The 2018 Best Accounting Firms to Work For

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Accounting firms everywhere are going to great lengths to retain staff these days, but the very best workplaces in the profession are going a step beyond retention.

Instead, they’re aiming for engagement.

Of the two, retention is the weaker force, because it relies on the practical — on benefits and compensation, on management attention and opportunities for advancement, on rewards and recognition. While these lay a critical foundation, they’re ultimately replicable; other firms can match them, and draw an employee away.

Engagement is stronger because it relies on things that are harder to duplicate — a feeling of purpose, belief in a firm’s leadership, the bonds forged by a team, the shared memories and war stories. It is more emotional than practical, and harder to create, but once created, it is a powerful force.

The 2018 Best Firms understand that, and it’s a major goal of their personnel policies and strategies. The lists and firm profiles that appear in the following pages give some insight into how they’re building engaged workforces; for the moment, though, it’s worth noting the key drivers of engagement for their staff, as revealed by anonymous surveys of each firm’s employees conducted by Best Companies Group, Accounting Today’s partner in ranking each year’s Best Firms:

1. I feel part of a team working toward a shared goal.
2. I have confidence in the leadership of this organization.
3. I like the type of work that I do.
4. This organization treats me like a person, not a number.
5. Most days, I feel I have made progress at work.
6. At this organization, employees have fun at work.
7. Overall, I’m satisfied with this organization’s benefits package.
8. My supervisor handles my personal issues satisfactorily.
9. Quality is a top priority with this organization.
10. I feel I am valued in this organization.

That anonymous staff survey comprises 75 percent of each Best Firm’s score, so to make the list they need to ensure that everything they do goes to making employees feel strongly about each of those drivers. (The other 25 percent of the score is based on an in-depth review of personnel policies and practices.)

Think your firm is building similar levels of employee engagement? Visit www.bestaccountingfirmstoworkfor.com to sign up for next year’s survey, and find out.

In the meantime, here is Accounting Today’s 2018 Best Accounting Firms to Work For — enjoy!

