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For years, offshore staffing was the accounting industry’s version of a quick fix. If you needed help during tax season or wanted to save a little on labor, you looked offshore for: back-office support, data entry, maybe some cleanup work.
That was Offshore 1.0. But here’s the truth: that model was never built for growth. And today, growth is the only way forward.
Firms are drowning in compliance, struggling to hire, and watching their partners burn out. Meanwhile, clients are asking bigger questions and they want someone who has the time and headspace to answer them.
That’s where Unison Globus’ Offshore Staffing 2.0 comes in.
It’s not about just outsourcing. It’s about unlocking capacity. It’s about creating space for strategy, speed, and real advisory work. And it’s already helping leading firms transform how they operate both – internally and with their clients.
In this blog, we’ll break down how Offshore Staffing 2.0 works, what makes it different from the old model, and how it’s giving forward-looking firms the edge they need in a profession that refuses to stand still.
Why Offshore Staffing Needed an Upgrade
Let’s start with the facts.
Between 2012 and 2022, accounting programs in the U.S. saw a 17% drop in graduates. Since 2016, the number of first-time CPA exam takers has fallen by 33%. And according to the AICPA, more than 75% of current CPAs are expected to retire within the next 15 years.
That’s not just a talent shortage. That’s a structural collapse in the making.
Firms aren’t just struggling to hire, they’re fighting to stay operational. And when you combine the shrinking pipeline with client expectations that are rising fast, you get a gap that the old system simply can’t close.
Enter Offshore Staffing 1.0
To cope, many firms turned to offshore staffing. It made sense but in theory. Outsource some bookkeeping. Offload some admin. Get through tax season. But the model they turned to wasn’t built for long-term value.Offshore 1.0 was designed to be transactional.
- Support with limited training
- No process alignment
- No integration into firm culture
- And ultimately, no scalability
One partner from a mid-sized CPA firm in Ohio summed it up:
We tried offshore once. It was clunky. No visibility, constant rework. I said never again.
Like many, his firm walked away. The model just didn’t deliver.
But as the pressure built, so did the turnover, unmet client needs and deadlines. They realized avoiding offshore wasn’t a long-term solution either.
Something had to change.
But as the pressure built, so did the turnover, unmet client needs and deadlines. They realized avoiding offshore wasn’t a long-term solution either.
Something had to change.
Why the Old Way Fails Today
The traditional offshore model can’t meet today’s demands for three key reasons:
- It doesn’t scale with complexity. AI can handle routine. So can entry-level staff. But advisory support? Tax review? Real-time client interaction? Offshore 1.0 can’t do that.
- It reinforces bottlenecks. Without training, integration, and accountability, offshore support ends up requiring more input from onshore leaders, not less.
- It was never meant to be strategic. It wasn’t about growth. It was about saving money. But saving money doesn’t fix broken workflows. It doesn’t build resilience. It doesn’t future-proof your firm.
Smarter Scale Starts Here
Build Your Offshore Advantage with Unison Globus
What Firms Staffing Actually Need
The pressure to do more with less isn’t going away.
Firms need a better operating model. Here’s what that looks like:
Firms need a better operating model. Here’s what that looks like:
A reliable way to increase capacity without increasing overhead.
Hiring locally now takes anywhere from 60 to 90 days and costs firms between $70,000 and $90,000 for a single mid-level accountant, not including benefits, onboarding, or tech licensing. And that’s if you can find the right person. Firms need a faster, more flexible way to expand capacity without overwhelming their budget or burning out their team.Trained professionals who speak your tech, follow your SOPs, and hit the ground running.
Capacity only works when it integrates. That means talent who already knows tools like QuickBooks, Xero, CCH, and Karbon, and can step directly into your processes. No long ramp-up. No handholding. Just clean, reliable work. Done your way.A model that allows partners to step out of the weeds and into the advisory role clients are asking for.
76% of clients say they want more strategic guidance from their accountant. But only 4 in 10 firms say they have the bandwidth to deliver it consistently.Partners can’t lead when they’re stuck in review loops. And clients won’t wait forever for proactive insight.
That’s the need.
That’s the gap.
And that’s exactly what Offshore Staffing 2.0 was built to fill.
