What Stars Want

Source: Journal of Accountancy

In 2011, the AICPA's Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) conducted its first Top Talent Survey since 2006. Results reveal keys to attracting and retaining “high-potential” CPAs, and a comparison with the 2006 results shows how CPAs' priorities have changed over the last five years. Here are some of the highlights:

• The top attraction factor is “career growth opportunities,” followed by “salary” and “paid personal/vacation time.”
• The top retention factor is “salary,” followed by “career growth opportunities” and “paid personal/vacation time.”
• As the economy continues to struggle and CPAs continue to be concerned about job security, certain factors have become less of a priority. The following factors, for example, have declined substantially in importance since 2006: “Flexible work schedule,” “access to the latest, cutting-edge technology,” “telecommuting/work-from-home options,” and “training and professional development opportunities in soft skills or areas beyond traditional, technical CPE requirements.”

The 2011 survey also compared attraction and retention factors for top talent to those for partners.

For the complete article, read “The Lowdown on High Potentials – PCPS 2011 Top Talent Survey reveals attraction, retention keys.”

From Journal of Accountancy, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, November 2011, http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2011/Dec.