q&a: jennifer wilson on creating a great place to work

thanks to the economic bust, the staffing crisis for cpa firms seems to have evaporated.

so here’s the question: does creating a “great place to work” still mean anything these days?

jennifer lee wilson
convergence coaching llc

yes, i believe the concept of building a “great place to work” still means a lot. just the other day, i was training up-and-coming leaders at a firm that is striving to be a great place to work.

by having me there, the firm was letting their people know they are committed to investing in developing them — regardless of the economic condition.

they were encouraging their people to explore different ways of leading and managing, with the hope that those people would apply new ideas to drive change in the firm.

they also offered their people a very positive work environment, great facility, up-to-date technology, flexibility programs, kitchens stocked with healthy snacks and more benefits that told their people that they are important and valued.

this firm understands that people are the foundation of any great business — and a professional service business’ greatest asset is the ingenuity, engagement and talent of its people.

being a great place to work attracts and retains the best and the brightest in any economic cycle…but being a great place to work is most important in a down cycle.

jennifer wilson is a co-founder and partner of convergencecoaching llc, a national leadership and marketing consulting firm dedicated to cpa and it firms.

posted on october 7, 2010