jobs

winning firms know the secrets of keeping good accountants

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work/life balance proves essential to recruiting, retaining staff.

by rick telberg

if that cpa working next to you appears stressed out by the job, take a long, hard look because you may not see him or her again in the future.

while cpas in all walks of the profession are strained and face tough workloads, those feeling the greatest stress and workplace demands are more likely to be seriously in the market for another job. at any given moment, according to my studies, about one on three cpas would consider changing jobs, even it meant a pay cut, in exchange for better working conditions. among the most stressed-out cpas, the ratio of job seekers jumps to about half.

so it’s imperative for managers of cpas to offer state-of-the-art workplaces if they want to retain hard-to-find staff. read more →

six steps to building firm-wide accountability

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start by stopping.

skip reardon

stop doing things that undermine accountability, says skip reardon at six disciplines business coaching, “stop overseeing, legislating and micro-managing.”

reardon, a veteran of the accounting business dating back to solomon software, says “accountability is not something you ‘make’ people do – it has to be chosen or accepted by people within your organization. people must ‘buy into’ being accountable and responsible. for many, this is a new, unfamiliar way to work. most importantly: individual purpose and meaning come from assuming responsibility and accepting accountability.”

so, how do you build company-wide accountability?

read more →

six ways to cope with technological change

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technology isn’t new. but the pace of change is.

and it’s adding new stresses to cpa firms every day, according to l. gary boomer of boomer consulting.

the impact can be seen — and felt — in how firms attract, retain, nurture and leverage talent, he tells the cpa leadership institute. staffing takes on a whole new meaning when it’s done within a firm-wide culture of continuous learning and improvement.

here’s how: read more →

what recession? accounting sector grows 4th month in a row; hours and wages up also

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defying national trends, accounting industry expands by 2,200 jobs.

total employment, accounting and bookkeeping sector, through june 2011

total employment in the accounting and bookkeeping sector grew by 2,200 positions in june (preliminary, seasonally-adjusted), to 933,200, the fourth straight month of gains and the highest headcount since 944,600 in december 2008, according to new government data.

the surge is being fueled by big gains in tax prep shops and in payroll services. cpa firms slimmed down after tax season, as usual, but headcounts are still running higher than a year ago.

read more →

number of accounting grads hits new high

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hiring plans rebound. heavy demand for post-grads.

top line: undergraduate degrees. bottom line: post-graduate degrees. source: aicpa

via aicpa

newly minted accountants have some of the brightest job prospects in the nation, with nearly 90 percent of accounting firms forecasting the same or increased hiring of graduates this year compared with 2010, and nearly three quarters, 71 percent, of the largest firms anticipating more hiring – an indicator of a rebounding economy.

read more →

how to nurture the genius around you — even if you’re not a genius yourself

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available at amazon

l. gary boomer has been talking lately about liz wiseman’s new book, “multipliers: how the best leaders make everyone smarter.”

“multipliers” reports research that shows so-called “multiplier”  leaders get two times more production than “diminishing” leaders.

“multipliers are genius-makers,” boomer says, “where everyone around them gets smarter.” by genius, she is referring to innovation, productivity and the collective intelligence of the team.

multiplier leaders are not just “feel-good” managers, boomer says: read more →

succession planning: what’s your excuse?

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are you scaring away the next generation of owners?

via accountingtoday

you know it’s important. so why do only 35 percent of multi-owner firms and 9 percent of sole proprietors have written succession plans in place?

robert fligel

“most firms don’t have any plan,” robert fligel, president of rf resources tells accounting today. “even to do a memo would be a major accomplishment… it’s human nature; we don’t want to deal with mortality because it’s a very daunting thing. but there’s a fantastic sense of relief when you do these things. and you should think about your clients – you don’t want to leave them in a lurch.”

read more →

10 ways to recruit & retain the best talent

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steve erickson
steve erickson

rule 1: deliver a consistent message.

cpa and consultant steve erickson offers 10 tips to help firms in hiring and retention:

  1. increase focus and efforts. make recruiting a year-round focus, engaging both
    partners and employees in the process.
  2. build an employee referral network. use it to find employees and offer your expertise to other accountants while spreading the word about the profession through speaking and writing engagements. focus on reciprocity–make referrals for other firms and don’t burn bridges. read more →

10 global mega-trends for this year’s partner retreat

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as busy season ebbs into memory and accounting firms start looking toward the future, top managers will be confronting a host of difficult issues.

by rick telberg

many of the most pressing issues are close to home — winning a few more big clients, nurturing succession, finding adequate capital to reinvest in the business. some other issues, however, may seem more abstract. they are, to be sure, no less real.

a host of global trends are conspiring to make this year’s retreat season just that much more complicated for accounting firm leaders.

here are 10 top global trends that are rushing headlong toward the american accounting firm industry: read more →