As we enter the third year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, mandatory, in-person work at accounting firms seems a tad antiquated. A hybrid work environment, deemed necessary during the pandemic’s worst days, has now opened new possibilities for firms in terms of how they hire, manage and retain staff members.
But many questions remain, ranging from why hybrid work is important, to how managers can best work with these new types of geo-friendly employees, to what exactly this new hybrid workplace looks like. Some even question whether a new hybrid work environment is as important as everyone says.
After all, those who want to return to the office are largely able to these days, as a “return to normal” is not only wanted but needed in many businesses. Despite this, however, remote work continues to be an undeniable part of today’s workforce.
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So, it’s important to note that while traditional in-person work is by no means obsolete, the option of hybrid work is not going away any time soon. A lack of hybrid work options might even be costing accounting firms talent, to boot.
“Why do we think we’ve traditionally lost women leaders at the manager level in the profession, such that we have fewer than 25% of partners in firms as female?” asked Jennifer Lee Wilson, partner and co-founder of ConvergenceCoaching. “Flexibility is one big reason.”
“I have worked with several firms that have lost team members to outsourcing companies, other competing CPA firms, and other opportunities where they can choose their own hours and types of work they want to do,” said Sandra Wiley, president of Boomer Consulting. “Firms that lost team members have potentially one of two reactions: ‘Darn it, I wish we would have been able to figure out how to keep them,’ or, ‘They did not fit our culture, so it is OK that they left.’
Wiley noted that Boomer Consulting is 100% remote, actually predating the pandemic by about eight years. (“We are so glad that we did! Remote works. Period,” she said.) She added that their lone office space, an innovation center in Kansas City, is there for in-person projects when needed.
“The changes we are making are to create a truly seamless hybrid experience,” she said. “We know that hybrid is here to stay and we will move to where the puck is going.”
Top firms agree, or at least can say “I told you so” after years of remote-friendly practices.
“We have always had a flex environment — our philosophy has been to hire smart people who we trust to work in an environment that is most productive for our teams and our clients,” said Jennifer Leary, CEO of Top 10 Firm CliftonLarsonAllen. “For our 121 office locations, pre-pandemic, about 60% of our team worked primarily in our office versus remote or from a client site. Today, we are running at about 40% to 50% in office. Many people are [also] surprised by the fact that we do not have a headquarters — it’s been virtual since 2015.”
And no matter where a firm stands on hybrid work issues, it’s vital to let such policies be explicitly known to staff members to avoid confusion on where the firm stands or will stand going forward.
“We have a culture of flexibility, accountability and choice,” Leary continued. “There is no firmwide mandate on the number of days to be in the office … [but] we believe in the power of collaboration. In person is the primary way we connect, but not the only way. We have some teams that are entirely remote, and it works. We have teams that are primarily in person, and it works for them. Strong communication and clear expectations, regardless of work location, keeps our productivity, culture and connectivity alive and well.”
“Firms are being wishy washy about their [remote work] intentions and that is giving people heartburn, too,” said Wilson. “We are encouraging leaders to say, ‘We are not mandating any specific office expectations before the end of the year, if at all,” or something like that, if they won’t take the broader stand to say, ‘Our new policy is personalized, anytime, anywhere work,’ which is, of course, our preference.”
Everywhere all at once
An ongoing silver lining of the sudden hybrid work revolution is the massive geographic expansion of job candidate pools. A modestly sized regional accounting firm, for example, now has the power to recruit professionals from outside their immediate area, and will continue to have that power long after the pandemic is over. In other words, finding that perfect candidate has gotten a whole lot easier.
“We can now proactively find ‘people resources’ all over the country and even the world,” said Wiley. “Firms must expand their recruiting efforts and be open to developing onboarding and training programs that include people that are on-site and working remotely. We must remember that also means we must put new emphasis on diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion with the new talent that we are finding.”
Physical office spaces, too, are transforming — both in terms of where they are and what they’re meant to ultimately represent to a firm.
“We all work from home when we are not at a client’s location — for retreats, training or conferences — so we have no commercial office space,” said Wilson about her team at ConvergenceCoaching. “And we have been operating under that model very successfully for 22 years, recruiting people we’ve never met ‘in person,’ onboarding them, training them on technical issues, managing them and loving them as part of our cohesive, caring team the entire time.”
“We’ve found that our workforce is more connected when not limited to the confines of the physical office space,” said Leary. “One of our regional leaders recently said, ‘Your office isn’t your physical location; your office is the entire country.’ Our culture has extended virtually, and we see deeper engagement across locations, as people see how easy it is to connect.”
So while a reduction in physical office space may have been initially seen as a negative in the wake of the pandemic, it may actually represent a unique opportunity to expand a firm’s footprint and services across the country.
“Firms that are looking to make up for the benefits of having employees all in the same place can also look at the benefits of having team members spread out across the country, in different markets, and even closer to different clients,” Leary continued. “There is added value in not limiting employees to one physical workplace, and we are able to better serve our clients as a result.”
Onboarding here, there, everywhere
This isn’t to say that the hybrid work environment isn’t without its challenges. Onboarding candidates in a remote setting is a relatively new way of doing things, especially for a process that’s supposed to act as an in-person welcome to the team. But the process certainly isn’t impossible, and in fact, has some hidden benefits.
