If your best accountants are receiving weekly approaches from recruiters, other firms and commercial employers — you’re not imagining it. Perth’s Public Practice market remains one of the tightest in Australia, and firms across Business Services, Tax, Audit, SMSF and Advisory are competing for the same small pool of talent.
But here’s the shift Beckway Professionals is seeing every day:
Accountants are no longer leaving for small salary bumps — they’re leaving for better leadership, clearer progression and a healthier employee experience.
Across the hundreds of placements we’ve made in 2024–2026, accountants consistently cited the same reasons for moving:
But here’s the shift Beckway Professionals is seeing every day:
Accountants are no longer leaving for small salary bumps — they’re leaving for better leadership, clearer progression and a healthier employee experience.
Across the hundreds of placements we’ve made in 2024–2026, accountants consistently cited the same reasons for moving:
- Lack of progression clarity
- Feeling undervalued or overlooked
- Rigid working arrangements
- Weak leadership communication
- Weak leadership communication
- No visibility on long-term pathways
- Unsustainable workload without support
This means retention is no longer a compensation challenge — it’s an experience challenge.
And the good news? The firms who excel at retention don’t necessarily pay the most.
They simply lead better, communicate better and create environments where accountants feel appreciated, developed and seen.
Here’s how to retain your best people in 2026 — without just raising salaries.
And the good news? The firms who excel at retention don’t necessarily pay the most.
They simply lead better, communicate better and create environments where accountants feel appreciated, developed and seen.
Here’s how to retain your best people in 2026 — without just raising salaries.
1. Give Your Accountants Career Clarity — Before They Ask for It
One of the fastest ways to lose strong performers is to leave their future unclear.
Many Perth firms rely on informal, manager-dependent progression conversations. But high performers want structure. If they don’t see a path, they assume they need to go elsewhere to grow.
Career clarity in 2026 looks like:
Many Perth firms rely on informal, manager-dependent progression conversations. But high performers want structure. If they don’t see a path, they assume they need to go elsewhere to grow.
Career clarity in 2026 looks like:
- Published pathways (Intermediate → Senior → Supervisor → Manager → Director → Partner)
- Clear role expectations at each level
- Transparent promotion timelines
- Defined performance indicators
- Quarterly career check-ins (not just annual reviews)
Why this works
Accountants stay longer when they know exactly what they’re working toward — and how the firm will support them to get there.
📌 Retention Tip: “Progression Plans” only work if they’re lived, not laminated. Leaders should reference them regularly during 1:1s.
Accountants stay longer when they know exactly what they’re working toward — and how the firm will support them to get there.
📌 Retention Tip: “Progression Plans” only work if they’re lived, not laminated. Leaders should reference them regularly during 1:1s.
2. Improve Leadership Communication — The #1 Retention Lever
We hear this almost daily:
“If my manager communicated better, I wouldn’t have left.”
Leadership communication influences:
“If my manager communicated better, I wouldn’t have left.”
Leadership communication influences:
- Trust
- Psychological safety
- Motivation
- Engagement
- Performance
- Retention
With hybrid work reducing face-to-face visibility, communication matters now more than ever.
Four communication habits that immediately boost retention
Four communication habits that immediately boost retention
- 1. Monthly 1:1s: structured, two-way and future-focused
- 2. Transparent workloads: no surprises during deadline periods
- 3. Open wellbeing conversations: burnout should never be discovered at resignation
- 4. Regular recognition: verbal, written or public
📌 Retention Tip: Staff don’t need perfect leaders — they need present and consistent ones.
3. Offer Flexibility That Actually Feels Like Flexibility
Most firms say they offer hybrid work.
Most accountants say it often doesn’t feel real.
Flexibility becomes ineffective when:
Most accountants say it often doesn’t feel real.
Flexibility becomes ineffective when:
- It’s earned, not standard
- It varies between managers
- It feels culturally discouraged
- It’s inconsistently applied
Effective flexibility requires:
- Two days WFH as standard (not conditional)
- Outcome-based trust
- Flex hours for parents, carers and commuters
- Adjustments during peak periods
- Zero “flexibility guilt”
Why it matters
Flexibility is the second most important retention factor in Perth after progression. And cost?
Zero — but the ROI is huge.
📌 Retention Tip: Hybrid doesn’t mean disconnected. Maintain predictable team days and weekly touchpoints.
Flexibility is the second most important retention factor in Perth after progression. And cost?
Zero — but the ROI is huge.
📌 Retention Tip: Hybrid doesn’t mean disconnected. Maintain predictable team days and weekly touchpoints.
4. Strengthen Recognition — Because Accountants Rarely Self-Promote
Most accountants are humble.
They work hard, deliver quality and rarely ask for praise.
Yet research shows recognition is one of the strongest motivators for retention.
Meaningful recognition looks like:
They work hard, deliver quality and rarely ask for praise.
