At a glance
- Accounting suffers from a dull image, unlike professions glamorised by pop culture.
- This poor perception is contributing to a growing talent shortage in the industry.
- Attracting diverse talent requires early outreach to students, even before they reach university.
Accountants all know it: much of the rest of the world is used to the idea that the profession is rigid and dull.
Other professions traditionally considered dull, like law and finance, have managed to reinvent themselves with the help of pop culture phenomena like Suits and The Wolf of Wall Street.
But accounting has struggled to shake its unflattering image. Netflix has never commissioned a series following the triumphs and conflicts of a group of rising young accounting stars (called, perhaps, Accounts Payable). In the media, accountants appear instead as the cold and stern Angela Martin from the US version of The Office, or the awkward Ben Wyatt from Parks and Recreation.
That perception may be threatening the talent pipeline. Reliable numbers on the talent pipeline remain hard to find. But a 2024 US survey by accounting services firm Personiv found 83% of senior leaders there reported a talent shortage – up from 70% in 2022. Concern over this pipeline is widespread.
And many of the profession’s leaders worry that accounting’s image is an important cause of the decline. IFAC – the International Federation of Accountants – now maintains a whole section of its website devoted to the topic “Attractiveness of the Profession”.
Lori Hauck, an MBA and CPA, is Department Chair of Accounting and Financial Analysis at California Lutheran University. She argues that accounting badly needs an image upgrade. “At some point in history, accountants did have a main role in society – and then somehow we became the butt of a joke,” she says. “And now, that has almost become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Hauck backs up her views with her own research into how accounting might be rebranded.. Accountants should play an active role in moving past the “micro-managed bean counter” label, she says. The profession should reclaim its image as trusted advisers and problem-solvers.
Taking control of the story
The “active role” phrase in Hauck’s call is no accident. Changing perceptions won’t happen overnight, she says, but the profession now has a greater opportunity than ever to influence how it’s seen. “With social media, we have the ability to create our own narratives,” says Hauck. “So many of my colleagues have YouTube channels now.”
That opportunity is particularly important for the 18–24 age group, a demographic that spends more time on social media than any other. Reaching young people where they already are helps dispel outdated ideas about accounting and highlight its relevance.
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the profession, now is an ideal time to showcase the evolving role of accountants and highlight the judgement, insight, and communication that machines can’t replace.
“That’s where humans will differentiate themselves – with the advice that we can give and the ability to look at the person’s whole situation,” says Hauck.
AI is also taking over much of the “nitty-gritty” work that turns people off the profession, she adds, and is allowing accountants to branch out into broader markets and more strategic work.
Together, these shifts create an opportunity to reframe what it means to be an accountant – not just as bookkeepers, but as problem-solvers working at the centre of technology and business.
“At some point in history, accountants did have a main role in society – and then somehow we became the butt of a joke.”
Lori HaucK MBA, CPA, Department Chair of Accounting and Financial Analysis, California Lutheran University
Attracting the next generation of accountants
Reframing accounting’s image isn’t simply about perception; it’s about attracting and retaining the talent that will carry it forward. Hauck argues that a big part of that challenge lies in who people imagine when they picture an accountant.
“In general, people get an image of a white male in a suit,” she says. On raw numbers, this perception seems unfair: women make up 45% of all accountants globally. However, the gender balance skews at senior levels in most nations; According to one 2020 US study, just one in five of women were positioned in senior roles within the sector.
“When we [look at] research on people who have left accounting, women often said they left often because they didn’t see a path to leadership,” says Hauck.
Meanwhile, a global study by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants in 2019 found that only 9% of accounting partners identified as non-white.
Part of the issue is structural. Many accounting practices are passed down through family or long-standing professional networks, which can make it difficult for external candidates to enter leadership roles.
Diversity doesn’t grow naturally in that kind of system – it needs to be cultivated through deliberate outreach and opportunity. This needs to start much earlier than most firms realise, says Hauck.
“We need to go to students at the high school level, because by the time students make it to university, they already have a plan.”
Reaching students earlier gives the profession a chance to show what accountants actually do and why it matters.
“Business professionals speaking in schools, at career days, can show students that we don’t just sit behind a desk with our tie on.”
Research shows the next generation is looking for work that feels meaningful and flexible, and for careers that combine analytical skill with social impact. Accounting already offers that mix, Hauck says – it just needs to show it.
Learn more about how the IPA is advocating for the profession here.
