Why Q4 Is the Smartest Quarter for Recruiting in Professional Services
By J. James O’Malley, Former Andersen National Director of Experience Recruiting, Jim is Managing Director at Kensington International Executive Search
The cliché about the fourth quarter in recruiting is that “everything slows down.” Many assume accounting and advisory firms are too deep in audits, tax planning, and year-end close to think about hiring. In truth, Q4 is one of the best times to recruit if you know where to focus.
A few realities to consider:
- Year-end drives clarity. Firm leaders finalize forecasts, promotions, and bonus pools. They know which roles they must fill to start Q1 strong.
- Budget urgency creates momentum. Open positions often need to be approved or filled before fiscal year-end. Recruiters who stay close to finance and HR teams turn that pressure into decisions.
- Top performers reassess their path. As utilization peaks and planning season begins, partners and senior managers often start questioning long-term growth or equity potential. This is prime time for discreet outreach.
- Client demand shapes hiring. Advisory practices ramp up in areas like transaction support, performance improvement, and technology integration as clients prepare for M&A or transformation in the new year.
- Pipeline today, payoff tomorrow. Building relationships in Q4 means firms hit January with ready shortlists when leadership bandwidth increases.
Q4 doesn’t slow recruitment in accounting and advisory firms. It shifts the focus from volume to precision—reading, timing, motivation, and firm dynamics to stay a quarter ahead.
You also see more clarity in client needs during this period. Many firms assess upcoming client portfolios and recognize capability gaps. Practices tied to AI, digital transformation, and deal advisory often emerge as investment priorities for the coming year. Recruiters who align talent conversations with those priorities gain credibility and early access to searches before they are public.
Another overlooked advantage is candidate availability. Senior professionals often use the quieter holiday window to reflect, update resumes, and respond to outreach they ignored midyear. They are more open to conversations about culture, leadership, and growth when deadlines ease.
The best recruiters use Q4 to deepen relationships, not push transactions. They engage in planning discussions with clients, gather intelligence on upcoming needs, and position themselves as strategic partners. By January, they are already several steps ahead, armed with insight, warm candidates, and credibility built during the toughest quarter of the year.
Recruiting in Q4 is not about waiting for the market to rebound. It is about using the season’s rhythm to anticipate where demand will rise next—and being ready when it does. If you are ready to talk about how getting started on a search in Q4 will have a material impact on your 2026 please contact me at jomalley@ki-search.com.
James O’Malley is a managing director at Kensington International Executive Search. For 30+ years, Jim has developed talent acquisition solutions to ensure that leadership talent aligns with changing business needs. Jim has served: Private Equity and their portfolio clients across all industries in addition to his background with Management Consulting firms, Architecture, Engineering, Accounting, Tax and Law firms in addition to IT, Healthcare, Operations and Supply Chain consultancies. He also helps large Commercial, Consumer and Private Banks with their hiring needs.