As part of the war for talent going on in the profession, firms are competing fiercely to become employers of choice, and that means searching out any advantage they can, however small.
The firms that participate in Accounting Today’s Best Firms to Work For ranking are among the fiercest competitors in the field, and an analysis of the data compiled in the survey process reveals a short list very specific policies, procedures and perks that mark the difference between those who made the list and those who almost made it.
The list below represents those benefits where the difference between the percentage of firms on the list that offered them was greater than the percentage of firms that didn’t make the list by more than 10 percentage points – and they range widely, from straightforward perks like fitness programs and retirement plan contributions, to broader policies like sharing information about how the firm is doing financially.
Firms looking to recruit or retain top talent will want to go over this list carefully to make sure they’re keeping up with the Best Firms:
- 1. Offering paid time off for community service activities or volunteer work.
- 2. Offering telecommuting options.
- 3. Providing fitness or wellness programs.
- 4. Inviting staff members’ families to firm events.
- 5. Limiting firm meetings and staff-only events to work hours.
- 6. Offering tuition reimbursement or assistance for additional degrees or credentials.
- 7. Having formalized succession planning programs or practices.
- 8. Offering flexible hours or compressed work weeks.
- 9. Offering personal development or stress management workshops, seminars or classes.
- 10. Matching employee contributions to retirement savings plan accounts.
- 11. Sharing information about how the firm is doing financially.
For more ways to create a top workplace, see
