Remote and hybrid work arrangements have taken hold at accounting firms since the pandemic, and despite the return to the office after the pandemic eased, some accountants who work with nonprofit organizations are still working remotely as well.
"With working remotely, this is really going to put an emphasis on cloud computing," said Neil Taurins, general manager of nonprofit accounting software developer MIP Fund Accounting. "With the ability to be able to work remotely anywhere, not just from your home VPN, but from a cafe or restaurant or on the road, you can most certainly do that through the technologies that you have today. But as organizations move to the cloud, they need to just be very considerate that the software and the tech stack that they're using does have the specific security that is needed to be able to allow for remote folks in a safe environment."
Outsourcing is one way for nonprofits to work with accountants located at CPA firms.
"Flexibility means working with our coaches and mentors and figuring out what's necessary in order for individuals, especially women, to be successful," said Jennifer Arbore, a partner at The Bonadio Group, a Top 50 Firm based in Pittsford, New York, who provides outsourced accounting work for nonprofit clients. "Does it mean certain days of the week they're working versus not working? And some might even be where they work. Instead of hours or days, it might be the ability to be remote versus being in the office in person."
Consulting and staffing firms are still seeing a demand for remote jobs to help accounting firms.
"It's a strategic decision made by senior leadership," said Sam Shah, executive vice president of global revenue operations at SAPRO, an assurance, tax and advisory consulting firm providing workforce talent to accounting firms. "They recognize the need to implement a more remote workforce to help them grow their business. If there's a direct impact to top-line revenue and it reduces operating expenses, you see an increase in employee retention because you're reducing burnout, and all of that leads to customer delight. You improve the customer journey overall, so it's a feedback loop that's been working really well."
Remote workers for nonprofits need to be careful about cybersecurity and to try to avoid phishing scams.
"Unfortunately they're everywhere," said Taurins. "They're around every corner that we turn. One of the things that organizations can consider is educating employees using software solutions. Implement multifactor authentication, but also education from a personal standpoint, as well as a business standpoint, of what to click on and what not to click on. There are vendors out there that provide weekly or monthly training."
Training is key, no matter where employees work.
"In terms of best practices, it's really important to be able to have proper training in place," said Shah. "You invest in the right technology and infrastructure. You make sure that you have the appropriate data policies in place, and you're creating a collaborative culture. I think that's one of the most important things, especially with the younger generation. Their community is a big thing that you see a trend within the social media spaces. And so to create this culture that transcends the global landscape, it's important to try to match that community feel between the nine to five hours and the non-nine to five hours."
