there are objective and subjective measures. bonuses are for the extraordinary.
by august j. aquila
what makes a great partnership
while times may be good for many cpa firms, we should not forget that firms cannot afford to have partners coast or be unable to pay their own way. firms are expecting more from their partners. it doesn’t mean that partners have to work longer hours, but it does mean that partners need to contribute more to the economic value of the firm and learn how to work smarter.
more: why partners need written goals | seven keys to becoming an equity partner | how to achieve partner unity | the seven building blocks of a great partnership
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
evaluate partner performance
in the majority of firms there is no formal written evaluation of partners. while most partners don’t want to be and don’t like to be evaluated, it’s a common fact of life. how else can you fairly evaluate and compensate your partners? there is a definite trend today for firms to identify standards and have written, measureable goals for partners. this permits management to evaluate actual performance against the goals set at the beginning of the year.
the standards or values tell partners what matters in the firm’s compensation method. the best compensation systems let the partners decide where they should focus their energies throughout the year. also by determining what matters most to the firm, partners can now evaluate and even calculate their relative contributions to the firm.
objective and subjective values
most firms utilize a combination of subjective and objective criteria in their evaluation process. those who administer the system need to:
- consider conflicting objectives between the firm and the partner
- be objective and fair in administering the system
- be capable of looking at all the subjective factors
- recognize the changing needs of the firm
- recognize the changing contributions of the partners over time
- be consistent when evaluating contributions
objective criteria
new business development origination
new business is the lifeblood of any organization. without new business the firm would cease to exist. this particularly is true in today’s highly competitive market. a major mistake some firms make is placing too much value on this talent.
while it is very important, it is not the only activity that brings value to a partnership.
client development and relationships
developing additional business from existing clients often takes skills that the rainmaker or finder does not have. few partners would argue that this criterion should rank at the top of the list. it’s also harder to measure this benchmark because more than one partner and employee may often work with the client. this criterion builds the firm’s reputation for quality, performance, client loyalty, etc. one could argue that in the long term, building client relations and expanding the scope of work is even more important than bringing in new business. in reality, one cannot exist without the other.
personal production
we need to look at personal production as more than just billable hours. for example, partner a has 1400 charge hours and can only bill 1100 hours. partner b has 1200 charge hours and bills all of them. partner a handles 30 percent fewer clients than partner b. partner a does most of the work himself. partner b leverages his time and brings in other partners and employees to work on the client. which one would you consider more productive – partner a or b?
subjective criteria
building the firm’s name and reputation
contributions that enhance the firm’s image and prestige through speaking at industry conferences, publishing articles and assuming key leadership positions in trade and industry groups.
partners acknowledge the importance of being visible in civic and/or charitable matters in the community, because it assists in developing new work, and assists in fostering leadership training for young professionals.
quality of work product/timeliness
the need to deliver a good product in a timely and efficient manner needs to be recognized. “quality” includes not only the technical knowledge but also imagination, creativity and innovation, oral communication skills, the ability to handle the unexpected and complex issues.
a partner must be willing to delegate work horizontally or vertically to the appropriate expertise or level of competence to ensure that work is done when it is promised to the client.
seniority or impact
seniority is no longer just age or tenure with the firm. rather, it means how the partner has spent time developing and maintaining clients, building and enhancing the firm’s reputation and participating in the training and development of a cadre of associates who produce for the benefit of all the partners in the firm.
firm leadership
leading a firm today requires a large amount of time be devoted to the task. leadership responsibility also includes practice management, recruiting, marketing and training. a partner involved in firm management responsibilities must treat that work with the same importance he/she would treat client work.
being a good citizen
partners must recognize willingness to abide by the policies of the firm. this includes:
- abiding by policies to keep time accurately, to turn in time sheets promptly, to follow policy on billing, collections, etc.
- turning over client management and other controls to others when appropriate
- contributing to the equitable and efficient distribution of work assignments and client contacts
- specializing and developing expertise in particular areas to complement other abilities in the firm
personal relationships and teamwork
practicing a team concept, including participation in, and cooperation on, firm committees, etc. is expected. client sharing, client introductions and overall promotion of harmony and goodwill among firm members are critical and absolutely expected. these include:
- maintaining good working relationships with partners and associates
- lending personal support and enthusiasm to all personnel
- respecting each partner’s professional and management judgments and good faith; withholding all criticism except as necessary for management decisions; and the management of that side of the process in a private setting
- respecting others’ contrasting views and respecting each partner as a person
- promoting and cross-selling other firm partners and associates
partner participation in firm activities/functions
partners are obligated to attend firm social and professional meetings, participating in those management decisions and activities that appropriately fall upon partners.
associate development and delegation of work
time and effort in working with younger associates to increase their professional skills must be rewarded. this includes the training and development of associates.
final thoughts
a partner’s value is measured against those standards, and the performance of other partners, with minimal regard for the length of time a partner has been a partner.
partners’ compensation does not increase automatically merely because the firm “had a good year.” individual partners’ net earnings may remain at any one of the firm’s compensation levels; they may go up or down; or partners may skip compensation levels upward or downward based upon their performance.
those partners capable of originating and retaining business from new and continuing clients shall be rewarded for doing so. other partners who are unable or are not inclined to generate business are expected to devote more hours to producing work, training associates and/or managing the firm. in spelling out these objectives and assessing partner performance, firm management in most firms is placing the burden upon substantive department heads and individual partners to identify and implement plans to assist firms accomplish their objectives in an organized and efficient manner.
notwithstanding that more firms are impressing upon their partners that the progress of their individual compensation is to be predicated upon the overall success of the firm, more firms are budgeting “bonus pots” to be available to reward individuals or groups only when their performance is perceived as being extraordinary. it is assumed that all partners work. therefore, eligibility for bonus payments includes objective and subjective contributions that exceed being a good partner.
partner compensation reflects the assumptions about each partner’s talents and their overall contributions to the firm. the real test of the compensation system is how effectively each partner’s contribution is recognized. for firms to refuse to recognize the necessity of (1) articulating compensation criteria that are understood and agreed to by the great majority of the partners, (2) introducing a more structured process for assessing their total contributions and (3) allocating profits among partners accordingly, is to refuse to recognize the fact that all partners are not equal and some contribute more to the firm than others.