Who are the new accountants and auditors? Women dominate and technology helps

Women, with greater digital literacy and diverse training. This is the profile of the new accountants and auditors who are entering the market , very different from the image of the past, which reflected a career mainly for men and dominated by repetitive and unappealing tasks. Digital is here to stay and will help give new impetus to these professions, which are becoming attractive again and gaining ground among younger people.

“The Order of Certified Accountants (OCC), as a regulatory body, is fully aware that the profession’s appeal, particularly among younger people, was not the best. However, in recent years , very systematic work has been carried out to reverse the trend , particularly in schools, both secondary and higher education,” says Hélio Silva, OCC consultant, to EContas.

“This work has now begun to bear fruit, as the level of employability in the profession is extremely high and the salaries are better. New professional categories are also beginning to emerge within the accounting and tax area that did not previously exist, mainly linked to IT and marketing,” he adds.

The technological factor has helped to make this leap. “The profession continues to be attractive, but in a different way than it was in the past. The profession has evolved — and a lot. It has become highly technological. AI, digital reporting platforms and automation tools will accelerate this true transformation process , which we hope will result in greater attractiveness for our profession”, notes Virgílio Macedo, president of the Portuguese Association of Statutory Auditors (OROC).

The profession continues to be attractive, but in a different way than it was in the past. The profession has evolved — a lot. It has become highly technological.

Alongside the profession, the “profile of candidates is also evolving”. According to the president, “we have young people with more diverse backgrounds, greater digital literacy and a natural desire to work with technology. Many also bring a more critical outlook, more sensitive to issues such as ethics, sustainability and social impact ”.

On the other hand, “we have also seen an increase in the female presence in the profession . More and more women are entering and standing out, I would say that it is a natural evolution. It is a challenge that cuts across society and the sector, and at OROC we have been active in promoting inclusive policies and valuing merit”.

New access rules attract more candidates

The same is true among accountants. “The diversity of academic backgrounds is notable, with many new accountants coming from areas such as management, economics and information technology, in addition to traditional accounting,” notes Hélio Silva. From a gender perspective, “in 2024, 38,342 women were actively registered with the OCC, compared to 30,996 men , so it is easy to see that women have played an increasingly prominent role, both in professional practice and in leadership positions within the OCC.”

Paula Franco, president of the OCC, revealed in an interview with EContas that “we had 5,000 candidates last year, compared to 800 before”, and that “the vast majority were young and women”. This increase was largely due to the change in access rules.

In 2024, 38,342 women were actively registered with the OCC compared to 30,996 men, so it is easy to see that women have played an increasingly prominent role, both in professional practice and in leadership positions within the OCC.

“The work [of attracting more people] has already been done and began with the amendment of the framework law for professional orders and the consequent amendment of the statute of the order of certified accountants through DL68/2023 of December 7, the new statute came to reformulate and simplify the rules for access to the profession ”, explains Hélio Silva, consultant at OCC.

Adjusting training to the new reality

On the other hand, “we need to change the way we talk about the profession. We need to show that today a Chartered Accountant is not just someone who validates numbers, but rather an analyst, a strategic advisor , someone who plays a relevant role in the solidity of the economic system, who adds value to their clients”, stresses Virgílio Macedo, president of OROC. It is also necessary to adapt training to this new reality.

“Training must keep up with the changing reality . Today, it is no longer possible to prepare a Proofreader with just this classic structure. It is essential to introduce subjects such as data science, predictive analysis, cybersecurity, AI, communication and risk management”, he points out. This work has been carried out by the Order, reinforcing the “dialogue with higher education institutions to align curricula with the skills actually required by the market” .

The OCC also “works closely with academia, both from a conceptual point of view, through the business simulation project curricular unit that provides access to the profession in a more simplified way, as well as in collaboration in various congresses, conferences, seminars and workshops on topics involving the profession”, says Hélio Silva.

This is in addition to making “ Toconline Ensino available free of charge to all partner institutions, in order to ensure that, in addition to conceptual knowledge, professional candidates have access to a replica in a training context of what awaits them from a practical point of view in the job market , as a way of promoting greater speed and adaptability of theoretical knowledge to existing practices in companies”.

It is also necessary to adjust remuneration to make the profession more attractive . As EContas wrote, a survey conducted by the OCC shows that “91% [of respondents] consider that they do not receive fair remuneration in light of the importance of the services provided and the skills and qualifications required to practice the profession”.

Low salaries, in fact, are part of the list of main barriers to the growth of the activity highlighted by professionals . This is in addition to disloyalty among peers, artificial intelligence, bureaucracy, training and excessive legislation.