What Does Gen Z Want in an Accountant?

Struggling to attract younger clients into your accounting practice? Gen Z consists of young people born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s. Some are still in high school, but many others have started lucrative careers or have become entrepreneurs, often leveraging the internet as a platform. Gen Z professionals and entrepreneurs in Pennsylvania need CPAs and accountants to help them with their finances and taxes. But their needs and interests are different from previous generations, so it’s important to understand how to attract and keep such valuable young clients.

Gen Z is the first generation that has grown up from infancy with the internet, social media, and the cell phone. They expect information at their fingertips, quick responses to their communications, and technology-based solutions. They have a positive attitude toward the possibilities that AI offers, unlike some older generations, who look at AI with distrust.

Gen Z-ers are stepping into their major life milestones—full-time jobs, marriage, children. They are more pragmatic about work and somewhat less hedonistic than the previous generation, and they are more focused on saving and investing. They also show a greater interest in travel than other generations.

Gen Z tends to have a problem with anxiety, with about 30% saying they sometimes struggle with it. As a financial partner with your Gen Z clients, you could play a big part in helping them find peace of mind regarding their financial security. But you’ll have to provide services in the format that they are most comfortable with.

As mentioned, Gen Z is very tech-oriented, and they will want their accountant to provide technologically-based solutions. These include such things as:

Since Gen Z feels confident about finding answers to general questions online, they are looking for a more personalized service from you. They want advisory services that focus on their particular needs, interests, and concerns. As mentioned, savings and investing are important to them, with many having started in college or even in high school.

Many of them have used a cloud-based DIY tax program and may feel like they have their taxes in line. What they want is strategic guidance for business growth, cash flow, short- and long-term goal setting, and personal finances. While you provide these services, you may also be able to show how your tax services are superior to a DIY service. Once they trust your advice, they may confidently turn their taxes over to you, as well.

Gen Z wants transparency in the fee structure and deliverables. Having a clear and understandable service package is attractive to this generation.

And like many people, young and old, they like to see that the company they work with has strong values and is committed to fairness, integrity, and community.

This generation’s heavy screen time means that they have short attention spans. Communications, whether written, oral, or digital, need to be short, clear, and concise. For detailed content, provide an initial summary, followed by the details. This provides them with the immediate information that they need before they dive into the particulars.

If you can provide your Gen Z clients with the services they need in a format that they feel comfortable with, you will keep these young clients for years to come and they are very likely to recommend you to their Gen Z friends.