Should Accounting Majors Have Human Resource Training in Compliance, Coaching, Team-Building and Mentoring Skills?

Abstract

This paper looks at the human resource skills of legal compliance, coaching, team building and mentoring that would be useful for accounting students entering the work place. It begins by briefly describing these areas and illustrating how a lack of knowledge could impact an accountant’s success. It then shows how the accounting profession recognizes the need for these “interpersonal skills”. Finally, it provides suggestions on how these skills could be incorporated in accounting programs or curriculum and illustrates how students themselves can gain exposure to these skills through online professional websites (e.g., www.aicpa.org) that provide some knowledge in the areas mentioned to better prepare graduating accounting students for the accounting profession.