300+
5 reviews
Mike
16:04 13 Mar 23
Highly recommended! Josh and Sarah have been fantastic at Astute. They've found and placed me in 2 jobs now between them, both really responsive and excellent at keeping you up to speed with things. Very knowledgable about the roles and happy to talk to companies with any queries you have.
C R.
10:45 27 Jan 23
Great agency one of the best ones I've worked with! Liz has been a great help and support in helping me towards a new direction in my career life. She is very attentive and keeps me in the loop at all times! She makes the extra effort to work with my preferred requirements for work and even if it isn't completely attainable she meets me in the middle and does as much as she can to help! Also Liz is very funny might I add 😂 and I'm happy that I can now put a face to the name after all these years! Thank you again Liz for all your help and support! 😊
Christine
10:32 20 Dec 22
Josh and the Astute team was very swift to help me to find roles that matched my profile. They are really reliable and will help through every step of the recruitment process going out of their way to assist and follow up when needed. Could not find a better recruitment agency!
Helen Pinegar
16:19 18 Dec 22
Fantastic recruitment agency.. Josh was extremely enthusiastic, encouraging and clearly knowledgeable about what was needed from both the employee and the employers point of view. Extremely supportive especially in regards to interview preparation and endeavoured to procure feedback promptly. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Astute in the future to both candidates and recruiting businesses particularly for the right fit for the role!!!
Lisa Leigh
11:56 30 Nov 22
I have worked as a candidate for Astute and they have been excellent. Super friendly service and professional agents keen to fit the right person to the right job. It has been a pleasure dealing with them and I would happily work for them again in the future. Highly recommend this agency.
Contact us
Derby
Suite 1, Ground Floor West,Cardinal Square,10 Nottingham Road,Derby. DE1 3QT
Nottingham
Stanford House,19 Castle Gate, Nottingham, NG1 7AQ

CPAs Keep Leaving the Top 100 in America. We look at WHY!?


It’s a tale as old as time. A talented CPA lands a coveted role at a Top 100 accounting firm, excited to kick-start a promising career. The name looks great on LinkedIn. The office view is impressive. The potential seems endless.

But then reality sets in.

Long nights turn into longer seasons.

Emails never stop.

Promotions feel like moving goalposts.

…..And that elusive “work-life balance” becomes nothing more than an HR talking point.

Before long, they’re burned out, disillusioned, and wondering, Is this really what I signed up for?

As a CPA recruiter, I’ve had this conversation more times than I can count, and the story never gets old because it never stops happening. And here’s the kicker: it’s not just happening, it’s accelerating.


The Problem with Big Firm Life

There’s no denying the prestige that comes with working at a Top 100 accounting firm. The training is solid. The client exposure is unmatched. But prestige doesn’t pay for missed birthdays, mental health days, or the sleep lost during yet another busy season that never really ends.

Here’s what I hear most often from CPAs ready to make a move:

  • Work-life balance? Non-existent.
  • Career progression? Too many rungs, too much politics.
  • Culture? More corporate than collaborative.
  • Burnout? Inevitable.

Some firms still operate under outdated models, where annual culling (yes, that’s still a thing), rigid expectations, and 60+ hour workweeks are seen as rites of passage rather than red flags.


The Mid-Tier and Boutique Firm Advantage

The good news? There’s another side to this story, and I help people write it every day.

Mid-sized and boutique firms are stepping up in a big way. These are the firms offering what top-tier firms struggle to deliver: flexibility, culture, and real career momentum. Here’s what’s waiting on the other side:

True flexibility – Remote work options, Summer Fridays, PTO that’s actually respected.
Supportive culture – You’re more than a staff ID. Your ideas are heard, and your life outside of work matters.
Clear progression – Promotions based on contribution, not politics or tenure.
Stability without the stress – No annual culls, no toxic competitiveness, no grind-til-you-drop mentality.
A real sense of community – You feel part of something. Like you belong.

And yes—these firms are still doing great work with excellent clients. The difference is: they’re doing it in a way that doesn’t drain the life out of their people.


Why This Trend Isn’t Slowing Down

There’s a seismic shift happening in the industry. CPAs are rethinking what success looks like. Titles and brand names are losing their shine, and quality of life is becoming the new benchmark.

And here’s what I’ve seen firsthand: once someone makes the move to a firm that genuinely values them, they wonder why they didn’t do it sooner.

This isn’t a blip. It’s a permanent recalibration.

The next generation of CPAs isn’t willing to sacrifice their personal lives for marginal gains in prestige. They’re smart. They’re ambitious. But they also want to be happy, healthy, and human.


Wrapping Up

If you’re feeling stuck in the grind, know this: you’re not alone, and there’s a better way. You don’t have to stay somewhere just because it looks good on paper. Real growth, real balance, and real satisfaction exist beyond the Top 100.

