with small, but consistent, upticks in corporate earnings, the employment outlook may be improving. and that means accounting firms should be preparing for the next talent shortage. u.s. employers rank among the tops in complaining about a shortage of the … continued
a framework for action.
if trust has been broken in your accounting firm—and given the great recession, odds are, it has been—you must start now to rebuild it.
michelle and dennis reina, authors of “rebuilding trust in the workplace: seven steps to renew confidence, commitment, and energy” (berrett-koehler, 2010), recommend a seven-step process, drawn from two decades of research, for healing and rebuilding trust.
to be sure, the seven-step process isn’t a silver bullet. but it may provide a framework for leaders to demonstrate courage and to take concrete, constructive, and compassionate action. read more →
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 →
start by stopping.
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?
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 →
defying national trends, accounting industry expands by 2,200 jobs.
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.
accounting and bookkeeping sector adds 17,800 jobs in may.
in the biggest single-month gain since the recession, the accounting industry added almost 18,000 new jobs in may, bringing the total headcount to 926,300, a 29-month high. in fact, accounting was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing jobs report.
meet lisa, blaise and regine. by thomas p. graham iv graham is the executive director of the bookkeeping center, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides accounting training to the low-income and unemployed in new york city. accounting skills training … continued
but corporate employers raise starting pay. while most new college graduates are just happy to get a job this spring, they’re probably happier going to work in business and industry because that’s where the money is. starting salaries in public accounting are sinking … continued
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 →
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?
“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.”
shaking off the recession with a good busy season.
apparently driven by an improved busy season, cpa firms added 4,800 jobs in march, the latest month available, bringing the total workforce to 423,100. the figures are not seasonally adjusted.
total industry workforce rises to 904,400 people.
april’s gain follows big jump (seasonally-adjusted) in february, with 21,500 new accountant and bookkeeper jobs, according to the u.s. bureau of labor statistics.