Finding Talent in Unexpected Places for Your CAS Team

Read Time: 4:11 minutes

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In the last issue, we discussed Intuit potentially being a place for accounting firms to recruit in the future. Today, I want to expand on that idea, inspired by a Verne Harnish presentation I attended. Harnish stressed finding an organization that excels at training employees to recruit from, as small businesses (accounting firms) typically don't have the resources to train.

Immediately, I thought of powerhouses like McKinsey or Bain—gold standards in shaping top-notch advisors. But let's be real: hiring someone with a McKinsey pedigree isn't in the cards for most accounting firms. However, a more cost-effective play could be fruitful in the coming years with AI entering the financial space.

The Talent Opportunity

There has been much talk of AI disrupting the accounting space, but I think financial advisors are poised to feel the biggest squeeze from AI in the financial realm in the coming years. Tools like robo-advisors are creeping into their territory, automating tasks and reducing the demand for traditional advising roles. This shift creates a golden opportunity for accounting firms.

Why? Financial advisors are trained in two areas where most accounting professionals could use a boost:

1. Client Relationships – They've mastered the art of listening, building trust, and conveying value—skills that don't come naturally to everyone.

2. Simplifying Numbers – The best advisors can distill complex financial concepts into language clients actually understand, which is worth its weight in gold for CAS teams.

Now, contrast that with the relatively more straightforward task of teaching someone to interpret a financial statement. With financial advisors, you hire professionals with a strong foundation in soft skills that are harder to train.

CAS a Talent Magnet

Regardless of where you find talent, advisory work enhances recruiting efforts. When I worked in firms offering advisory services, it was like a magnet for younger staff and recruiting talent. They wanted to work on my clients because it was more rewarding and less driven by hard deadlines. There's something undeniably exciting about solving real-world problems rather than just crunching numbers for compliance. This is why I advocate for advisory and teach others to start offering it in their accounting firms.

However, here's my critical lesson: don't oversell it. One partner I worked with was so enthusiastic about our budding CAS practice that he used it as a recruiting hook in every interview. But we were just starting, and opportunities to work on CAS clients were initially limited. One new hire, in particular, grew frustrated when she couldn't dive into advisory work as quickly as she wanted and left the firm shortly afterward. It's a cautionary tale about managing expectations. If you use CAS as a recruitment tool, ensure you can deliver on the promise.

The Sweet Spot: Balancing Cost, Training, and Talent

Finding talent from organizations known for training professionals can be a game-changer for building your CAS practice. These recruits often come equipped with polished skills, which makes them quicker to transition into billable roles.

Additionally, advisory work serves as a powerful draw for today's workforce. Younger professionals crave impactful and rewarding roles—not just another cycle of compliance deadlines. By focusing your recruitment on talent already trained and offering them the chance to work on meaningful advisory projects, you position your firm to attract and retain top-tier talent while maximizing ROI on your hiring efforts.

Wrapping It Up

Finding talent in unexpected places requires creativity, a willingness to take risks, and a commitment to training. Financial advisors may not seem like the obvious choice for CAS roles, but their skills are exactly what many firms need to stand out in a competitive market.

As AI continues to reshape the professional landscape, let's seize this moment to reshape our teams. After all, building a firm that thrives tomorrow starts with finding the right talent today.

Thanks for reading, Luke Templin!

P.S. There are two ways I can help you grow your CAS offerings when you are ready:

1. Join my How to Start Offering Advisory Services Cohort. The next one starts in January.

2. Cannot wait until January? Check out the pre-recorded version here.