As the working world continues to slowly but surely return to a pre-pandemic normal, accounting offices are decidedly entering a new normal.
According to the American Institute of CPAs’ 2021 Q1 Economic Outlook Survey released earlier this year, 21% of CPAs and accounting executives polled said they anticipate some sort of office space reduction over the next year as a result of the pandemic. Furthermore, another 8% of those polled added that their organizations are now all-virtual operations — a figure that has doubled since pre-pandemic levels.
It’s become clear that the accounting profession will be, at a minimum, embracing more remote and hybrid environments — namely, a split between in-person and out-of-office work — than ever before. But why should accounting firm leaders continue to be open to remote work in a post-pandemic world? Who will continue to work from home, and why? A number of remote work practitioners and advocates in the accounting profession say that after the last two years, there simply isn’t a “normal” to go back to.
Remote control
While a growing number of accounting firms have embraced a work-from-anywhere approach beyond the pandemic, many others have not, or are at least eager to get back to the traditional office life. And while the norm isn’t necessarily something to shy away from, those who do not invest in or see the potential upside in bolstering remote and hybrid work options may be missing out on some unique opportunities.
Take, for instance, the ever-present challenge of hiring new talent. As accounting graduates tried to navigate the complex world of finding their first job or onboarding to a new workplace during the pandemic, virtual, remote processes were the answer. And since this process isn’t bound by geographic location, there’s no reason it can’t continue into the future.
“Next-gen talent and clients expect more flexible work and service models, so to attract and retain them, you have to offer these benefits,” said Jennifer Wilson, co-founder and partner at ConvergenceCoaching, a leadership and management coaching and consulting firm. “You can deliver many or most of your services more efficiently and more conveniently for the client when you incorporate remote service ideas into your service model — not all remote, but more remote.”
“The simple answer is the workforce is demanding it,” said Tom Barry, managing partner at GHJ, a Regional Leader firm in Los Angeles and early adopter of remote work practices. “The way we worked began to change many years ago, and the pandemic just accelerated the move. Remote working is not just some response to COVID. Technology has allowed all of us to change our lives; where we work, when we work, how we work.”
It’s this idea — that remote and hybrid work embodies not a professional flash in the pan, but a natural evolution in how business will be conducted — that firms need to grasp.
“The blended work environment is going to continue long past the pandemic,” said Roz Allyson, managing partner at Mahoney CPAs and Advisors, a Regional Leader in St. Paul, Minnesota. “In order to be competitive with hiring and recruiting, firms will need to build alternative work arrangements and flexibility into their firms. In addition, alternative work arrangements are important to many team members, and firms will need to be willing to offer these types of arrangements in order to retain employees. These arrangements also expand the hiring pool, providing the opportunity for firms to hire team members who work in other geographies.”
“I’d ask, ‘Why should we revert back to five days a week in the office post-pandemic when we know that remote is a viable option?’” asked Brian Streig, tax director at Calhoun, Thomson and Matza in Austin, Texas. “I think remote and hybrid work arrangements will continue post-pandemic, but it won’t be because of a choice made by management — I think it will continue because of a demand made by the people they want to have working for them.”
Firm leaders might also be wary that remote and hybrid work arrangements might lead to less productivity, but remote-work advocates make it clear that as out-of-office cababilities increase, so does professional trust and responsibility.
“These policies should be clear on expectations around accountability, communication, transparency and responsiveness,” added Allyson. “Firms should identify the types of alternative work arrangements that they will make available to team members.”
“Our firm had adopted ‘unlimited work options’ for our staff (same as ‘anytime, anywhere’ work),” said Edward Guttenplan, managing shareholder and co-founder of WilkinGuttenplan, a Regional Leader in East Brunswick, New Jersey. “We have told our team that we trust they will serve their clients, be responsive to their colleagues, and do what will further the firm’s goals while at the same time supporting their well-being. Those are the requirements of our firm; wherever they may choose to work physically should not impact how they perform. This was not much of a change from our pre-pandemic environment.”
Giving them the choice
There will soon come a time when savvy firms will have to prepare a concrete outline of their remote work policies in a post-pandemic world, one in which staff members will be given the choice of in-person, hybrid or fully remote work environments. But since remote work is not some professionwide mandate, who decides which staff members can work remotely?
“You need to leave the choice up to the employee,” explained GHJ’s Barry. “The employer’s opportunity (or choice, if you will) is to create a safe and collaborative workspace where employees want to come, not have to come. In professional services, there are very few functions that cannot be done 100% remotely. That being said, in order to grow and maintain culture, relationships and skills, it is still imperative to find the right time and place for people to come together in person. Firms need to create an environment for this and develop a schedule where … the intention and theme is all about relationships and culture. If you do it right … your team will fear missing out!”
Flexible out-of-office rules, though, do not mean unclear ones: “Your team wants clarity, transparency (in management philosophy and policies), and the ability to successfully integrate work and life,” added Guttenplan. “Having a clear policy offers certainty about the work environment and demonstrates an approach responsive to their needs and concerns as team members. … In addition, asynchronous work occurring now needs guidelines, so there is alignment in behaviors.”
A remote work policy is also a good opportunity for firm leaders to get to know their staff members better, as it entails customizing their work experience to their lifestyles.
