staffing

cpa firms paying top dollar for talent in nationwide hiring binge

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pay raises trending
pay raises trending

wages hit new high; hourly rates at cpa firms up nearly 10 percent.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

as the economy adds jobs, the accounting industry is grabbing its share and sometimes more, according to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 sources. at the same time, respondents to the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 careers and hiring outlook tracking polls show nearly 60 percent ready to jump ship if the right offer comes along.

join the survey. get the results.

in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 covers:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, tax, payroll and cpa segments of the industry, indicating growth and shrinkage among sectors.
  • average hourly wages for key segments, with trends in employee pay rates.
  • typical hours worked per week, showing utilization and productivity.
  • trends concerning women in the workforce, including hiring rates.

it’s not all about the money.

higher wages aren’t everything, as clearly indicated in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 careers and hiring outlook tracking polls. read more →

cpa firms hike wages in battle for top talent

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next question: who’s hiring, who’s not. get the answers: join the survey.

wad of one hundred dollar bills held in hand on green backgroundby 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

with cpa firms locked in a battle for top-level talent, typical wages in the u.s. tax, accounting and bookkeeping industry are advancing at record rates, according to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 sources.

in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 covers:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, tax, payroll and cpa segments of the industry, indicating growth and shrinkage among sectors.
  • average hourly wages for key segments, with trends in employee pay rates.
  • typical hours worked per week, showing utilization and productivity.
  • trends concerning women in the workforce, including hiring rates. read more →

yes, you should send rejection letters

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ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and asome people expect them…and say so.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: do you recommend sending rejection letters to someone i interview and do not hire?

response: yes. early on i did not send them, but when email came more universal, we sent them messages that way. now we use postal mail and send the letter on our letterhead. we feel it is more courteous and respectful. the letter is similar to this:

more practice doctor q&a: when busy gives the wrong impression | when to hire an admin assistant | how to notify clients of a partner’s retirement | 7 ways to lose a client’s trust | quote with care when asked for valuation | when fees don’t keep up with cost increases | lowballing and why it (usually) doesn’t work | when is it time to merge? | what goes in a client’s permanent file? | no more printouts at cpe programs? | how to apply value pricing to bundled services

read more →

when to hire an admin assistant

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ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and ado the math. hire the best.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: i seem to be wasting a lot of time and can’t put my finger on it. i go home at night feeling i am more behind than when i started that morning and my chargeable time is dropping. what suggestions can you make?

answer: many professionals, not just cpas are spending more and more time on non-business purpose activities. i don’t want to say nonessential because booking a flight or setting up a client meeting is essential, just that it is not what you are being paid for – it is not your business purpose. this person i spoke to, and many others in similar circumstances, need administrative assistance.

more practice doctor q&a: how to notify clients of a partner’s retirement | 7 ways to lose a client’s trust | quote with care when asked for valuation | closed for tax season? looks that way | 12 must-knows for niche markets | how much should you pay to buy, sell or merge an accounting practice? | is joint representation a conflict? | when fees don’t keep up with cost increases | when large (or any) clients need backup assurances | lowballing and why it (usually) doesn’t work

read more →

tax and accounting industry hits new highs in headcount and wages

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chart of bls employment data
tax, accounting and bookkeeping employment, through march 2015, with number of employees reported by the thousands.

the u.s. tax, accounting and bookkeeping industries remain among the bright spots in the nation’s economy, as professional and business services make up nearly a third of the last month’s job gains, according to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 sources.

here 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 reports on:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, tax, payroll and cpa segments of the industry.
  • average hourly wages for key segments.
  • typical hours worked per week.
  • trends concerning women in the accounting workforce.

read more →

busy season 2015: short-term staffing problems need long-term solutions

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get a read on the busy season. join the survey; get the results
get a read on the busy season. join the survey; get the results

not enough trained staff, not enough seasonal staff, not enough staff.

