staffing & recruiting

why process is key to remote work

by

woman leading meeting, flipchart in backgroundit benefits not only clients, but your team.

more coronavirus crisis coverage here

by jody grunden

with the right people in place, empowered to work independently, and proper access to the tools that are necessary to get the work done, process comes next.

more: when the irs and fbi come knocking | cyber security at a virtual cpa firm | top tech choices for the virtual firm | keeping the right people on the bus | how to run effective leadership team meetings | disc helps remote team work together effectively
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

creating process is important in any business if you want to scale, but it is imperative when it comes to remote work. process helps streamline things, reduces confusion and makes your team more efficient and productive.
read more →

fake it ‘til you make it: an ultimate goal?

by

man with head down on desk, sticky note with "help" writte on it on baseball cap7 tips to keep your head up.

by steven e. sacks

how many times have we heard the expression “fake it ‘til you make it”? it usually involves those who have secured positions in companies where they feel they are not up to the challenge.

more: working remotely shouldn’t mean feeling isolated | getting and keeping the best: the struggle continues | performance reviews: no need to pull teeth | knowledge maintenance: gaining employee buy-in | how does your firm leverage its talent? | the lost art of the interview | the 5 keys to success in accounting careers
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

people feel that they have to work doubly or triply as hard as others lest they be discovered that they are not qualified. if you are one of them and you exhausted yourself to the point of unhealthy habits to achieve something, you may not get that warm, fuzzy feeling of confidence that you can do it again. if the same assignment was given to someone else, you firmly believe he or she could do it as capably, quickly, better and more efficiently.
read more →

working remotely shouldn’t mean feeling isolated

by

illustration of different types of people connectedfour practical approaches to virtual leadership.

by steven e. sacks

the concept of “teams” has become more central to operating remotely or “virtually.” among the challenges have been time zones, language barriers, cultural differences and various work attitudes.

more: getting and keeping the best: the struggle continues | 4 ways to boost job satisfaction | have you gauged your staff’s enthusiasm? | retention starts with the hiring interview
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the more virtual teams become ingrained in the business landscape, the more necessary it becomes to apply effective and innovative leadership with a clear focus on identifying, prioritizing and achieving strategic goals.
read more →

automation and the future of accounting

by

critical thinking is best left to humans.

by jody grunden

there’s no doubt that advancements in technology are changing the world, and the accounting industry is no exception. technology is making us more productive, more efficient and more connected.

more: when the irs and fbi come knocking | cyber security at a virtual cpa firm | top tech choices for the virtual firm | keeping the right people on the bus | how to run effective leadership team meetings | disc helps remote team work together effectively | 3 ways to keep client files safe from security threats
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

on the flip side, it’s also taking over some of our jobs. this is a reality in the accounting industry that we cannot ignore. technology is driving major changes for the future of the accounting world. we need to be aware of what’s happening and take strategic steps to advance along with these changes. otherwise, we are going to be left in the dust.
read more →

getting and keeping the best: the struggle continues

by

purple no. 4 billiard ball4 types of employees.

by steven e. sacks

in the years following the great recession, companies have decided to do more with less. how they decide on whom to keep is open to much debate.

more: 4 ways to boost job satisfaction | how engaged are your employees? | managing difficult personalities in the workplace | set your staff on the right course | how motivation is like bathing | be a talent magnet | make crap a badge of honor
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

are the decisions performance-based? are they built on special favors? are they established on the hope that someone has the potential, but is not readily apparent?
read more →

three tech solutions for protecting client data

by

illustration of computer security threatsyou’ll be happy you already have these when the irs and fbi come knocking

by jody grunden

have you ever been contacted by the irs with the fbi involved? i can tell you from firsthand experience that it’s a bit alarming when that happens!

more: cyber security at a virtual cpa firm | innovate for the right reasons | creative perks for remote employees | 10 interview questions for unlocking true potential | toss the org chart for an accountability chart
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

we were once contacted by the irs because they thought our server had been compromised. when the field officer who came to our office asked to see our server, we explained that we didn’t have a server.
read more →

4 ways to boost job satisfaction

by

smiling businesswoman working at deskit’s a two-way street.

by steven e. sacks

the conference board indicates that slightly over half (51%) of u.s. workers are satisfied with their jobs. but this means a not-too-insignificant amount (49%) are less than satisfied with their jobs.

more: how engaged are your employees? | performance reviews: no need to pull teeth | knowledge maintenance: gaining employee buy-in | the new way to handle exit interviews
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

job dissatisfaction is not a new occurrence, and with the increased influence of technology, this issue has not experienced much improvement over the past 15 to 20 years. a recent study by job seeker nation indicated that 82 percent of workers would like to seek new employment opportunities, although the prospects of landing a new one would be more difficult than over the past couple of years.
read more →

coronavirus rattles tax season

by

can you turn a crisis into an opportunity?