“Every person, their preferences, role, clients and their specific personal circumstances vary,” said Wilson. “We have to tailor work programs for each person. … Further, as people try different work programs (flex of hours or place), they may discover some things they thought would be great don’t work, and things they thought they wouldn’t like they do appreciate. So, we have to be flexible in our application of flexibility!”
Firm managers owe it to themselves to know what remote work options they can offer in order to get the most out of each staff member’s situation.
“There are different types of alternative work arrangements, such as a compressed work week, reduced hours during off-peak seasons, and other part-time arrangements that meet the needs of the team member as well as the firm,” said Allyson. “There are also flexibility options including as-needed remote work, regularly working from home, living and working in a different geography, and as-needed alternative schedules.”
“Circumstances are different now, including the need to feel personally safe and in control,” said Guttenplan. “Furthermore, staff learned a lot about themselves, their strengths, and their struggles [during the pandemic]. Being responsive to that and being a high-performing firm are not mutually exclusive.”
Tools and management
With a remote work policy in place, firm managers need to equip themselves with the proper tools to connect with out-of-office staff members. While it’s tempting to simply continue with the tech currently in use at your office (it weathered the pandemic, after all), experts suggest upgrades in some key areas.
“Cloud-everything, digital-everything,” according to Wilson. “[Microsoft] Teams or another collaboration and chat tool; video meeting platforms; shared, transparent calendars kept current by everyone (even/especially the ‘big leaders’); secure access systems; privacy guidelines; accessibility and response-time guidelines; shared cloud-based client relationship management system and client files; workflow system with work scheduling.”
An overhaul in communication tools is also necessary in a remote-friendly work environment.
“Communication is key to the success of a blended work environment,” said Allyson. “We now have monthly all-firm meetings on [Microsoft] Teams. We also have our coaches meet with their coachees weekly.”
“I would also recommend some type of digital communication option other than just email,” added Streig. “We have two team meetings each week with video to keep everyone updated on what’s going on in the department.”
Firm leaders will also have to refresh their management styles, as daily, in-person check-ins or status reports will require a bit more effort. However, it’s not the case that managing needs to be different in a remote work environment — it’s simply a shift in how that managing gets done.
“We don’t attempt to manage remote/hybrid employees any differently than other employees,” said Guttenplan. “We believe in a trust-based, ‘unlimited work options’ policy to have employees engaged in outstanding performance and engagement with the firm. Of course, behind the scenes, we monitor metrics and have coaches for all staff to help guide them — but that is universal management that has always existed, not about hybrid work management. The beauty is that it focuses on trust and responsibilities to clients and colleagues, not seat locations or when you are in front of your computer.”
“The difference between a remote and hybrid employee is irrelevant,” added Barry. “Firms need to provide a uniform solution for the employee experience. … The client experience needs to be fully digital. Workpaper software, document management, time and billing — all basic functions in delivering client service need to be in the cloud. Firms also need to realize that clients are also facing similar workplace evolutions and we must adapt with them.”
Of course, sometimes a staff member’s remote or hybrid work arrangement simply isn’t working out. Savvy firm leaders will have to recognize and act on this.
“Blended work schedules may not work for all team members or in all circumstances,” said Allyson. “A blended work schedule is a privilege, not a right. If it
isn’t working, the issues need to be addressed and dealt with. Sometimes that means that a team member will need to be in the office rather than working remotely if there are issues like productivity, responsiveness, falling behind, etc.”
One small step …
While we all want to move on from many aspects of the last couple of years, the sudden remote work revolution has proved beneficial to firms. The expansion of a firm’s working, hiring and client relation capabilities, as well as the personalized work experience it can offer staff members, reflects the culmination of several professional developments over the last few years. It may have come much sooner than expected, but tomorrow’s workspace is already here.
“We have to give up our attachment to 3D,” said Wilson. “Everything can be done remotely. … We have to reimagine and reinvent all of our business processes and service delivery processes to support remote and hybrid (as well as fractional, offshore and outsource workers).”
The decision to implement remote and hybrid work policies, though, starts with firm leaders. “Before COVID, we didn’t have a formal remote policy, but it was allowed on a case-by-case basis,” said Streig. “On March 13, 2020, we forced everyone onto a work-from-home situation and we’ve never brought anyone back to the office. I think I realized through the process that just giving an option isn’t enough; you need to force it, even if it’s a few days per week. This proves to the staff that you’re committed to a remote environment and expect them to use this option.”
Remote and hybrid work also boosts firm culture, as it shows staff members that managers are willing and able to listen to staff members’ concerns and preferences.
“Employers who are nimble and ahead of the [remote work] trend take on a more adaptive approach that’s responsive to each [staff member’s] style,” said Guttenplan. “Clients were [also] forced to adapt, which was positive in many ways, forcing the removal of the barrier in the transition to virtual. This new environment is adaptive to the changing desires of the workforce of our profession and may help attract and retain talent, both as to preferences in style and to geographic location.”
And for those still hesitant about implementing firmwide remote and hybrid work features, take a moment to consider how many of these policies and tools are already a part of daily firm life, and how different things would really be if they were reinforced further.
“If you have multiple offices, you already employ remote workers,” added Wilson. “Your competitors are way down this path, and you risk future sustainability if you don’t remain competitive.”
