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LEARNING RESOURCES

Human Intelligence — Happiness at Work
COMPLETING THE HIRE: MONEY AND MORE Series
Firms also are seeking help from their own staff
This three-part series focuses on the key skills that
to get new candidates in the door. Crowe LLP has
have a positive effect on your motivation so you
about 5,000 employees — and it has been hiring and your team can achieve your full potential.
at a rapid pace, thanks in part to a well-designed
incentive program that pays bonuses to employees CPE SELF-STUDY
who refer candidates for a successful hire, said Julie
Wood, chief people officer for Crowe.
“I think there’s just a natural sense of com-
petitiveness that we’re tapping into, and I think
compensation is always an incentive,” she explained.
But Wood cautioned that money alone won’t
convince employees to get involved in a recruiting Next Steps Series — Motivating the Next
Workforce
effort. “To decide they’re going to tap into their
professional network, they have to feel pretty good This presentation is a fast-paced look at some new
about putting themselves out there,” she said. and effective engagement and retention processes
that mixes fresh case studies with psychological
That’s one reason why, over the last year, Crowe
theory.
has been redefining its brand and what it offers to
employees. CEO Mark Baer led a group that evalu- CPE SELF-STUDY
ated the company’s purpose and values.
“We want people to know: This is a long game
for us. We want them to be a part of helping to For more information or to make a purchase, go to
shape this better tomorrow, that we have a sense of aicpa.org/cpe-learning or call the Institute at 888-777-7077.
purpose in our work, that we’re focused on not just
the short term but the long term,” Wood said.
Of course, job candidates also have growing
financial demands. The rise of remote work means open to that. It gives them a goal and some internal
that firms in smaller cities are facing greater deadlines. And I think they all understand we’re
wage pressures. needing additional help. They don’t want to be in
“We’re losing people who are staying in our the middle of the madness, either.”
communities but are working remotely for a With limited staff resources, firms also may
company out of New York City or Chicago,” consider letting some clients go, especially ones
Parton said. who create problems for staff. A bad working
Leaders have some options for slowing those relationship with a client can lead to frustrations
increases. For example, a signing bonus can be an and attrition, especially when teams face increased
effective incentive that doesn’t raise ongoing costs, workloads already.
Alexander said. “If you don’t deal with that one way or another,
But, ultimately, partners are bracing for a con- then your team members start to get discouraged,”
tinued rise in entry-level pay, which also increases Alexander said. “We listen to our team members, and
wage pressure for current employees. we assess from a financial standpoint and a strategic
“If we find that that’s a continual issue, then we standpoint what [a potentially difficult] client means
know we probably need to adjust our existing team for our firm.” If Kraft ends its work with a client,
members’ [salaries],” Alexander said. Alexander refers that client to other firms.
SET EXPECTATIONS FOR CLIENTS CHANGING THE MINDSET
The hiring crunch is changing the relationship be- As employees request flexibility and better work/life
tween firms and their clients, too. With a shortage balance, leaders are trying to soften the mentality
of workers on both sides, firm leaders are trying to that some associate with the profession. Some lead-
set new expectations about the flow of work. ers have “been very reluctant to leave behind the
“We are working more closely with clients to grind that is an expectation of public accounting,”
establish timelines for submitting their work, and Parton said.
not letting the traditional timelines and filing Changing that is crucial, he said, to creating an
deadlines drive the work,” Rash said. “They’re very enduring appeal for the profession.

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