What do you think are the characteristics of an accountant? For generations, the stereotype of the accountant has been clear: analytical, detail-focused, and happiest behind a spreadsheet. But a recent initiative by Azets, one of the UK’s largest accountancy firms, suggests that image is changing fast.
In a move that has caught the attention of the profession, Azets is exploring secondments for trainee accountants in hospitality roles - from pubs to restaurants - to help them develop people skills that technology cannot replicate.
For business students, this development offers an illustration into how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping not just jobs, but the skills that organisations value.
Why hospitality?
Hospitality work is demanding. It involves dealing with customers under pressure, managing expectations, resolving complaints, and communicating clearly with people from all walks of life. According to Peter Gallanagh, head of Azets, these experiences are exactly what future accountants need.
As automation and AI increasingly handle compliance, bookkeeping, and routine financial tasks, the accountant’s role is shifting “front of house”. The future accountant will be less about producing numbers and more about explaining them, advising clients, and building trusted relationships. In short, technical competence is no longer enough on its own.
AI and the changing nature of accounting work
Gallanagh’s comments reflect a broader transformation within professional services. Historically, accuracy and compliance sat at the heart of accountancy. Today, AI tools can process transactions, flag anomalies, and generate reports faster and more consistently than humans. That efficiency, however, comes with a challenge: fewer traditional entry-level tasks.
Data from the jobs website Indeed shows that UK accountancy firms posted 44% fewer graduate job adverts in 2025 than in 2023. Even the Big Four - KPMG, EY, PwC and Deloitte - have scaled back graduate intake in recent years, partly due to AI adoption and partly due to a slowdown in consulting demand.
Against this backdrop, Azets’ strategy stands out. Rather than cutting back, the firm increased its graduate and school-leaver hiring by 15% in 2025. The logic is simple: if firms want future advisers, they need to invest early and broaden what “talent” looks like.
Soft skills as a strategic asset
From a business strategy perspective, Azets’ approach highlights a key lesson: competitive advantage increasingly lies in human skills that are difficult to automate. Empathy, persuasion, resilience and communication are not easily coded into algorithms.
Hospitality experience provides exposure to “Joe Public” - unhappy customers, demanding clients, and real-world unpredictability. These encounters build emotional intelligence and adaptability, both of which are critical in advisory roles. For accountants expected to guide business owners through uncertainty, deliver bad news sensitively, or influence strategic decisions, these skills can be just as important as technical knowledge.
Rethinking recruitment and inclusivity
Another striking element of Azets’ strategy is its shift in recruitment criteria. By lowering the emphasis on first-class degrees or 2:1s, the firm is widening access to the profession. Gallanagh has been open about his own background and the formative role that early work experience played in shaping his skills.
For business students, this signals an important trend. Employers are increasingly looking beyond academic performance to assess employability. Experience in hospitality, retail, or customer-facing roles is no longer “irrelevant” to a professional career - it may actually be a differentiator.
This also aligns with broader discussions around social mobility. Traditional academic benchmarks can exclude capable candidates who have had fewer opportunities. By valuing practical experience and transferable skills, firms can build more diverse and resilient workforces.
Risks and challenges
Of course, the approach is not without risks. Some trainees may resist hospitality placements, viewing them as a step backwards rather than an investment in their future. There is also the challenge of ensuring that secondments are structured, supported, and clearly linked to long-term career progression.
From a business perspective, the success of such programmes depends on execution. Without clear learning objectives, mentoring, and reflection, the benefits may not fully materialise.
Lessons for business students
For business students - particularly those considering careers in accounting, consulting or professional services - the message is clear. The skills that will matter most in the future are not purely technical. AI may change what professionals do, but it also raises the value of how they interact with clients.
Pulling pints may seem far removed from balance sheets, but in a world where machines handle the numbers, the human connection is becoming the real differentiator. Azets’ experiment suggests that the path to the boardroom may increasingly run through the shop floor, the restaurant, or the bar - and that is a lesson worth paying attention to.
