Accountants Rank Soft Skills as More Important for Leaders Than Technical Skills...

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

Doing More With Less, Motivating the Workforce and Pursuing Growth
Opportunities Rated Top Priorities for Leaders in Difficult Economic Times

MELVILLE, N.Y., June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Accountants have strong opinions about
what constitutes leadership in this economy, according to a new survey by
Ajilon Finance, a leading specialty finance and accounting staffing firm, and
the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). The survey, which polled over
700 accountants as part of IMA's Inside Talk Webinar Series, found that
leadership priorities change depending on whether the economy is good or bad
but that certain workforce activities and initiatives remain non-discretionary
investments at companies, such as training and development and workforce
flexibility.

Among key findings, the survey found that leadership priorities change
depending on the performance of the overall economy. In good economic times,
accountants say the top three most challenging decisions for leaders to make
are: recruiting and retaining top talent (47%), pursuing growth opportunities
(42%) and maintaining a competitive edge (42%). In contrast, productivity, or
doing more with less, motivating the workforce and pursuing growth
opportunities, are the top challenges facing leaders in poor economic times,
representing 49%, 44% and 33% of responses, respectively.

Other key survey findings include:

-- Soft Skills Beat Hard Skills: According to the survey, one-third
(33%)
of accountants feel an ability to inspire and motivate is the most
important quality of leadership in the 21st century followed by
communications skills (15%) and people management skills (13%), all
soft
skills. In contrast, accountants said that hard skills such as global
knowledge/expertise, financial acumen and keen decision-making were
more
rewarded leadership qualities at their organizations.
-- Training still a non-discretionary expense: Despite the downturn,
workforce training remains an important investment for many companies
with 31% of survey respondents saying training is a non-discretionary
expense at their companies. Other non-discretionary expenses include:
workforce flexibility (27%), succession planning (26%), leadership
development (25%) and enhancing the company's brand (25%).

-- Accountants Say They Need Time, More Than Anything Else: When asked
what
they need most to be effective leaders, most accountants (29%) said
more
time. Only 14% of respondents said more money and 13% said more
influence over others.

"Although leadership priorities change depending on the state of the economy,
taking leadership in your career and your life is important no matter what
your role," said David Adams, vice president of training and development at
Ajilon Finance. "Whether it involves finding ways to cut costs in your own
department, using your access to marketplace research to provide support for
new business or just being a cheerleader in your office, there are numerous
'soft skills' finance professionals can employ to demonstrate leadership in
their jobs today. And, while soft skills are very important, it doesn't mean a
leader should be soft. The trick is finding the right balance in motivating
your staff to perform at the highest levels both individually and as a team."

METHODOLOGY
This survey of more than 700 accountants was conducted on April 22 as part of
the Institute of Management Accountants Inside Talk Webinar Series hosted by
Ajilon Finance.

ABOUT AJILON PROFESSIONAL STAFFING
Ajilon Professional Staffing is a leader in recruiting and project consulting,
with specialty divisions in finance and accounting, management and office
support, and legal. In North America, more than 200 offices service a range of
clients through an integrated suite of human capital solutions.

Ajilon Finance specializes in the temporary and direct-hire placement of
premier accounting, financial and bookkeeping professionals.
Ajilon Officeoffers clients specialized administrative and management
professionals on a temporary and direct-hire basis.
Ajilon Legal places highly-qualified candidates in a wide range of specialized
positions including attorneys, paralegals and legal support professionals.
Ajilon Finance Solutions provides senior-level financial and operations
professionals to companies on a project or interim basis.

SOURCE Ajilon Professional Staffing

Anthony Guerrieri, Director, Public Relations of Ajilon Professional Staffing,
+1-917-434-4296, anthony.guerrieri@adeccona.com