In this presentation, