Getting to Know Your Rising Stars: A Questionnaire

Source: AICPA CPA Insider

The following includes excerpts, reproduced with permission, from an article by Jennifer Wilson.

In this article, Jennifer Wilson offers 12 questions to ask your “rising stars” (those most likely to be your firm's future leaders) so you can get to know them and learn how to engage and develop them:

• What do you envision for your career in one year? How about in three years? What do you most want to achieve in your career?
• What do you view as your strengths or gifts?
• What do you most like to do in your position right now?
• What would you most like to try doing based on what you've seen in the work you've observed?
• What do you like least in your position right now? Why? What would you like to see changed in your role as a result of this?
• What skills do you want to develop to further succeed in your role with the firm?
• What other skills are you interested in acquiring that are not directly related to your current job?
• What more can I (the shepherd), your manager, or the firm do to improve your job or assist you in being more successful?
• What other areas of the firm are you interested in learning about?
• What questions do you have about your career and its progression that we can answer for you?
• What should I know about you personally? What do you want to know about me personally?
• What else would you like to discuss?

When you have answers to these questions, brainstorm with your leadership team about actions, changes, and investments you can make to address the wants, needs, and desires of your key people.

For the complete article, read “How well do you know your future partners?”

From AICPA CPA Insider, February 4, 2013, www.CPA2biz.com.