STAFFING & RECRUITING

Virtual Accounting Firms Have Hidden Costs

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Happy business professionals giving high five hand slap

Save by combining a retreat with CPE.

By Jody Grunden
Building the Virtual CFO Firm in the Cloud

With a brick-and-mortar company, there are a number of standard costs that you would expect to have, such as rent or mortgage, utilities, building repairs, furniture, technology, etc. The total amount of these kinds of costs typically falls in the range of 3-4 percent of the company’s annualized revenue. That amount can be pretty significant for a lot of companies.

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Some business owners may think they can save the company all of that money by going remote, but I personally believe that’s a terrible idea. While it’s true that a distributed company doesn’t have the costs that come with having a physical space, the very nature of a remote work environment results in a completely different and unique set of needs that should be considered in the company’s annual budget.
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Make Your Leadership Team Meetings More Effective

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four people on each side of a videoconference

Three steps to use.

By Jody Grunden
Building the Virtual CFO Firm in the Cloud

Doing the DiSC Assessment with our team, we learned that some people love meetings and some people despise them. The “D” (Dominance) personality on the DiSC scale tends to be direct, very results-oriented and less collaborative in meetings. The “I” (Influence) personality enjoys meetings because they provide an opportunity for social engagement and collaboration.

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The “S” (Steadiness) personality may not feel comfortable speaking up in meetings unless they are called upon. The “C” (Conscientiousness) personality may need to rally more energy within themselves for meetings because they tend to value working independently over collaboration. Knowing the personalities of your leadership team members will help you run more effective meetings.
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Big 4 Layoffs Reveal New Jobs Reality | Accounting Influencers

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Industry turbulence opens doors for smaller firms, but only those that clearly define and communicate value.

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Accounting Influencers
With Rob Brown

Between June 2023 and September 2024, several of the largest accounting firms announced significant workforce reductions and structural changes. KPMG disclosed a deeper round of auditor layoffs in mid-2023. Grant Thornton cut approximately 3% of its U.S. staff (about 350 employees) in May 2024. In September 2024, PwC announced one of its most significant reorganizations in years, resulting in the elimination of approximately 1,800 positions in its U.S. operations.

Since then, further reductions have continued. In May 2025, PwC laid off approximately 1,500 more U.S. employees (around 2% of its U.S. workforce), primarily in its audit and tax lines. Meanwhile, KPMG pursued additional cuts, including a round impacting roughly 4% of its U.S. audit workforce later in 2024. Grant Thornton also followed the earlier reductions with more targeted layoffs after its private-equity deal, trimming about 150 U.S. roles (1.5% of its domestic workforce) in late 2024.

These moves are not isolated. They signal a broader industry recalibration, leaving thousands of accountants uncertain about their future.

At the same time, some major firms are doubling down on mandatory office attendance. Industry observers say the combination of job insecurity and rigid workplace policies could push professionals to seek more flexible and stable opportunities.

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Create an Accountability Chart for Your Firm

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It beats an org chart and here’s why.

By Jody Grunden
Building the Virtual CFO Firm in the Cloud

“Getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats – these are all crucial steps in the early stages of buildup…” – Jim Collins, “Good to Great”

When Adam and I first started the company, we didn’t have much organizational structure. We didn’t need it. But as the company grew, it became necessary to develop an organizational structure. There’s a great quote by Michael E. Gerber in his book “The E-Myth Revisited” that says, “Without the Organization Chart, confusion, discord and conflict become the order of the day.”

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We got to a point where we realized that Adam and I didn’t have clarity around our individual roles, and we were overlapping one another. We needed to have clearly defined roles for one another as well as the people who were working for us. Lack of clarity can cause a loss in production.
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DEI Pullback Risks Pipeline | Accounting Influencers

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Firms scale back initiatives even as governing bodies warn diversity is key to the profession’s future.

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Accounting Influencers
With Rob Brown

The accounting profession is facing a turning point as major firms scale back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, raising concerns about how the shift could affect talent recruitment, retention, and competitiveness.

KPMG recently discontinued its “Accelerate 2025” program, which aimed to expand leadership diversity. Deloitte pulled back last year, joining other global corporations—including Goldman Sachs, Meta, and Google—that have pared down similar efforts.

