How to Hire Senior Accountants in a Candidate-Short Market
Hiring a good Senior Accountant in Australia takes more than putting a job ad online and waiting for applications to fly in. The strongest candidates are often already employed. They know their value, and they have options. They aren’t desperate for another job; they’re weighing offers and picking what suits them best. So, accounting firms can’t just sit back and wait. You need to offer a solid salary, a clear reason to join your team, a fast hiring process, and, most importantly, you have to reach out to candidates who didn’t plan on applying in the first place.
So, what actually works? How do you hire Senior Accountants in this candidate-short market?
Start by figuring out exactly what you need in the role, and compare what you're offering with what the market’s paying. Don’t wait for people to come to you—go after the candidates that you want on your team, even if they’re not actively looking. When you meet someone who fits, move fast. Show them why your firm stands out.
Read on for the full breakdown on how to hire the best Senior Accountants.
1. Start With the Role You Actually Need
Before you write a job description, get crystal clear about what this person actually needs to do.
Do you want your Senior Accountant running their own client portfolio? Reviewing junior staff’s work? Handling tricky tax returns or mentoring intermediate accountants? Maybe you’re hoping they’ll step into a Manager role in a year or two. Whatever it is, nailing down these details early opens you up to more qualified candidates.
It’s easy to make things harder than they need to be by listing every “nice-to-have” as a must. Instead, figure out what matters most. What do they absolutely need to know on day one? What can you teach them? What’s just a bonus?
2. Benchmark Salary Before You Go to Market
Salary really starts to matter when skilled candidates have options. If a Senior Accountant realises halfway through the process that your offer sits lower than what others pay, they probably won’t stick around just because they like your firm.
So, before anything else, benchmark the position.
Consider everything—where the job’s based, how many years of experience you need, what kind of specialisations are important, the level of client responsibility, required qualifications, and how much progression you expect. The salary market in Sydney or Melbourne isn’t the same as in regional Australia, and candidates in Business Services, Tax, Audit, or SMSF each face their own market pressures.
Rezonate’s
2026/27 Accounting & Business Support Salary Guide lays out up-to-date Australian benchmarks to help when you’re planning your next hire.
3. Give Senior Accountants a Reason to Move
Just having an open position isn’t enough to attract Senior Accountants who already have a solid job.
You’re basically asking someone to leave behind what they know—people they trust, routines they’re comfortable with—and take a leap into something unknown. There has got to be a clear benefit.
That could include:
- A defined pathway to Manager
- More advisory and client-facing work
- Better mentoring from Partners or Directors
- Hybrid or flexible working
- Exposure to larger or more complex clients
- Leadership responsibilities
- Stronger systems and administrative support
- A healthier workload
- Better salary progression
The more specific, the better. “Great culture and career progression” shows up in every ad, but details speak volumes. Instead, you could advertise, “Progression to Manager is available as you begin reviewing intermediates and taking ownership of a $700k client portfolio.” Now you’ve painted a picture they can actually imagine themselves in.
4. Search Beyond Active Applicants
This is one of the biggest differences between hiring in a candidate-rich and candidate-short market.
Many of the Senior Accountants you want are not browsing SEEK every night.
CA ANZ’s 2026 Occupation Shortage List submission found a high likelihood of nationwide shortages for Accountants (General), Taxation Accountants and External Auditors. Its survey also found the main reason vacancies went unfilled was a lack of experienced professionals.
That means firms need access to passive talent.
Build relationships before vacancies appear. Keep in contact with previous applicants. Encourage referrals. Maintain an active network within the accounting community. And where internal networks don’t reach far enough, work with a specialist accounting recruitment partner that already speaks with accountants who are open to hearing about the right move.
5. Remove Unnecessary Delays
Candidate-short hiring punishes slow processes.
Jobs and Skills Australia reported that the national vacancy fill rate fell to 68.2% in the March 2026 quarter, with recruitment conditions difficult across both metropolitan and regional Australia.
So, once a strong Senior Accountant enters your process, momentum matters. Try to keep interviews to one or two meaningful stages. Make sure the decision-makers are available. Give feedback quickly. Discuss salary expectations early. If references or technical assessments are required, organise them promptly.
A week of internal discussion can be enough time for another firm to organise an interview, make a decision and get an offer in front of the candidate.
6. Assess for the Senior Accountant You Need Next
Technical skills definitely count. But what really matters is what the person does once they're on board.
A lot of companies see their Senior Accountants as future Managers. So pay attention to more than just the resume. Watch how they talk to clients, break down complicated ideas, take responsibility, review other people’s work, and deal with tough situations where the solution isn’t clear.
Honestly, these qualities stick around and make a bigger difference over time than just finding someone whose last job title perfectly matches your opening.
Hiring Senior Accountants Requires a Different Approach
Australia’s shortage of experienced accounting talent means firms have to approach recruitment with more intention. This means real requirements and salaries in accordance with the market. It also means giving candidates a genuine reason to move (so you attract both active and passive jobseekers). Most importantly, start building your talent pipeline before the workload becomes urgent.
Rezonate specialises in
permanent Accounting recruitment across Australia, working with firms from boutique practices through to larger Public Practice businesses. If you’re struggling to hire a Senior Accountant,
speak with the team about what candidates are looking for, what the market is paying and how to reach the people who aren’t applying to job ads.