the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer
benchmarks, trends & analysis
join the survey. get the results.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

coronavirus—covid-19—is coming. don’t imagine it won’t reach your community. it will. and even if you manage to keep it out of your office, and even if its lethality is less than the flu, just the threat of covid-19 is already impacting many tax and accounting firms.

how accountants are preparing for the worst:

  • do you have the portals, web-based apps, and cloud accounts necessary for staff to work from home? have you tested them? maybe you should have an everybody-works-from-home-day drill.
  • do you have policies and procedures in place for home-based work?
  • do individual staff have plans for caring for their family without disrupting work?
  • have you prepared clients for the possibility of electronic delivery of data and documentation? do they understand what to do?
  • are you ready to request filing extensions due to staff or client illness or local quarantine?
  • have you established sanitation procedures for your office?
  • do you have a vision of the worst-case scenario? this could include a) long-term quarantines of your office, other businesses, and all clients, b) widespread illness and absence of staff, c) general economic downturn, d) interruptions in cash flow, e) slower than usual responses from the irs, and f) well…what else can go wrong?

the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer has always asked a variety of poignant questions about everything from the status of firms to the state of the economy. this is the first year, however, that it includes a question about disease. read more →

cyber security at a virtual cpa firm

by

woman sitting outside with laptop and smartphonefile and folder sharing is just one complication.

by jody grunden

working remotely has some great perks for the employees – flexible hours, no commute, casual dress and fewer distractions, to name a few. however, working remotely can also present some unique challenges when it comes to technology and security.

more: innovate for the right reasons | 5 questions to evaluate new tech tools | traditional benefits for remote employees | the hidden cost of running a distributed company | 3 ways to keep client files safe from security threats | the rise of the virtual cfo
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

unlike a traditional brick-and-mortar office, when you work remotely, no one is going to walk into your home office and set up your equipment for you. employees have to be willing and able to hook up all those cables, monitors and other peripherals themselves.
read more →

how engaged are your employees?

by

blue pencil on survey formyou might not like surveys, but you might need one.

by steven e. sacks

while the consideration of succession planning has taken up a lot of airtime in recent years, there is something even more important to consider and that is how to attract and retain talent.

more: performance reviews: no need to pull teeth | have you gauged your staff’s enthusiasm? | why knowledge maintenance is key | retention starts with the hiring interview | the new way to handle exit interviews
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

questions most often asked by a cpa firm managing partner when someone leaves:

  • did we see this coming?
  • did he/she express any dissatisfaction?
  • do you know if it was a money or promotion issue?
  • was there something we could have done to head this off?

read more →

performance reviews: no need to pull teeth

by

two businessmen talking at officeconsider the power of “you.”

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals: practical guidance for today’s accounting firms

firms either employ a formalized, thoughtful and comprehensive approach to evaluate employees, or they just use their gut instinct on a timeline that is not consistent. in any event, the amount of effort expended will yield a proportionate return on investment.

more: have you gauged your staff’s enthusiasm? | managing difficult personalities in the workplace | set your staff on the right course | how motivation is like bathing | be a talent magnet | make crap a badge of honor | the job interview: a make or break proposition | 10 elements to balancing shareholders’ needs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

there are, however, situations in which companies go overboard in their quest to acquire information and deliver their findings through a process that is slow and plodding.
read more →

headcounts dip by 3,500 in tax & accounting

by

hourly earnings hit new high.

by beth bellor

cpa firms and payroll agencies are trimming their headcounts going into busy season 2020, according to new data obtained by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 highlights:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, payroll, tax and cpa segments of the industry (all data seasonally adjusted)
  • average hourly wages for key segments
  • typical hours worked per week
  • trends concerning women in the accounting workforce

read more →

5 questions to evaluate new tech tools

by

businessman looking at question mark sketch on the wallthey’re shiny, but will they be effective?

by jody grunden

whether you purchase a one-time software license or pay for a tool on a subscription basis, the cost of software can add up quickly. it’s necessary to conduct a thorough analysis of any new software program before you decide to buy it, and you need to constantly evaluate the effectiveness of the tools you’re using.

more: top tech choices for the virtual firm | creative perks for remote employees | 10 interview questions for unlocking true potential | toss the org chart for an accountability chart | how core values affect remote work culture | how ‘tech stacks’ can help you standardize | ready to be a virtual cfo?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

we have learned that we want to be sure we’re getting the most out of our software, that our tools remain the right fit for our needs and that they are cost-effective.
read more →