Yet research shows recognition is one of the strongest motivators for retention.
Meaningful recognition looks like:
- Public celebration of wins
- Acknowledgment in client meetings
- Mentioning contributions in partner updates
- Highlighting extra effort during deadlines
- Quarterly or annual awards
- Team rituals that celebrate success
What accountants tell us
“One of the top three reasons for leaving is:
‘The partners barely notice what I do.’”
📌 Retention Tip: Recognition doesn’t require a budget — just awareness and intention.
“One of the top three reasons for leaving is:
‘The partners barely notice what I do.’”
📌 Retention Tip: Recognition doesn’t require a budget — just awareness and intention.
5. Build a Culture of Mentorship & Development
People don’t just leave jobs — they leave stagnation.
In 2026, the strongest retention predictor is whether accountants feel they’re developing new skills, not just delivering recurring work.
Strong retention cultures include:
In 2026, the strongest retention predictor is whether accountants feel they’re developing new skills, not just delivering recurring work.
Strong retention cultures include:
- Coaching and mentoring
- Exposure to advisory and client meetings
- Opportunities to lead juniors
- Technical and soft-skill development
- Gradually increasing responsibilities
- Structured feedback loops
Why it works
Firms that invest in development see:
Firms that invest in development see:
- Higher engagement
- Faster promotion readiness
- Stronger succession pipelines
- Healthier culture
- Lower turnover
📌 Retention Tip: Emerging seniors thrive when given structured leadership responsibilities early.
6. Conduct Real Engagement Check-Ins (Not Just Annual Reviews)
Annual reviews are outdated.
They’re backward-looking, infrequent and not designed to detect early disengagement.
Effective engagement check-ins every 8–12 weeks should cover:
They’re backward-looking, infrequent and not designed to detect early disengagement.
Effective engagement check-ins every 8–12 weeks should cover:
- Workload and capacity
- Team relationships
- Career ambitions
- Skills development
- Burnout risk
- What’s working / not working
- Satisfaction score (1–10)
Why this works
Issues caught early become solvable.
Issues caught at resignation become irreversible.
📌 Retention Tip: Quarterly anonymous surveys give leaders firm-wide visibility on morale.
Issues caught early become solvable.
Issues caught at resignation become irreversible.
📌 Retention Tip: Quarterly anonymous surveys give leaders firm-wide visibility on morale.
7. Strengthen Your EVP Internally — Not Just Externally
Your Employer Value Proposition shouldn’t only be used in job ads.
It must define the day-to-day employee experience.
Your EVP should clearly articulate:
It must define the day-to-day employee experience.
Your EVP should clearly articulate:
- What it’s like to work here
- What the firm stands for
- What employees value most
- How you support development
- The cultural behaviours expected of everyone
When firms don’t define and reinforce this internally, staff fill in the gaps — often with incorrect or negative assumptions.
How to embed your EVP
How to embed your EVP
- Leadership messaging
- Onboarding experience
- Cultural rituals
- Career pathways
- Recognition frameworks
- Quarterly EVP health checks
📌 Retention Tip: Strong EVP reduces voluntary turnover by up to 30% (industry data).
8. Strengthen Team Structure to Reduce Burnout
Most turnover in Perth accounting firms is traced back to imbalanced team structures.
Common issues:
Common issues:
- Too many juniors, not enough reviewers
- Work bottlenecking at Senior or Manager level
- Staff holding portfolios too large for their stage
- Inadequate support during peak periods
Solutions include:
- Rebalancing team ratios
- Senior-to-junior mentoring structures
- Using bookkeepers/administrators to support accountants
- Engaging part-time or contract seniors during peaks
- Reviewing workload allocation monthly
📌 Retention Tip: Employees stay when roles feel achievable — not overwhelming.
What This Means for Perth Accounting Firms
Retention is now a strategic capability, not a side responsibility.
The firms who consistently retain strong accountants do three things exceptionally well:
1. They make people feel seen.
Leadership visibility, meaningful recognition, authentic communication.
2. They make the future visible.
Clear progression, development plans and transparent expectations.
3. They make work sustainable.
Healthy workloads, flexibility, smart team structure, and wellbeing support.
When these foundations are strong, salary becomes a retention enhancer — not the sole retention strategy.
Ready to Strengthen Retention in Your Firm?
At Beckway Professionals, we help Perth accounting and law firms design retention strategies grounded in real market data, behavioural insights and 18+ years of experience advising the WA market.
👉 Submit a Vacancy
👉 Book a Discovery Call with Nadene Lewis-Laing
👉 Request a Retention & Workforce Structure Review
Building a firm people want to stay in is your strongest competitive advantage in 2026.
👉 Submit a Vacancy
👉 Book a Discovery Call with Nadene Lewis-Laing
👉 Request a Retention & Workforce Structure Review
Building a firm people want to stay in is your strongest competitive advantage in 2026.
