On Monday, the second day of events at the
Entitled “By the Numbers,” Burke’s presentation highlighted trends found amongst the aforementioned elite firms. All of these findings were found in greater percentages compared to firms outside the “Best Firms” category.
Burke touched on the following trends found inside the top firms:
- New hire referral bonus (89%)
- Retirement plan match (80%)
- Pays 100% of healthcare premiums (46%)
- Paid time off to volunteer/community service (89%)
- Incentives or extra PTO for overnight travel (31%)
- Telecommuting (84%)
- Flex hours/compressed work weeks (90%)
- Formalized succession plan (85%)
- Meetings & staff-only events limited to co. time (80%)
- Free daily snacks (92%)
- Domestic partner benefits (86%)
- Paternity leave (73%)
Burke also stressed engagement in the workplace, or how emotionally connected a professional feels to their employees. With high employee engagement, Burke argues, talent will be retained, which results in lower turnover, higher accountability, and a better brand. Employee engagement, though, is not to be the sole responsibility of the employer, but a group effort.
On how to build a great place to work, Burke shared the following tips:
- Real improvement starts with a commitment from the top.
- Know your organization values and hire accordingly.
- People will follow leaders who love what they do.
- Explain to employees why their work matters.
- Remove obstacles to progress. Ask: “What do you need right now to make your life easier on this job?” What is the dumbest thing you are working on right now?”
- Understand the individual drivers of engagement.
- Know your generations and what appeals to each one.
- Search for inconsistent messages.
Burke also recommended BlessingWhite's
For the full list of Accounting Today's "Best Firms to Work For," head to our site
