The firm says increased competition for talented staff means the interview process has been shortened to ensure employers get their offers in first. The average role now requires just 2.1 interviews, down from 2.9 last year before the hiring sprees had affected the market – and the same as it was at the start of 2008.

Half of financial services professionals (52%) said they only had one interview before landing their current role, with another quarter only requiring two (27%).  The firm says these figures highlight the need for making a good first impression – there may not always be an opportunity to make amends in a subsequent meeting.   

Tara Ricks, MD of Randstad Financial & Professional, said: ‘In the time it takes to invite people back for third or fourth interviews, the best candidates are being snapped up by rivals.  This is good news for people frustrated with the protracted interview processes of the recession – but it also means candidates aren’t getting then chance to show their true colours if they haven’t made a good first impression.’

Nearly two thirds (61%) of accountants  say they now find interviews harder than they did before the crisis took hold, while 29% say that, despite being good at job interviews in the past, they are now out of practice.  Another 21% say they have always underperformed in interview situations.

Part of the reason, according to the recruitment firm, is that many accountants stayed in the same job during the recession, so their job hunting experience is out of date.

A separate survey suggests that accountants could do worse than take some annual leave to brush up on their interview skills if they want to move on. A poll from specialist recruiter Robert Walters found that 39% of the accountants questioned do not take all their allocated holiday allowance.

Of these, the most common cause, cited by 60% of respondents, was pressure to complete a project, busy workloads or having applications for leave turned down. One in five also reported not being able to afford to take a break.  

Other factors include a fear of falling behind, loyalty to helping the company achieve business goals and even guilt at leaving colleagues to take the strain caused by their absence. Some accountants work so hard that they lose holiday, ending the year with too many days of annual leave to roll over.

The research suggests that employers could do more to help ensure staff are taking the time to recharge, by helping employees schedule their workloads more effectively, organising cover well in advance and giving them the opportunity to fully ‘switch off’ while away from the office.

Andrew Setchell, director at Robert Walters, said: ‘With vacancies and hiring levels on the rise, competition to attract the best accountants continues to build, meaning that it’s important to make your business stand out.  

'As well as minimising the risk of burnout and low morale, businesses that encourage staff to take all their annual leave are likely to earn a reputation as an attractive place to work.'