According to the report, SMSF senior accountants are set to see a spike in demand as a result of a “notable” skills shortage.

“This is one of the fastest-growing areas in professional practice in regional locations. Good senior accountants are required to oversee around 100 SMSFs end-to-end,” the report stated.

The report also found there is a shortage of senior tax accountants, with candidates at the senior level often seeking commercial roles.

Intermediate accountants are also set to be in higher demand, according to the report.

“It can be difficult to attract intermediate accountants, particularly to regional locations. As a result, some firms have started placing candidates in bookkeeper roles, who they charge out to ensure workloads are still completed,” the report stated.

Hays also noted it has seen an increasing preference from employers to hire candidates with strong relationship-building skills.

“Firms are starting to offshore lower-level compliance work in favour of developing business partnerships and focusing on positive commercial outcomes for their clients,” the report stated.