The shifts come as political and legal pressures mount. States such as Florida and Texas have rolled back DEI policies in higher education, and a Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action has sent ripples across corporate America. Firms that once championed DEI are now weighing compliance risks and financial implications against potential reputational and workforce consequences.

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How Smart Firms Handle DEI | Accounting Influencers

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Accounting leaders face pressure to choose a path that could reshape talent pipelines and firm culture for years to come.

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Accounting Influencers
With Rob Brown

Deloitte’s decision to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program for 173,000 U.S. employees is sending shockwaves through the accounting profession, exposing deep divisions on a global scale and forcing firm leaders to weigh politics against talent priorities.

The move—ending DEI goals, disbanding related departments, eliminating annual reporting, and ordering staff to remove pronouns from email signatures—came just hours before Deloitte UK issued a memo affirming its commitment to DEI.

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Are Automation and AI Killing Entry-Level Jobs?

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Where the jobs aren’t.

By CPA Trendlines Research

The tax and accounting sector is shedding more jobs, with women and nonsupervisory workers feeling the brunt of the decline.

MORE STAFFING & RECRUITING | How DiSC Profiles Help Remote Teams | Meet Your New Boss: Gen Z | Accounting Influencers |  Kassi Rushing: Leadership Gaps, Not Motivation Gaps, Hold Firms Back | Gear Up For Growth

A new analysis by CPA Trendlines reveals the profession may be holding headcounts near historic highs but gradually reshaping itself. Women hold 62.1 percent of jobs, down from 63.4 percent a year ago — the sharpest one-year drop in female workforce share since 2010. Supervisory staff, meanwhile, make up 9.7 percent of total employment, up from 9.3 percent last year, reflecting a slow but steady increase in managerial presence, while nonsupervisory employment is down 3.6% year over year. READ MORE →

How DiSC Profiles Help Remote Teams

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Overhead view of five people in a meeting

Work together effectively with better understanding. 

By Jody Grunden
Building the Virtual CFO Firm in the Cloud

Working in a remote environment can be great, and it can also have its challenges. Communication is one of the biggest hurdles distributed companies have to overcome. To tackle this issue head on, Summit CPA has implemented many initiatives.

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One of our favorites is the DiSC profiles. Let me start off by telling you a little bit of the background on the DiSC profiles.
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Meet Your New Boss: Gen Z | Accounting Influencers

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Zoomers expect clarity, equity, and purpose—and they’re not afraid to walk if firms don’t deliver.

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Not Your Headcount

Accounting Influencers
With Rob Brown

By 2025, one in 10 managers will be from Generation Z. That’s right—the so-called “lazy, entitled” group born between 1997 and 2012 is already leading teams in accounting firms. But instead of wrecking the workplace, Gen Z might be exactly what the profession needs to survive its crossroads.

MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown

On Accounting Influencers, host Rob Brown explores the rise of Gen Z and what their entry into the accounting workforce means for leaders, firms, and the profession at large.

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Kassi Rushing: Leadership Gaps, Not Motivation Gaps, Hold Firms Back | Gear Up For Growth

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Developing “power skills” like trust and coaching are critical.

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Gear Up for Growth
With Jean Caragher
For CPA Trendlines

Employee experience is no longer optional; it’s a strategic imperative, says Kassi Rushing, CEO and owner of Kassi Rushing Consulting. Appearing on Gear Up for Growth—hosted by Jean Caragher, president of Capstone Marketing, and powered by CPA Trendlines—Rushing shares practical insights for firms aiming to attract and retain top talent.

More Gear Up for Growth here. | More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here

The episode highlights two critical shifts firms must embrace:

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Waga: Storytelling Drives Recruiting | Gear Up for Growth

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Connect to top talent with real experiences.

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Gear Up for Growth
With Jean Caragher
For CPA Trendlines

In the latest episode of Gear Up for Growth, powered by CPA Trendlines, Jean Caragher, president of Capstone Marketing, speaks with Karen Waga, chief marketing officer of WilkinGuttenplan CPAs & Advisors, about the firm’s award-winning recruiting campaign, which resonated deeply with job seekers, employees, and peers across the profession.

More Gear Up for Growth here. | More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here

Waga says the campaign was built entirely on real employee experiences and candid storytelling, leveraging the firm’s flexible, people-first culture. The campaign offered a compelling and authentic view of life at WilkinGuttenplan from summer Fridays to paternity leave and personal caregiving.

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