Maxwell Locke & Ritter’s experienced-hire model was recently highlighted by Accounting Today as the profession looks for new ways to address a growing shortage of experienced accounting professionals.
In the July 28 article, “Accounting’s missing middle,” Accounting Today explores how changes in technology, offshoring, and traditional staffing models are contributing to a shortage of professionals prepared to step into manager-level roles. As firms reconsider how they recruit, develop, and retain talent, ML&R is featured as an example of a firm that has taken a different approach for decades.
Unlike the traditional public accounting model built around large classes of entry-level professionals, ML&R primarily hires experienced professionals who have spent at least four to five years in public accounting. This approach allows many team members to join the firm at the senior associate or manager level and begin contributing their experience to clients and engagement teams immediately.
The article features insights from Lesley Hargraves, ML&R’s Incoming Leading Partner, and Hao Hue, Talent & Culture Manager, who previously spoke with Accounting Today about the firm’s distinctive hiring philosophy.
“I think in the beginning, decades ago, they thought we were crazy,” Lesley told Accounting Today of the firm’s experienced-hire model.
Over time, that approach has become an important part of ML&R’s culture and the way the firm serves its clients.
Hao explained that hiring professionals who have already spent several years in public accounting can also contribute to greater stability across the firm.
“For our firm as a whole, it’s really benefitted us because we get to hire people who know that they want to be in public accounting,” Hao told Accounting Today. “And that tends to translate to stronger retention, lower turnover, and just more stability across all of our teams.”
ML&R’s approach also gives experienced professionals opportunities to quickly expand their skills and take on meaningful responsibilities. Lesley noted that professionals joining ML&R can gain broader exposure to projects, technical issues, and client relationships earlier than they might within a more traditional staffing structure.
For ML&R, the experienced-hire model has always been about more than recruiting. It supports the firm’s commitment to providing clients with experienced professionals, creating continuity within engagement teams, and offering employees meaningful opportunities to learn and grow.
As the accounting profession continues to evolve, ML&R remains committed to an approach that has shaped the firm for decades: investing in experienced professionals and creating an environment where they can build long-term careers while providing exceptional service to clients.
Read the full Accounting Today article, “Accounting’s missing middle,” to learn more about the changing talent landscape across the accounting profession.