What Is Offshore Staffing 2.0?
Think beyond outsourcing.
Offshore Staffing 2.0 is a smarter model for scaling operations, creating space, and shifting firms into strategic mode. It’s not about cheap labor or patchwork support. It’s about building a system that helps accounting firms run better, from the ground up.
In the old model, capacity was reactive. In this one, it’s intentional.
Offshore Staffing 2.0 is a smarter model for scaling operations, creating space, and shifting firms into strategic mode. It’s not about cheap labor or patchwork support. It’s about building a system that helps accounting firms run better, from the ground up.
In the old model, capacity was reactive. In this one, it’s intentional.
It clears the path to advisory.
That’s the real strength of Offshore Staffing 2.0.By taking full ownership of prep work, compliance, and routine processes, it gives your team the capacity to focus on what really drives value: client strategy, planning and deeper advisory conversations.
Advisory doesn’t happen in the margins. It needs time, space, and a delivery engine you can rely on.
It brings AI and human expertise together.
AI isn’t here to replace your team. It’s here to support them.In the Offshore 2.0 model, AI is used where it adds value: automating repetitive steps, reducing manual errors and helping teams move faster.
Think: data categorization, basic reconciliation, document capture or workflow triggers.
But the core work – the judgment, the review, the strategy – stays human.
This balanced model helps firms deliver smarter, more efficient service, without sacrificing quality or control.
It’s built to grow with you.
This model isn’t plug-and-play. It’s structured.Offshore teams are supported by SOPs, QA processes, and dedicated leads. Thus, ensuring work gets done right, even as demand grows. Whether you’re scaling during tax season or expanding service lines, the model flexes with you.
You get consistency without compromising control.
It supports, not sidelines, your onshore team.
When implemented right, Offshore 2.0 doesn’t compete with your in-house team. It complements it.It removes the repetitive, time-intensive work that slows everything down, helping your people in doing what they do best: review, lead, build relationships and grow the firm.
It’s not about outsourcing tasks. It’s about structuring your team to operate at its best.
Offshore Staffing 2.0 isn’t just operational. It’s directional. It creates the foundation firms need to evolve towards: higher-value work, healthier teams and scalable growth.
It’s Not Just Offshore. It’s a New Model.
Seeing It in Action
The Offshore 2.0 model sounds good in theory but
what happens when a real firm puts it into practice?
Earlier, we shared how one Ohio-based CPA firm had written
off offshore staffing after a bad experience: clunky communication,
constant rework, and zero visibility.
But with pressure mounting, they revisited the idea.
This time, they approached it differently and the
results speak for themselves.
what happens when a real firm puts it into practice?
Earlier, we shared how one Ohio-based CPA firm had written
off offshore staffing after a bad experience: clunky communication,
constant rework, and zero visibility.
But with pressure mounting, they revisited the idea.
This time, they approached it differently and the
results speak for themselves.
Challenges Hiring was slow. Tax deadlines were closing in. And advisory work, while high on the priority list, kept getting pushed aside. The partner was still in review loops and couldn’t find the space to lead at the level clients needed.
Our Approach
With the right structure, documented SOPs, and offshore staff trained on their systems, the firm didn’t just fill gaps. They built real capacity.
Two hires became four. Turnaround times improved. Review bottlenecks eased. The partner finally stepped into a strategic role, meeting clients, not chasing files.
Two hires became four. Turnaround times improved. Review bottlenecks eased. The partner finally stepped into a strategic role, meeting clients, not chasing files.
The Outcome
Within one quarter, three clients signed new advisory agreements.
Not because the firm worked harder but because it finally had the space to work smarter.
Is Your Firm Offshore 2.0 Ready?
If your team is stretched, hiring is slow, and advisory work keeps getting pushed aside – Offshore Staffing 2.0 might be the reset you’ve been looking for.
At Unison Globus, we help accounting firms build the kind of operational capacity that makes growth sustainable, without burning out their teams.
Curious what that could look like for your firm? Let’s start with a conversation.
At Unison Globus, we help accounting firms build the kind of operational capacity that makes growth sustainable, without burning out their teams.
Curious what that could look like for your firm? Let’s start with a conversation.
