Outsourcing Is Out. Here's What's IN.

The staffing shortage in accounting isn’t just a blip on the radar. It’s a full-blown, long-haul crisis that’s impacting firms across the country. And guess what? It’s not going away. Traditional firms have been plugging the hole with offshore outsourcing, hoping it’ll hold. Yet, it’s barely a Band-Aid.

Now, if you’ve been in the accounting trenches for more than five minutes, you know the game is changing. The firms that are thriving are thinking radically. That’s where INsourcing comes in.

Yeah, it’s just one letter off — but make no mistake, it’s a whole new playbook.

What the heck is insourcing anyway?

Outsourcing is handing off work to a faceless, siloed third party halfway across the globe. It’s a tactical move — cost-cutting, task-shifting, low-touch. But in today’s firm, that doesn’t cut it. Clients want connection. Your team wants collaboration. And leadership wants control.

Insourcing flips that model on its head. It’s like getting the benefits of a rockstar 1099 and a fully integrated team member all in one. You get remote talent who are trained, coached and embedded into your firm’s workflow and culture. These aren’t transactional task-doers. They’re teammates. They show up (virtually), wear your firm colors and are coached with you, not for someone else.

Even better? Your staffing partner doesn’t disappear once a seat is filled. A true insourcing partner stays in the game, continuing to develop the team, checking for culture alignment and leveling up their soft skills in areas like understanding American business etiquette, client interaction norms and firm communication style. That's right — real integration.

Why Insourcing Is the Future

The pipeline problem is an epidemic. We’re not just short on CPAs. We’re short on people who want to work in public accounting the old way. So stop trying to fix a broken model with duct tape.

Insourcing is different. It’s a relationship-based staffing solution that aligns with how modern firms operate — digital-first, people-forward and values-driven. You don’t have time to micromanage a disconnected offshore resource. You do have time to collaborate with a strategic partner who gets it.

It also gives you the ability to scale without the overhead. You’re not burdened with the cost and complexity of traditional hiring like recruiting, onboarding and HR admin, or the inefficiencies of training new temps every few months. Instead, you get skilled professionals who can grow with you, without expanding your office footprint or internal team infrastructure.

As your insourced team integrates with your systems, workflows and culture, they start building up your firm’s intellectual capital. You’re not just filling seats; you’re developing long-term knowledge inside your business. These aren’t short-term resources. They become part of how your firm thinks, works and evolves — a strategic asset, not just a staffing fix.

This isn’t assign-and-abandon. This is assign, align, integrate and grow. And that’s where the magic happens.

Three Radical Reasons to Insource Your Accounting Talent

Here’s why progressive firms are making the shift, and why you should, too.

1. Coaching-driven talent development. This isn’t a warmed-over placement agency approach. A real insourcing partner doesn’t drop a body in your Slack channel and walk away. Instead, they continuously coach, building up communication skills, technical chops and that elusive “culture fit.” This crushes the outdated pooled-resource model where random staff rotate in and out of your workflow with no consistency.

2. Culture and capability alignment. Great talent isn’t just about knowing debits from credits. It’s about fitting into your firm — your tech stack, your values, your client service model. Insourcing teams are prepped for American accounting culture, not just U.S. GAAP. They’re ready to plug in, contribute and grow with you, not around you.

3. Long-term partnership, not one-and-done placement. Insourcing firms don’t just toss you a résumé. They build relationships. They vet, place, coach and evolve the talent alongside your business. Whether it’s tax, bookkeeping or audit support, they’re in the game with you. Think strategic partner, not staffing vendor.

And let’s not forget: the good ones even guarantee the work. When was the last time your recruiter offered that?

Insourcing Is the New Normal

If you’re still stuck in the outsourcing mindset, it’s time to break out. The firms of the future are already insourcing today.

And if you’re a forward-thinking firm leader — tech-savvy, people-focused and done with Band-Aid solutions — then insourcing isn’t just a strategy. It’s a no-brainer.