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The 2018 Best Accounting Firms to Work For
The Best Small Firms Headquarters Staff No. of millennials % female % male Voluntary turnover % Paid holidays Chief executive
1. GMS Surgent CPAs Devon, Pennsylvania 25 11 56 44 1 10 Brian Gallagher
2. ATKG San Antonio 42 23 75 25 4 8 Melanie Kirk
3. Brink, Key & Chludzinski Portage, Michigan 26 13 69 31 4 8 John Brink
4. Brinker Simpson & Co. Springfield, Pennsylvania 35 10 60 40 9 7 Robert Simpson
5. Klein Hall CPAs Aurora, Illinois 28 17 68 32 0 9 Christina Klein
6. LevitZacks CPAs San Diego 38 13 51 49 8 12 Theresa Drouillard
7. Johanson & Yau San Jose, California 45 19 60 40 3 11 David Davis
8. WhippleWood CPAs Littleton, Colorado 25 9 56 44 12 8 Richard Whipple
9. Williams Benator & Libby Atlanta 41 21 47 53 6 8 Bruce Benator
10. Rudler Ft. Wright, Kentucky 36 12 60 40 0 8 Alex Weidner
11. Barnes Saly & Co. Johnstown, Pennsylvania 19 N/A 73 27 5 8 John Saracena
12. Ennis, Pellum & Associates CPAs Jacksonville, Florida 35 21 50 50 8 9 Anna Lopez Brosche
13. KRS CPAs Paramus, N.J. 19 19 74 26 0 8 Maria Rollins
14. Sansiveri, Kimball & Co. Providence, R.I. 44 18 55 44 2 17 Michael DeCataldo
15. HeimLantz CPAs Annapolis, Maryland 34 14 70 30 3 10 F. Carter Heim
16. KNAV Atlanta 19 14 21 79 0 30 Nishta Sharma
17. Homes, Lowry, Horn & Johnson Fairfax, Virginia 31 6 74 26 0 10 Kathleen Poorbaugh
18. Wilson Toellner CPA Sedalia, Missouri 33 17 79 21 13 7 Ronald Toellner
19. RLH CPAs Hanover, Pennsylvania 28 8 68 32 0 10 Karl Lehman
20. Realize CPA San Francisco 25 15 44 56 10 9 Kyle Vineyard
21. Damitz, Brooks, Nightingale, Turner & Morrisset Santa Barbara, California 28 17 46 54 12 10 Chip Turner
22. Lanigan, Ryan, Malcolm & Doyle Gaithersburg, Maryland 36 15 42 58 9 17 Kevin Doyle
23. mAccounting Indianapolis 35 31 80 20 23 14 Thomas Gabbert
24. Santos, Postal & Co. Rockville, Maryland 42 22 50 50 7 8 Charles Postal
25. Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs Williston, Vermont 26 9 56 44 4 7 John Davis
26. Cornwell Jackson Plano, Texas 32 25 56 44 11 8 Scott Bates
27. Pittman & Brooks Portland, Oregon 23 13 70 30 13 8 Randa Brooks
28. Blackman & Sloop CPAs Chapel Hill, N.C. 29 9 62 38 11 11 Andrea Eason
29. Elliott, Robinson & Co. Springfield, Missouri 41 23 60 40 8 6 Robert Helm
30. Haefele Flanagan Maple Shade, N.J. 36 16 56 44 0 9 James Rogers
31. Duckett Ladd Springfield, Missouri 19 10 63 37 10 10 William Ladd
32. E. Cohen and Co. CPAs Rockville, Maryland 41 20 60 40 6 11 Eric Cohen
33. Bland Garvey Richardson, Texas 39 12 69 31 15 7 John Garvey
34. Miller Grossbard Advisors Houston 43 43 72 28 9 8 Russell Miller
35. Fair, Anderson & Langerman Las Vegas 29 12 62 38 0 N/A Curt Anderson
36. Wheeler Accountants San Jose, California 33 12 66 34 6 10 Matthew Wheeler
37. Bormel, Grice & Huyett Laurel, Maryland 23 3 53 47 9 8 Larry Bormel
38. Jones and Kolb Atlanta 34 15 40 60 3 9 Ann Thompson
39. May & Co. Vicksburg, Mississippi 32 10 78 22 9 8 H. Riley Nelson
40. DK Partners Austin, Texas 27 19 48 52 5 10 Steve Kangas
41. PAAST Miami 46 28 52 48 2 7 Carlos Perez-Abreu
42. gish SEIDEN Woodland Hills, California 37 14 50 50 5 8 Maureen O'Gara-Adford
43. Wilson Lewis Atlanta 28 28 68 32 1 6 Lenora Wilson
44. HeinfeldMeech Tucson, Arizona 49 30 49 51 4 8 Corey Arvizu
45. WeberMessick Baltimore 16 8 38 62 0 7 Ryan Letke
46. Davidson, Holland, Whitesell & Co. Hickory, N.C. 24 9 52 48 4 8 Herb Whitesell
47. Anglin Reichmann Snellgrove & Armstrong Huntsville, Alabama 49 26 53 47 11 8 Gary Anglin
The Best Midsized Firms Headquarters Staff No. of millennials % female % male Voluntary turnover % Paid holidays Chief executive
1. Wilkin & Guttenplan East Brunswick, N.J. 94 52 66 34 5 7 Edward Guttenplan
