年度汉字... 升

2024 has been a eventful year for the accounting industry, and if I had to choose one word to sum it all up, it would be “升”—meaning “rise” in Chinese.

But this rise hasn’t been all about progress; it also carries a heavier side of life that we cannot ignore.

❌ The rise of stress (生活压力增加)

Life in an accounting firm has always been demanding, but this year took it to another level. With inflation squeezing everyone’s wallets, the cost of living soared.

Stress levels shot up, not just from deadlines but from the relentless balancing act between personal and professional lives.

❌ The rise of expectations (期望经济增强)

The economic recovery from the pandemic brought along a fresh wave of expectations.

Business owners, eager to rebound, demanded more comprehensive and faster services from their accountants.

❌ The rise of workload (人手不足导致工作量增加)

But what truly defined 升 for accounting firms this year was the rise of workload caused by a severe manpower shortage.

The younger generation seems less keen to join the profession, and firms struggled to fill vacancies.

This meant that existing team members had to take on more—more clients, more responsibilities, more stress.

Nights stretched longer, and weekends were no longer sacred.

升 wasn’t just a reflection of external pressures; it was also a call for us to rise to the occasion.

We adapted, innovated, and leaned on each other to manage the mounting challenges.

As we approach 2025, we hope for a different kind of 升—one of opportunities, solutions, and a stronger economy.

PS : Authored by Mr Koh Teck Peng, our Group Principal, in his personal LinkedIn post https://bit.ly/3ZTEFNV