Professionals on the Move is a periodic round-up of recent promotions, leadership changes, awards, and other staffing announcements from aroundt he accounting space.
After 75 Years in Hiring, Recruiters Say Work Ethic Is the Most Reliable Predictor of Success
Snelling, a leading U.S. staffing firm within the HireQuest network of staffing and recruiting brands, is marking 75 years of connecting Americans with meaningful work – placing it among the longest-running staffing firms and in the rare one percent of U.S. businesses to reach this milestone.
To mark the anniversary, Snelling surveyed its offices across more than 100 local markets, capturing real-time insight from recruiters working directly with employers and jobseekers. The findings highlight how hiring priorities are shifting in 2026 and what decades of workforce cycles reveal about what truly endures.
Key Workforce Trends From 75 Years on the Front Lines
Soft skills now outweigh technical credentials.
Across markets, Snelling offices report that adaptability, reliability, work ethic and emotional intelligence are stronger predictors of long-term performance than technical qualifications alone.
Employers are hiring for potential, not perfect resumes.
Many offices estimate that 50–75% of recent successful placements were based primarily on attitude, coachability and growth trajectory rather than an exact skills match.
Strategic hiring during downturns creates lasting advantage.
Recruiters cited repeated examples – from COVID-era hiring through regional slowdowns – where companies that continued hiring emerged faster and stronger, gaining market share and leadership depth.
Human relationships still outperform digital-only recruiting.
Most offices report that recruiter-led, relationship-driven placements perform slightly to significantly better than algorithm-only candidate sourcing, underscoring the continued value of cultural fit and real-world judgment.
After 75 years, the competitive edge remains human insight.
Despite rapid advances in recruiting technology, Snelling offices overwhelmingly point to trusted relationships, local expertise and advocacy as the firm’s most durable differentiators.
Margaret Smith joins CohnReznick as new Chief Administration and Transformation Officer
CohnReznick, a leading professional services firm, recently announced that Margaret Smith has joined the firm as the new Chief Administration and Transformation Officer.
Margaret brings deep leadership experience in professional services organizations, where she partnered with global teams to deliver innovation, operational excellence, and business-critical services across the firm. Throughout her career, Margaret has focused on enabling people and organizations to perform at their best, with a strong commitment to inclusive leadership, wellbeing, and building environments where teams can thrive.
In her Chief Administration and Transformation Officer role, Margaret will drive operational excellence and transformation across practice management functions, collaborating to achieve firm goals and continuing to provide an exceptional experience for CohnReznick’s clients and people as the firm scales and innovates.
Aprio Names James Lockhart Real Estate Industry Leader
Aprio, ranked among the top 20 business advisory and accounting firms in the U.S., recently named James Lockhart, CPA, JD, LLM as its Real Estate Industry Leader, effective May 1, 2026. Jim succeeds Alan Vaughn, CPA, CGMA, who built the practice over four decades and will remain with the firm as a partner.
James brings 25 years of experience advising real estate developers, investors, private equity sponsors, REITs, and family offices on complex tax structures, capital transactions, and investment strategy. Since joining Aprio, he has expanded the firm’s national reach across commercial real estate, construction, and affordable housing. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Real Estate Private Equity Committee.
Under James’ leadership, Aprio will deepen its platform across commercial real estate, construction lending, affordable housing, and opportunity zone investments building a connected advisory model that follows clients across asset classes and markets.
Maxwell Locke & Ritter Announces Lesley Hargraves as Next Leading Partner, Effective 2027
Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP (ML&R), the largest locally owned and managed accounting and advisory firm in Central Texas, recently announced that Lesley Hargraves will assume the role of Leading Partner in January 2027, succeeding current Leading Partner, Kyle Parks. The planned, year-long leadership transition is designed to ensure continuity and long-term success for the firm, its clients, and its people.
Hargraves has been with ML&R since 2009, building her career on the firm’s audit team. She became a partner in 2017 and most recently served as Audit Practice Leader. Over the next year, Hargraves and Parks will work closely together to ensure a seamless transition for clients and team members.
Hargraves’ appointment reflects ML&R’s long-standing commitment to developing leaders from within. Her leadership journey has been shaped by strong relationships, deep firm experience, and active involvement in the Central Texas community, reflecting ML&R’s long-standing focus on people, clients, and community.
Hargraves will become the fourth Leading Partner in ML&R’s history and the first woman to hold the role, marking an exciting milestone for the firm and reflecting its strong leadership pipeline and long-term commitment to continuity, client service, and people-focused growth.
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Tags: Accounting, awards, career, Payroll, professionals, Staffing