2. Berntson Porter & Co. Bellevue, Washington 96 52 58 42 14 7 Robert Berntson
3. Maxwell Locke & Ritter Austin, Texas 105 N/A 70 30 3 10 Steven Knebel
4. Hungerford Nichols CPAs Grand Rapids, Michigan 86 31 58 42 10 9 Rick Chrisman
5. Anders CPAs St. Louis 194 106 54 46 11 10 Robert Minkler
6. Sweeney Conrad Bellevue, Washington 75 41 57 43 6 11 John Forrest
7. Clearview Group Owings Mills, Maryland 82 33 26 74 5 8 Brian Davis
8. Cassady Schiller CPAs Cincinnati 60 26 58 42 7 8 Michael Clark
9. Fust Charles Chambers Syracuse, N.Y. 82 55 52 48 16 12 Angela Franco
10. Mowery & Schoenfeld Lincolnshire, Illinois 69 44 35 65 3 12 Jeffery Mowery
11. Allen, Gibbs & Houlik Wichita, Kansas 110 56 54 46 13 8 Paul Allen
12. Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman Bethesda, Maryland 110 57 45 55 7 8 Jacqueline Cardello
13. Insero & Co. CPAs Rochester, N.Y. 128 66 62 38 6 10 Nancy Catarisano
14. CCK Strategies Tulsa, Oklahoma 96 49 61 39 12 9 Terry Cumbey
15. Mahoney, Ulbrich, Christiansen & Russ St. Paul, Minnesota 59 35 44 56 10 9 Roz Allyson
16. Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf Santa Barbara, California 66 27 68 32 4 9 Scott Hadley
17. McKonly & Asbury Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 71 34 59 41 8 10 Kurt Trimarchi
18. Walter & Shuffain Boston 60 33 55 45 14 10 Jonathan Yorks
19. PSK Arlington, Texas 50 29 32 68 17 8 Casey Campbell
20. Coulter & Justus Knoxville, Tennessee 55 28 60 40 5 6 Mike Parton
21. McGowen, Hurst, Clark, & Smith West Des Moines, Iowa 75 25 64 36 5 8 Daniel Schwarz
22. Global Tax Management Inc. Wayne, Pennsylvania 112 61 38 62 9 9 David Laurinaitis
23. Gordon Advisors Troy, Michigan 53 19 67 33 4 8 Jeff Farrington
24. EEPB Houston 80 36 44 56 9 8 Steve Parkhill
25. BeachFleischman Tucson, Arizona 126 62 61 39 9 8 Marc Fleischman
26. Weiss & Co. Glenview, Illinois 56 56 52 48 6 9 Daniel Fortman
27. Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 94 44 52 48 10 8 Kenneth Wolfe
28. Snyder Cohn North Bethesda, Maryland 66 26 59 41 8 8 Steven Braunstein
29. Maner Costerisan Lansing, Michigan 98 56 46 54 12 7 Jeffrey Stevens
30. Windham Brannon Atlanta 165 75 58 42 5 8 Heidi LaMarca
31. Beaird Harris Dallas 56 24 53 47 7 13 Pat Beaird
32. Henry+Horne Tempe, Arizona 136 62 51 49 9 9 C. Goodmiller & C. Inderieden
33. Frankel Zacharia Omaha, Nebraska 61 24 43 57 15 8 Scott Sorenson
34. Wilkins Miller Mobile, Alabama 62 29 67 33 4 8 W. Allen Carroll
35. Hancock Askew & Co. Savannah, Georgia 99 66 57 43 9 16 Michael McCarthy
36. Tonneson + Co. Wakefield, Massachusetts 78 39 55 45 7 11 Richard Mastrocola
37. Global Tax Network Maple Grove, Minnesota 67 23 65 35 6 10 David Kolb
38. Mueller Prost CPAs St. Louis 152 80 65 35 N/A 8 Doug Mueller
39. YHB | CPAs Winchester, Virginia 131 70 54 46 3 10 Scott Moulden
40. RBT CPAs Newburgh, N.Y. 109 38 57 43 9 8 Michael Turturro
41. HBE Lincoln, Nebraska 72 40 62 38 12 9 Scott Becker
42. Wolf & Co. Boston 225 156 42 58 23 10 Mark O'Connell
43. Keiter Glen Allen, Virginia 142 83 48 52 17 10 L. Michael Gracik
44. PKF Texas Houston, Texas 124 104 50 50 13 7 Sonia Freeman
45. Bernard Robinson & Co. Greensboro, N.C. 127 51 76 24 17 9 Wade Pack
46. Peterson Sullivan Seattle 185 121 45 55 12 9 Chris Russell
The Best Large Firms Headquarters Staff No. of millennials % female % male Voluntary turnover % Paid holidays Chief executive
1. SC&H Group Inc. Sparks, Maryland 254 183 37 63 12 8 Ron Causey
2. Lutz Omaha, Nebraska 257 149 49 51 8 9 Mark Duren
3. Skoda Minotti Mayfield Village, Ohio 284 103 40 60 5 9 Gregory Skoda
4. Kaufman Rossin Miami 376 200 47 53 9 8 James Kaufman
5. MBAF Miami 389 184 59 41 12 9 Tony Argiz
6. Bennett Thrasher Atlanta 286 171 48 52 8 8 Jeff Eischeid
7. Kearney & Co. Alexandria, Virginia 654 409 43 57 14 10 Ed Kearney