More than 80% of UK employers have stressed the importance of an accredited accountancy qualification when recruiting for finance employees. The International Workplace Survey of 5,736 finance and accounting managers from 20 countries by recruitment firm Robert Half found that the UK average of those who viewed a certificate as important was 10% higher than that of respondents from other countries. Of those UK respondents, 80% said the reason it was important was due to the established level of knowledge and expertise it demonstrates. 'This high statistic suggests that the majority of employers are looking for tangible evidence of competency when recruiting for finance and accounting roles. Gaining a recognised qualification of this nature is a good way to 'prove' such competence, particularly for entry-level professionals,' Phil Sheridan, managing director of Robert Half said. In addition, 94% of UK respondents saw it as important to have tax and VAT expertise.