careers

Winning Firms Know the Secrets of Keeping Good Accountants

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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 →

What Recession? Accounting Sector Grows 4th Month in a Row; Hours and Wages Up Also

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Defying national trends, accounting industry expands by 2,200 jobs.

Total employment, accounting and bookkeeping sector, through June 2011

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.

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What People Want from You

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Arnold Sanow
Arnold Sanow

The 14 strategies to build better business relationships.

It’s been said that when you look for the good in others, you discover the best in yourself.

It’s nowhere so true as in the accounting business. Contrary to the cliche, accounting is a people business — most accountants spend a lot of time working directly with staffers, colleagues, superiors, clients and maybe-clients.

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Number of Accounting Grads Hits New High

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Hiring plans rebound. Heavy demand for post-grads.

Top line: Undergraduate degrees. Bottom line: Post-graduate degrees. Source: AICPA

via AICPA

Newly minted accountants have some of the brightest job prospects in the nation, with nearly 90 percent of accounting firms forecasting the same or increased hiring of graduates this year compared with 2010, and nearly three quarters, 71 percent, of the largest firms anticipating more hiring – an indicator of a rebounding economy.

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How to Nurture the Genius Around You — Even if You’re Not a Genius Yourself

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Available at Amazon

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 →

Succession Planning: What’s Your Excuse?

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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?

Robert Fligel

“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.”

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CPA Firms Hit New Headcount High-water Mark

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Shaking off the recession with a good busy season.

CPA Offices, All Employees, in Thousands. March 2011

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.

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