The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has released an SMP Talent Management Toolkit to help small and medium-sized accounting practices (SMPs) attract, develop and retain staff.
The launch takes place in the week before UN MSME Day on 27 June 2026 and is part of the ACCA’s global campaign on talent in SMPs.
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The material is split into two linked publications: the ‘SMP Talent Management Toolkit’ for practice leaders and ‘Why choose a career in a small or medium-sized practice?’ for prospective and existing candidates.
The first publication is a practical guide on the full talent cycle and centres on ten key messages for drawing talent into SMPs, based on practitioner input from the ACCA’s global community.
It also addresses learning culture, AI-related skills, competency frameworks and retention, supported by checklists, case examples and employer perspectives from Malaysia, Singapore, Ireland and Sri Lanka.
The second publication is a companion guide for candidates planning to select an SMP. The resource is primarily aimed at school leavers, graduates, career changers and experienced professionals.
It uses the same ten messages from a candidate viewpoint, along with ten career tips and a skills framework drawn from the ACCA’s Career Paths Reimagined 2026 study.
The launch aligns with ACCA’s global talent trends 2026 survey, which found that what many candidates seek – “meaningful work, direct impact, breadth of experience and the chance to build genuine relationships” – matches what SMPs can typically provide.
ACCA SME Professional Insights head Aleksandra Zaronina-Kirillova said: “The accountancy profession plays a central role in the health and resilience of the SME sector.
“The practitioners joining firms today will be the trusted advisers of tomorrow’s small businesses, and how we develop talent now determines what becomes possible for the profession, and for the businesses and communities it serves.”
As part of its global webinar series, the ACCA will host a session on 30 June examining the skills gap in SMPs.