I help CPAs make that leap every day, and the results speak for themselves.

Let’s talk when you’re ready.

After all, “Your future doesn’t have to be dictated by your past.”

We are delighted to have opened a new office in Tampa, Florida, having recently branched out into the US specifically serving the Public Accounting & Financial Advisory market.

Based out of Tampa and operating on Central Time, our specialist team partners with myriad Public Accounting & Advisory firms of all sizes, from Big 4 to mid-tier, to regional and boutique, typically with a hub in Florida, and often with offices nationwide.

For further information contact Andy Lilliman (details below) or visit our US website USA – Astute Financial (astuterecruitment.com)

  • Texas, especially the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, is now the second-largest financial services hub in the U.S following NYC.
  • Major financial firms, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, are attracted by lower taxes, affordable housing, and a welcoming business climate.
  • Finance-related employment has surged across Texas, outpacing growth in traditional financial centres like NYC.

In a dramatic shift that’s redefining the U.S. financial landscape, Texas—particularly the Dallas-Fort Worth area—has rapidly emerged as the second-biggest financial hub in the country.

As more financial firms flock to Texas, Andy Lilliman, our Director of Talent Acquisition, who recruits Senior professionals for Public Accounting and Advisory Firms in Texas commented ‘Whilst NYC remains the undisputed financial capital of the nation, the growth of the Texas financial services sector is undeniable.  The state’s central location and major airport also make it an attractive destination for companies looking for a more welcoming and accessible business culture. Texas has won over many executives who have relocated from the East and West coasts, making this a very exciting time for Recruitment.’

From business opportunities to increasingly vibrant cultural offerings, there is a multitude of reasons why so many companies and talented individuals are choosing Dallas, and Texas more broadly.  Today, there are 658,600 Texans working in finance compared to New York’s 544,900 workforce. Investment banking and securities employment has skyrocketed 111% in the past two decades. Since the pandemic, that number is 27% trouncing New York’s 16% and 5% respective growth.

Once seen as ‘small’ compared to NYC, the D-FW metro area now hosts some of the country’s largest financial operations, including a $500M Goldman Sachs (GS) tower under construction in downtown Dallas, which will house more than 5K bankers and investors, making it the firm’s second-largest office after NYC. 

Dubbed “Y’all Street,” this burgeoning financial centre is attracting major firms drawn by low taxes, affordable housing, and the state’s business-friendly environment.

This boom has helped Dallas shed its old reputation as a financial backwater, as major players like JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Charles Schwab (SCHW), and Deloitte continue to expand their presence.

Simply put, the rise of “Y’all Street” is reshaping the U.S. financial landscape as we know it. As more firms and talent migrate to the state, Texas’ role as a major financial hub is expected to grow, solidifying its place on the national and global stage.

Timing is perfect if you are looking for your next career opportunity or looking to expand your team contact Andy Lilliman, Director of Talent Acquisition at Astute Recruitment on (945) 468-2727 or email [email protected]

We are delighted to be celebrating our fifteenth business anniversary this month.

Astute Recruitment has become the ‘go to’ specialist for all levels of HR, Finance and Back-Office permanent and temporary recruitment for mainly SME businesses across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands region. Longstanding recruitment partnerships span the lifetime of the business, and many pre-date that over 20 years, from the founders – Sarah Stevenson and Mary Maguire who set the business up after redundancy in 2009.

The company’s ambition has been unmistakable from the beginning and have been recognised for its achievements and received many awards. This year has seen further team expansion, the successful launch of a HR Division, and a new website – cemented Astute as the leading specialist recruiter locally.

Andy Lilliman has also recently re-joined the team as Director of Talent Acquisition – CPA Audit, Tax & Advisory for the US Market and is developing our Public Accounting offering in Dallas, Texas.

We have recently secured a magical 270th 5 star google review, complimenting our 100% 5 star google reviews, and we cannot find another recruitment business with this record.
Astute has also recently been retained as one of Three Best Rated website’s Three Best Rated recruitment firms in Derby and the only one to be a specialist!

Sarah said, “It’s amazing to think that with just a couple of laptops and our redundancy money, we are now one of the leading accountancy and finance recruitment businesses across the East Midlands. It’s all down to our brilliant team and I know I speak for Mary when I say I’m really proud of what we have achieved together.”

Team Astute celebrating 15 years!!

Building on the strong foundations of Astute in the UK, the business has branched out into the US specifically serving the Public Accounting & Financial Advisory market.

Based out of Dallas and operating on Central Time, our specialist team partners with myriad Public Accounting & Advisory firms of all sizes, from Big 4 to mid-tier, to regional and boutique, typically with a hub in Texas, and often with offices nationwide.

For further information contact Andy Lilliman (details below) or visit our US website USA – Astute Financial (astuterecruitment.com)