Job vacancies are piling up on job portals and relevant industry websites. Tax advisers wanted. Tax clerks wanted. There is hardly a firm that would not welcome extra staff at the moment. For years, the tax consultancy sector has been plagued by a shortage of skilled workers. To tackle this chronic staff shortage, many firms are broadening their search criteria. Kristina Jensen explained to us on „hsp live at 11“ what this might look like and what advantages career changers bring.
As tax practice firms take on an increasing number of tasks, there is a high demand for staff from outside the industry. In conversation with Samuel Königshoven, Customer Success Manager at hsp, Kristina Jensen talks about her own career path and her experiences. A qualified business administrator, she has been working as an „Executive Assistant“ at Anja Holzapfel’s tax practice since 2020. She ended up there because the management were looking for someone to handle the practice’s business administration tasks.
Clients approach the firm not only with tax-related queries but also with business management issues. The reason is that clients believe these matters relate to financial accounting. For the tax adviser, Kristina is therefore a valuable asset who usefully expands the firm’s expertise. When clarifying enquiries, Kristina sometimes finds herself contacting government departments or hotlines. Over the past two years, the topic of bridging aid has dominated discussions.
Even staff from outside the industry can significantly ease the burden on senior management
At this point, Kristina notes that many issues in a law firm usually end up with the management. Yet even an issue such as the Property Tax Reform, which has the word „tax“ in its name, can be taken over by business graduate Kristina Jensen. In this way, someone from a different background is making a noticeable contribution to easing the burden on the management team. Other areas Kristina covers include human resources and the drafting of contracts of all kinds.
Anja Holzapfel’s tax consultancy and hsp first came into contact with one another through the topic of procedural documentation. However, before the first set of documentation could be drafted, the pandemic struck. Kristina says that, through the bridging aid schemes and the financial accounting data, she has now got to know her clients quite well. This valuable insight will be a great help to her when the time finally comes to draw up the first procedural documentation.
Before turning their attention to clients, the firm has first set its sights on itself. But what are the benefits of documenting its own processes? Kristina candidly notes that, to begin with, there is an incredible amount of work to be done. However, when everyone writes down their own processes, the overall picture gradually emerges. In the event of staff absences, there is a document in which all processes and responsibilities can be found. But it is not just text that is helpful. Images, in particular, often make even complex matters easy to understand.
Openness pays off in the end
Samuel wants to know what Kristina recommends to accountancy firms struggling with staff shortages. The expert advises tax accountancy firms to be open to recruiting people from outside the industry. As an assistant with a broad range of specialist skills, Kristina takes the pressure off the management team in many different ways. In her view, every management team can do with some support. Furthermore, Kristina suggests that capacity could be freed up if career changers were to relieve staff of certain tasks. This is how she familiarised herself with financial accounting.
There are now online quizzes that can be used to create digital strengths profiles. These quizzes enable applicants to identify their own strengths. Many companies rely on such strengths profiles to find specific personalities for particular roles. For example, tasks that require consistency and concentration are best handled by people who are organised and highly reliable. Conversely, roles that require constant training and creativity are better suited to people with a capacity for learning and quick comprehension.
Kristina’s conclusion: Law firm management should be open to people who do not come from the tax sector. After all, many professionals are capable of familiarising themselves with the issues faced by law firms. For example, people who can put themselves in the shoes of businesses and learn the basics of procedural documentation are an asset to any tax practice.
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