Intuit’s Recruitment Tactics and Its Impact on Accounting Firms

Intuit has been hiring accounting professionals to staff its QuickBooks Live and Turbo Tax Live service offerings for some time now. You’ve undoubtedly seen the ads on social media and listed on job boards and recruiting platforms promising a flexible, remote work environment, competitive wages, and free training.

This itself isn’t unusual—many accounting firms are continuously on the lookout for top talent to fill positions and are struggling with the lack of applicants currently in the market.

However, one of Intuit's recruitment tactics, particularly its direct solicitation of professionals from firms that are using its products, have sparked heated discussions within the accountant community about the potential impact on the industry.

Intuit’s recruitment tactics: A double-edged sword?

Recently, it appears that Intuit has begun directly recruiting accounting professionals from firms that use QuickBooks—offering attractive benefits, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities for career growth. This practice has raised concerns, particularly regarding the potential conflicts of interest for professionals who may continue serving clients through their former firms while working for Intuit.

Emails sent to accounting professionals emphasize the benefits of working with Intuit, including earning extra money, contributing to social impact programs such as Intuit for Education, and enjoying a more flexible work-life balance. These offers can be quite appealing to professionals seeking career advancement or greater flexibility. However, this practice can be detrimental for companies that lose employees to Intuit, especially for smaller companies that may struggle to retain talent in the face of such competition.

Denise Hanlon, a CPA and owner at Hanlon CPA, LLC, experienced losing a team member to Intuit firsthand during the pandemic. A recently hired employee had started with the QuickBooks Live team at the same time to earn some extra money and was impressed by the benefits Intuit offered.

Reflecting on her experience, Denise offers this advice: “Employees can be solicited from other firms on social media platforms. It [highlights] the fact that culture matters in firms, and employers need to make sure their employees are valued and appreciated to retain them.”

Considerations and industry impact

Intuit’s recruitment practices could carry serious implications. One major concern is loyalty and trust, as accounting firms have seen Intuit not only as a software supplier but also as a business partner. When Intuit starts recruiting their staff, it can seem like a betrayal of that trust.

Additionally, this approach could result in a loss of talent, especially from smaller and mid-sized firms that might lack the resources to match the perks and flexibility provided by larger companies like Intuit. This talent loss could consequently weaken these firms, diminishing the diversity and competitiveness of the accounting sector.

The industry could face significant changes. The traditional accounting firm model may weaken as more professionals join Intuit through TurboTax Live or QuickBooks Live. This shift might cause industry consolidation with larger firms absorbing those unable to compete or prompt firms to find software providers that are not recruiting in the same way.

Navigating the Future

As scaled players broaden their offerings to include bookkeeping and tax preparation services, firms need to think about the best ways to retain and grow talent, including strengthening their culture, offering virtual options for workers, and offer better benefits to keep employees. Strong pricing models will provide the economic enablement for some of these enhancements, and servicing fewer clients at higher price points will also increase work life synergy for team members. Click here to learn more about fine tuning your pricing strategy.