With the competition for talent at an all-time high, the importance of recruiting and onboarding is critical for short- and long-term success. As leaders, we must embrace the changes in the workforce but also strive to maintain and build on the culture we have created as our firms continue to evolve.
About Insight Accounting Group & Our Team
Our firm is Elkhart County's largest locally owned CPA and business advisory firm. We currently have
22 team members—20 in professional roles and 2 in administrative roles—across 2 offices in Goshen and Elkhart. In the past year, our firm has achieved a 96% retention rate and not lost a single team member to a competitor. The average team member tenure is 9 years.
While the pandemic did throw us curveballs, our team emerged even more resilient and with practical tools we continue to apply now that are included below.
My Previous Experiences as a New Hire
I began my career in one of the national accounting firms where the onboarding was meticulously scheduled, complete with a full week of training with my class of recruits. For a team of full-time trainers and content developers, this was quite impressive.
When I made a career change and became a team member at Insight, I was the only person coming on board at that time. This is very typical in a small firm—to onboard one or two people at a time. There was no training program, written manual or formal process to transition to a firm this size. Luckily, I was able to use my past training and experience, wasn’t shy about asking questions and just “figured it out.”
As time went by, we continued to add team members and, through networking on best practices with other accounting firms, Insight created a new program.
Orientation and onboarding are not the same thing. Orientation is the first hour or two of paperwork to become an employee. Onboarding is the process of learning about the firm, the clients and the team.
In-Depth Onboarding: Team Members—Not Employees
Orientation and onboarding are not the same thing. Orientation is the first hour or two of paperwork to become an employee. Onboarding is the process of learning about the firm, the clients and the team. When onboarding is done, you are now a team member. If you read any of our internal memos or handbook, you will never see the word “employee”—only team member.
So how do we successfully onboard, even when it is one person at a time?
Training and information sessions are scheduled with every team member in their first week of employment as follows:
- Sessions range from 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the topic.
- Time is allotted for team members to get to know each other.
- Each experienced team member oversees a session.
- Topics are occasionally adjusted or split to allow even the newest team members to participate.
- Training includes software, processes and programs.
- Information sessions cover topics like culture, mentor program, community service and CPE.
The new hire attends training in both offices during their first week so they can meet all team members and feel comfortable working in either office as needed. Upon completion of their training, we ask for feedback on what went well and ask for suggestions to improve the next onboarding.
Since we have implemented this program, we continue to modify it and add sessions as recommended by our team. When we hire a new team member, the most recent hires of the past year or so are also invited to attend any scheduled session as a refresher. This is especially helpful to review over software after using it for several months.
Retiring the Annual Review: Coaching & Mentorship
Retention is important to us as we continue to grow our business. Based on feedback from research, networking on best practices and our team members, we knew the annual review process was an archaic system to evaluate performance. It is filled with stale examples and can feel like a personal attack when going over areas to improve on, no matter how many areas of strength are also included. To remedy this, we eliminated the annual review process altogether and replaced it with a coaching program. Team members meet with their supervisor every month, even during busy season, to review the following:
- Progress toward goals.
- Charge and non-charge hours.
- Engagement evaluations from managers and partners.
- Current projects and upcoming projects.
- Concerns the team member may have.
- Anything else they would like to discuss.
We knew the annual review process was an archaic system to evaluate performance. It is filled with stale examples and can feel like a personal attack when going over areas to improve on.
In addition to monthly meetings with their supervisor, each team member selects a mentor after a year of employment. They are encouraged to meet quarterly so they are able to talk about their career and issues they may be facing with someone in the firm who is not their direct supervisor.
Flexible Scheduling: Choose When & Where
As we continue to embrace change, we understand there is not a one-size-fits-all work schedule. While we do have “standard hours,” many team members request alternative schedules to create flexibility for their personal needs. This includes both the time of day worked as well as the designated hours per month.
During our annual budgeting period each team member will turn in their request for the next year, detailing roughly what those hours per month will be. The majority are still asked to have a concentration during the busy season since that is the need of a CPA firm, but they understand the freedom to request what works for them on an annual basis and we strive to find a solution that works for both parties. The work arrangement comes with the option of working a hybrid schedule in the office, at home, and at client locations.
I asked one of our most recent new hires, Erin, to comment on the topic of workplace flexibility. Her reply was “In my 20 years in the workforce, including 5 years in controller roles, this is the first company that has treated me like an adult.” She went on to say the flexibility we allow for her personal and family needs, with the understanding she will complete her projects without being micro-managed, has been unbelievable.
Team Culture Matters
From onboarding to retention, everything we do adds to our culture of being a team. We work together to continuously improve the experience for our team members, and to be a firm people want to remain at for the rest of their career.