When asked to advise starters in accountancy on the skills that will increase their chance of career advancement, the majority of managers nominated communication skills (13%) and an open minded attitude (12%) as the most important, according to research by Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

Surprisingly specialist knowledge and skills in areas such as corporate governance (1%), risk management (2%) and credit control management (4%) were seen to be less important.

One in five UK managers said the biggest fault of new recruits is paying little attention to detail when they first join the company.

Ian Graves, managing director continental Europe, Robert Half International, said: said: ‘The traditional model of the accountant has changed. Today's accountants not only need financial acumen but must also find a balance between leadership and managerial skills. This broad requirement means there needs to be a concerted effort by both commercial and tertiary organisations to tailor education and training to meet the needs of modern businesses.'

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