One in five accountants reject roles over employer reputation

Accountancy firms are losing talent at every stage of hiring, with 22% of professionals turning down job offers due to concerns about a firm’s reputation.

New research from B2B PR agency Midnight shows that employer reputation is now a decisive factor in the accountancy sector, with nine in 10 (90%) employees saying it is important that a firm reflects their personal values - higher than the national average of 82%.

The data shows firms are losing candidates throughout the hiring process:

• 20% have decided not to apply for a role due to reputation
• 22% have turned down a job offer
• 22% have left a role altogether

However, firms with strong reputations are seeing clear benefits in attracting and retaining talent:

• 28% have recommended an employer based on reputation
• 24% have applied for a role as a result
• 23% have accepted a job offer

Flo Powell, Joint Managing Director at Midnight, said: “Reputation is now directly shaping hiring outcomes in the accountancy sector. It is influencing who applies, who accepts and who walks away.

“In a market where firms are already competing hard for talent, losing candidates before they even reach interview stage is a risk many cannot afford.”

The trend is accelerating. More than four in five (83%) accountancy professionals say employer reputation will play an even greater role in their career decisions in future, significantly above the UK average.

The research also highlights a disconnect between how firms present themselves and how they are perceived. In discussions, University of Sussex students reported that it is often difficult to understand what an employer does, let alone assess its culture or reputation, based on its website and social channels.

Flo added: “Many firms assume their reputation is clear, but for candidates it is often difficult to see or understand.

“In a highly competitive hiring market, that lack of clarity becomes a commercial disadvantage. Firms that fail to communicate what they stand for will be overlooked.”

For more information, or to read the full research paper, visit www.midnight.co.uk/research-report

Ends

Editors notes

Methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 1000 UK employees (600 UK employees – general, 400 UK employees - equal spread across four primary sectors of insurance, accountancy, legal and tech), aged 18+. The data was collected between 28/01/26 - 04/02/26.

Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles

For more information, please contact:

Alex Hankinson or Flo Powell on 01273 666 200 or hello@midnight.co.uk and visit www.midnight.co.uk or connect with us on LinkedIn.

About Midnight

Midnight stands as one of the leading independent PR consultancies in the South East, based in one of the UK’s most dynamic and pioneering cities: Brighton & Hove.

Specialising in business-to-business PR, Midnight has consistently earned recognition for its successful PR and social media campaigns, with more than 60 peer-judged industry awards won to date.

Midnight excels across key sectors including professional services, insurance and workplace services.

Midnight is also proud to be B Corp Certified, reflecting the company’s commitment to deliver benefit to all its stakeholders. For more information, view Midnight’s public B Corp profile here.