondments into unexpected roles will become the norm.”
“Non-traditional career paths build interdisciplinary skills, which more employees will seek out and candidates can use as a selling point.”
Medium-sized employers would become the most attractive in 2023 due to employees’ ability to make a name for themselves and have a measurable impact on operations.
“Middle-tier, or Goldilocks employers, are becoming more popular because they offer the best of both worlds,” said Dr Rennie. “We expect Goldilocks employers to become employers of choice in 2023.”
The association also expected more workers to seek to make a difference in the world through their job.
“We’re only three years in and already the 2020s have been filled with emotional, financial and political upheaval,” she said.
“To compensate for this disruption, many employees now want their work to have meaning beyond earning a buck.”
“We expect more people to specifically seek out work that allows them to pay their skills forward.”
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