… and that’s ok.
by jody grunden
building the virtual cfo firm in the cloud
there’s a common misnomer when it comes to retention and keeping people on the team. retention doesn’t mean keeping every single person on your team forever.
more: uncover potential in 10 interview questions | what running a virtual cpa firm really costs | give your leadership team time to lead | hate billing? use a different method | use bots to your advantage | how to attract clients like a magnet
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
not only do you want to get the right people on the bus, but you also want to get those people into the right seats. we want summit cpa to be a great place to work, and we want great people to be working here. however, we realize it may not be the right place for every person.
as our company evolved, we realized that what worked in the past wasn’t always going to work when it came to moving the company forward. advancements in technology are affecting change within the accounting industry, and we want to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to those changes. as a result, we decided we needed to make some heavy investments in technology, and we knew that those changes were going to impact some people on the team.
we knew that some team members were not going to be a good fit for the next version of the company, and some would not be able to adapt to the changes. the seats on the bus had changed, and we were okay with that because we were focused on the long-term trajectory of the company. in most cases, the people we had originally hired to handle lower-level work wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking in front of people, and those people self-selected out of the new model (in other words, chose to leave the company for other opportunities).
for those who stayed, we focused a lot of effort equipping them with the skills they were going to need in order to adapt to the way their role was changing. the biggest change was that they were going to be client-facing rather than behind the scenes, so the first step was to make sure they were the main person on the cash flow call. we had them take the lead. next, we coached them on communication skills, and we asked the leadership team to help with coaching them. we wanted them to become reviewers and have a more proactive role rather than simply being doers. this meant we needed to empower them and help build their confidence that they could take on this higher-level role.
retention isn’t about keeping everyone on the bus. it’s about keeping the right people who embody the company’s core values and have the skill sets the company needs. we embrace that knowledge, and we know that it’s okay when someone on the team determines that summit isn’t the right place for them.
here’s what a few summit cpa employees had to say in a recent anonymous employee satisfaction survey:
- “this company allows me to work autonomously but provides help and assistance when i need it. the people are kind and supportive and ready to help at all times. there is a real team environment that also promotes personal responsibility that is unique. the flexibility is amazing. humor is a core value, and i laugh every day. i really do love working here.”
- “summit cpa group is flexible with the desires of its employees. the personal responsibility of the employee is important, as the employee’s development rests on it. the company provides the necessary resources for the success of its employees.”
- “i love the company, the culture, and the people. i believe in the organization and think it has a great future.”
what is your team saying about your firm? afraid to ask? don’t be. the knowledge that you will receive can help you make any necessary course corrections now before it is too late.