Completely virtual workplaces. Flat hierarchies. Employees who set their own hours. Vacation stipends.
Silicon Valley? Not quite.
Even in the fairly traditional world of accounting, some employers of CPAs have adopted cutting-edge practices associated with startup culture. They're promoting transparency, knowledge sharing, employee ownership, and flexible working environments that far surpass typical notions of work/life balance. And they're doing so not just because they want to improve recruitment and retention (though that's often the result), but because it's part of their culture.
Meet seven employers that have radically rethought the ways they relate to their CPAs—and learn how their innovative practices make their organizations more purposeful and productive places to work.
Click on the images below to read about the employers who are reinventing the accounting workplace:
At first glance, you might take Rock Hill, S.C.-based CPA firm BNA for a tech startup.
Forty hours may be a standard work-week—but there's no such thing as a "standard" CPA.
Would you like $1,000 to go on vacation this year? It’s yours at High Rock Accounting, but there’s a catch.
At California firm Frank, Rimerman and Co., coaching permeates the entire culture.
Transparency and ownership are the bywords at Denver-area firm ClearPath Accountants.
CEO and founder Gabrielle Luoma, CPA, CGMA, cross-trains her staff so they understand both their own and their co-workers’ roles.
Weekly staff meetings and town hall-style meetings allow employees in the corporate office in New York City to ask honest questions and get a response.
About the author
Lea Hart is a Durham, N.C.-based freelance writer. Courtney L. Vien, an AICPA associate editor, contributed to the sections on BNA and ClearPath Accountants. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact her at Courtney.Vien@aicpa-cima.com or 919-402-4125.
AICPA resources
Articles
- "Keys to Successful Virtual Teams," CGMA Magazine, Dec. 1, 2016
- "Building Trust in the Workplace," CPA Insider, Sept. 6, 2016
- "A Coaching Approach to Line Management," CGMA Magazine, May 4, 2016
- "Coaching Programs Get New Partners Off to a Great Start," JofA, Feb. 2016
- "Remote Working: Is It Right for Your Firm?" CPA Insider, Oct. 19, 2015
Publications
- The Engaged Employee: 10 Initiatives for Successful Firms (#PPM1402P, paperback; #PPM1402E, ebook)
- Management of an Accounting Practice on Track (#MAPTKD, online access)
CPE self-study
- Organisational Culture (#165605, online access, #GT-EOM-PRM3, group training)
For more information or to make a purchase, go to aicpastore.com or call the Institute at 888-777-7077.
Online tools available to PCPS members
- 10 Initiatives for Employee Engagement, www.aicpa.org
- Flexibility Toolkit, www.aicpa.org
- Staff Development & Culture section, www.aicpa.org
