Finance professionals becoming more valuable

Finance professionals becoming more valuable

New Zealand managers value finance and accounting professionals much more than they did five years ago, according to an international survey by

global recruitment company Robert Half.

In its 2007 Workplace Survey, Robert Half asked 5098 finance and HR managers across 17 countries how they thought the image of finance and accounting

professionals had changed in the past five years. Fifty-three percent of New Zealand managers said finance and accounting professionals were regarded as

more valuable assets - the highest percentage of any of the countries surveyed.

Qualified and experienced finance professionals were benefiting from their “scarcity value” as New Zealand’s skills shortage continued, said Robert Half Finance &

Accounting’s division director Kim Smith.

“New Zealand has been experiencing a shortage of qualified and experienced finance and accounting professionals for several years now,” said Ms Smith.

“That of course increases the value businesses attach to these people.

“When you add to that the increasing globalisation and the need for finance professionals who are confident and skilled in international compliance regimens,

it’s easy to see how they have become such a crucial part of New Zealand businesses.”

The survey also showed New Zealand’s accountants were more skilled communicators than they were five years ago, with 51% of those surveyed saying this was

the most significant change in their skills.

“Accountants and finance professionals have been listening to all the messages that communicating with people outside finance is a vital part of their role, and

doing something about it,” said Ms Smith.

“Rather than seeing themselves simply as bean counters, they now understand that you can’t work in a team if you can’t communicate. And you can’t work with

clients if you can’t communicate.

“This realisation that they need more than just technical competence, and their willingness to improve their communication skills, means they are now able to be

much more influential in business decision-making,” said Ms Smith. “This is undoubtedly one of the reasons managers now value them more.”

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