To help shift this mindset among both new entrants and experienced industry professionals, both Van De Beek and Turner have signed on as foundation mentors for the Xero Mentor Match program, a new peer-to-peer mentoring initiative that aims to help accountants and bookkeepers connect and share knowledge.

“I’m obsessed with the potential of our industry,” says Van De Beek. “If we continue to do better than those who’ve come before us, we can do so much good. Mentor Match is an opportunity to help someone, who can pay that forward one day.”

Evolving with the needs of today’s talent

One damaging ripple effect of the perceived image problem is that fewer young people are choosing accounting as a career path, adding to the industry-wide talent shortage.

With almost two-thirds of accounting students (63 per cent) saying there’s a lack of awareness about the full scope of what accountants do, Van De Beek has implemented an “open door” policy to help break down communication barriers.

“We focus heavily on culture at Illumin8, which means something different to everyone depending on where they’re at in their careers. For the younger team members, support and guidance are really important, and to do that, you have to create a culture where people want to come to work.”

Based on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula, Illumin8 has a work-from-home policy — yet most of the team choose to work together in the office four or five days a week.

For Turner, flexibility in her firm is about supporting women in business — an ethos that doubles as her business motto. She explains, “Everyone in my team works part-time. Those with kids work school hours so they can do drop-off and pick-up. I offer them the same support that I provide our clients because, ultimately, I want to reflect our values from the inside out.”

Gone are the days of office cubicles and long hours instilled by legacy firms; today’s industry has evolved alongside workers’ needs, with almost one in three practices (61 per cent) offering benefits like remote or flexible working.

So, what do accountants and bookkeepers look like in today’s world? Personable, multifaceted and diverse professionals who are keeping the nation’s economic engine room in small businesses firing.

From securing the right people, to discovering what’s driving the next generation, uncover the latest industry insights with Xero’s new report, Reshaping accounting and bookkeeping: Image, talent and the way forward.