How to Hang on to Your Top Performers

Source: Solutions for CPA Firm Leaders

The following includes excerpts, reproduced with permission, from an article by Rita Keller.

What does it feel like inside your firm right now? Are your people happy? Did you give your loyal, best performers lots of feedback and appropriate raises this year? Do they have to leave your firm to obtain a better opportunity for career advancement?

Many practitioners have told me that most of their team members were just feeling thankful they had a job from 2008 to 2010. In 2011, however, it seems that staff are thinking the honeymoon, from their side of the table, is coming to an end.

Fortunately, public accounting professionals usually don't abandon ship this close to busy season. They will stick with you and help you and your clients get through busy season. While they are doing this, they will observe firm leadership, firm processes, etc., and see how smoothly things go during the busiest time of year. They will wait until spring to make their decision about what is best for their career development and their future.

When spring arrives, make sure you are ready to show them that you are actively working on strategic initiatives that will bring change to the firm in many areas and keep the firm competitive.

For the complete article, read “Are You Retaining Top Talent Or Is The Honeymoon About Over?”

From Solutions for CPA Firm Leaders, Rita Keller's CPA MAP Newsletter, www.ritakeller.com, December 2011.