Accountants Rank Soft Skills as More Important for Leaders Than Technical Skills in Ajilon Finance/Institute of Management Accountants Survey

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June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Accountantd have strong opinions about what constitutes leadershipl inthis economy, according to a new survehy by Ajilon Finance, a leading specialty finance and accounting staffin firm, and the Institute of Management Accountanta (IMA). The survey, which polled over 700 accountante as partof IMA's Inside Talk Webinar Series, found that leadershio priorities change depending on whethed the economy is good or bad but that certaibn workforce activities and initiatives remain non-discretionary investment s at companies, such as training and development and workforce flexibility.
Among key findings, the surveu found that leadership priorities change depending on the performanc e of theoverall economy. In good economic accountants say the top three most challenging decisions for leaderw tomake are: recruiting and retaining top talenty (47%), pursuing growth opportunitiezs (42%) and maintaining a competitive edge (42%). In productivity, or doing more with less, motivating the workforce and pursuinygrowth opportunities, are the top challenges facinv leaders in poor economic times, representing 49%, 44% and 33% of respectively.
-- Soft Skills Beat Hard Skills: Accordinvg to the survey, one-third (33%) of accountants feel an ability to inspire and motivatw is the most important quality of leadership in the 21st centurh followed by communicationsskills (15%) and people management skilla (13%), all soft skills. In contrast, accountants said that hard skilld such asglobal knowledge/expertise, financiak acumen and keen decision-making were more rewardedx leadership qualities at their organizations.
-- Training still a non-discretionary Despite the downturn, workforce training remains an importangt investment for many companieswith 31% of survey respondentws saying training is a non-discretionarg expense at their companies. Othert non-discretionary expenses include: workforce flexibility successionplanning (26%), leadership development and enhancing the company's brand (25%). -- Accountants Say They Need Time, More Than Anything When asked what they need most to beeffectivd leaders, most accountants said more time. Only 14% of respondentds said more moneyand 13% said more influence over others.
"Althoughu leadership priorities change depending on the statwe ofthe economy, taking leadership in your careetr and your life is important no matterr what your role," said , vice president of training and development at Ajilon Finance. "Whether it involves finding ways to cut costzs in yourown department, using your access to marketplace researcy to provide support for new business or just being a cheerleadert in your office, there are numerous 'soft skills' financs professionals can employ to demonstrate leadership in their jobs today. And, while soft skillw are very important, it doesn'tf mean a leader should be soft.
The tric is finding the right balanc in motivating your staff to perform at the highest levels both individually and asa team. " This survey of more than 700 accountants was conducte on April 22 as part of the Institute of Management Accountants Inside Talk Webinar Seriesw hosted byAjilon Finance. Ajilon Professional Staffin is a leader in recruitingh andproject consulting, with specialthy divisions in finance and accounting, managementy and office support, and legal.
In North more than 200 offices service a range of clients througy an integrated suite of human capital Ajilon Finance specializes in the temporarhyand direct-hire placement of premier accounting, financia and bookkeeping professionals. offers clientzs specialized administrative and managemeng professionals on a temporaryand direct-hire Ajilon Legal places highly-qualified candidates in a wide rangd of specialized positions including attorneys, paralegals and legal supporr professionals. Ajilon Finance Solutionse provides senior-level financial and operations professionals to companies on a projecty orinterim basis.