“For multi-office firms, centrally managed remote onboarding of interns and new hires has been a boon to the consistency, quality and effectiveness of the process,” said Wilson. “For all onboarding, firms have to give up the all-in-person or 3-D paradigm, and leverage remote tools and resources for some of it, and offer in-person elements, too, when it makes sense.”
“We hire our people without meeting them three-dimensionally, and we onboard, train and manage them without being in person, and it works,” Wilson continued. “It takes intention and a shift in the tools and methods used. ... That said, we also love to meet our people in person if we get to a city near them, or bring them together to participate in planning or on a client engagement. In person is wonderful, too, but not necessary to have a successful team member.”
Firm managers also have to be adaptable in their onboarding process, ensuring that remote candidates have their voices heard as they navigate nontraditional means of joining the team.
“We onboarded over 2,000 people across the country in the middle of the pandemic, and by all counts, I believe we were successful, though we can’t deny there was some loss of connectivity,” said Leary. “Today, we are bringing in many college grads who spent their last two years in a largely remote learning setting. It’s important that we provide a great collaborative atmosphere for them. We prioritize connectivity whenever possible … [and] regularly ask, ‘Is our approach right?’ as we thread the needle of culture and productivity to the best of our ability. We shift where it makes sense and listen to feedback along the way.”
Candidates should also know how to make a unique impression with their new team, since their physical location shouldn’t be a hindrance to their responsibilities or impact collaboration with their new coworkers.
“The general advice I would give to new hires is the same as I would have given in the past,” said Wiley. “Get clear on the expectations that the firm has for you. No matter if you are working in the office, at home or a combo of the two, it is imperative that you understand what your roles and responsibilities will be, who you will be working with and how your training will take place. Then, do the work, ask questions, and don’t be fearful of sharing new ideas that you think about. Show them the amazing you!”
Stick around
Once a hybrid candidate has cemented themselves in their role, another question arises on how to best keep them at the firm. After all, if they’re free to work for a number of hybrid-friendly companies not bound by location, why should your firm be their pick? The answer lies in working with the candidate as an individual, offering a tailor-made schedule anchored in constant communication that allows them to work to their own personal best.
“A personalized, anytime, anywhere work [schedule], where we support remote workers, office workers, borderless reach for staff, asynchronous work, and allow people to declare schedules/accessibility time and place on a fluid basis and trust them to meet their specific objectives, serve their clients, be responsive, team play, and more,” said Wilson. “It is doable!”
“Get your arms and your mind around change leadership,” said Wiley. “Your team will ask for opportunities, new ways of scheduling and working, benefits, technology, new processes, and much more change that you may never have approved — or even thought about before. Start asking, ‘How could we make this work?’ rather than saying, ‘We have never done that before.’ It is a new and exciting world. Now is the time to create and celebrate it.”
Traditional retention practices also haven’t vanished — they’ve just been modernzed for the hybrid work environment. Regular meetings and communication still very much fuel successful teams; it’s just up to managers to determine their location and frequency.
“First, you can still sometimes all gather — and even then, all of the staff were never in the same place; they were out sick, on leave, out auditing, et cetera,” said Wilson. “Second, you have to meet via Zoom or [Microsoft] Teams, make use of small groups to mix people up and get them talking, engage in fun experiences … set up regular touch points and also have impromptu meetings where you check in on Teams for quick huddles or chats. If you might have pulled together a quick huddle in the office, do it on Teams.”
“The most important thing is to be honest with each other,” said CLA’s Leary. “It’s crucial to understand each team member’s individual situations and work with them to develop a model that is accommodating and most conducive to their productivity. The plan should be understood, and expectations clearly documented, taking into consideration the individual’s preferences, the requirements of their role, and the needs of their team.”
A new ‘new normal’
Much ink has been spilled on the importance of the hybrid work revolution and the “new normal” of work moving forward. Whether one regards it as a flash in the pan or a sea change in how business is done, firms must simply see the opportunities that the hybrid work environment offers them on an individual basis, and ponder how exactly to maximize the benefits of this newfound freedom in the workplace.
“’The workplace reimagined’ is the new normal and we should never go back,” said Boomer’s Wiley. “The way we work — hybrid, remote and outsourcing — is a norm we must embrace. Digital collaboration platforms — like Teams — will be a normal and exciting part of our daily life. New benefits will rise to the top and become a norm. Benefits like responsible time off, mental well-being benefits and sabbaticals, just to name a few. The new model of work is truly reimagined and spectacular.”
“Communicate availability and accessibility — everyone should know when (availability) and how (access) we can reach each other,” said Wilson. “Define what success looks like for each person — clear KPIs of what deliverables, results or outcomes each person should own or produce so that they know what they should be focusing on regardless of where they work. Time in and, even worse, time in the office, is not an output or result and should not be a success measure.”
“Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve seen positive and necessary shifts occur within the workplace,” said Leary. “Our employees have embraced technology and their teams across the entire country, realizing the workplace extends beyond the four walls of their office. … Having a glimpse into our colleagues’ homes and personal lives has allowed us to better understand one another as people and become more inclusive and accepting of one another. These aspects of work have improved over the last two years, and I believe they will benefit workplace culture and relationships moving forward. This hybrid environment has allowed employees to explore new connectivity and deepen relationships.”