next question: the smartest moves this busy season? join the survey; get the results.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 annual busy season barometer is eliciting a panoply of lessons learned and plans for a smoother season next year. a lot of professionals’ comments this year are nothing short of outright complaint. and not without reason. it’s been a rough year. if the snow didn’t get you, forms 3115, 8962, 8965 or 1095a did. plus all things irs got more complicated, clients got more desperate and, apparently, tensions rose as cpas and staff stretched themselves to the limits of professional endurance.

nancy casburn
casburn

one of the main lessons learned is the need for enough staff — enough staff hired early enough and trained well enough. nancy casburn at casburn cpa in lee’s summit, mo., sums up the importance of the softest of software: “staffing is the most important reason for failing or succeeding at tax season.”

if we can draw any conclusion from all the staff-related lessons reported in this year’s busy season barometer, it is that the profession needs more staff, better trained staff and an availability of seasonal staff. given the increasing complexity of tax returns, the solution of this problem — more training, more accounting majors — needs to arrive quickly and be broadly based.

read more →

how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through

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woman in white office meeting with man17 specific action steps you should take.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

when you sponsor a woman, there are many steps that you can take to ensure that the relationship is productive and achieves its objectives.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | why women resist networking and powerful role models | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms

here are some tips for getting off to a strong start and following through effectively, especially by focusing on career opportunities and promoting your protégée to others. read more →

accountants start 2015 on strong hiring trend

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the best december in the last decade.

tax, accounting and bookkeeping employment, through december 2014
tax, accounting and bookkeeping employment, through december 2014

the u.s. tax, accounting and bookkeeping industries closed 2014 with the strongest employment trends in a decade, according to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 sources.

here 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 reports on:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, tax, payroll and cpa segments of the industry.
  • average hourly wages for key segments.
  • typical hours worked per week.
  • and trends concerning women in the accounting workforce.

read more →

accounting firms run on more than checklists alone

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business man pointing the text: duplicate successhow savvy firms capture their best practices and foster continuous improvement.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

every firm has accountants who are 10 percent, 20 percent or even 50 percent more productive in their departments than other personnel because they have simply “figured it out.”

more on tech spending: going paperless means convincing clients first | how to cut tax prep costs with scanners | making digital tax process easier is all about the workflow | why firms need document retention standards | intranet is the best place for firm knowledge | digital fax has benefits you may be ignoring | wireless is hot, and here’s how to handle it | how safe is your internet lifeline? | new tech tools for the 24/7 accounting firm | when to adopt microsoft’s new office apps

unfortunately, when these people leave the firm, their unique knowledge of specific processes and shortcuts goes with them. read more →

5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms

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business meeting of a woman and two menthe harmful impact of gender bias on women’s careers.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

gender bias reflects entrenched beliefs and assumptions about women based on stereotypes about appropriate roles and behaviors for women.

unconscious thoughts about the kinds of work women are and are not suited for, especially if they are mothers, remove highly qualified women from consideration for leadership opportunities and positions.

ida o. abbott, sponsoring women
abbott

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

in the past, working women suffered overt discrimination and explicit bias. they were told outright they were not “fit” for certain jobs, were too emotional and unreliable to be given responsible roles, and were taking the place of men who needed to support families. sometimes the bias was ostensibly intended to “protect” women and occasionally it was hostile. but it was out in the open and women understood the barriers they faced. read more →

partner aging strikes smaller firms the hardest

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older man and younger man in meetingas partners work longer, average partner incomes decline.

the aging in the partner ranks of the cpa profession is by far most prominent at  smaller firms, according to the most recent edition “the national map survey of cpa firm statistics.”

at firms with less than $2 million in fees, the percentage of partners over the age of 50 has risen to a startling 73.3 percent, up from 65.4 percent last year.

and at firms with fees of $2 million to $10 million, the number has risen to 66 percent from 65.3 percent. read more →

3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées

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woman and man working with calculatorwhen leadership models are male, sometimes female candidates go unrecognized.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

let’s assume a powerful man works with two junior colleagues, a man and a woman, who are both equally talented, motivated and superbly skilled performers. according to what we know from research and experience, that powerful man is more likely to sponsor the man than the woman.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters read more →