New University of New South Wales (UNSW) research, funded by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, has found that students with accounting and non-accounting backgrounds have similar levels of intuitive thinking and judging preferences.

Dr Kar-Ming Chong, Paul Andon and Peter Roebuck, from the School of Accounting in the UNSW Faculty of Business, used a personality test to examine whether non-accounting graduates’ personality preference differed significantly from accounting graduates.

Peter believes the findings have implications for the way accountants are recruited into the profession.

‘Graduates from accounting and non-accounting backgrounds share some similar personality characteristics. Companies and practices can be more confident that non-accountants will fit in, in the workplace.

‘Employers need to be more comfortable with hiring graduates with different skills. They bring diversity and relevant skills from their previous areas of expertise,’ Peter said.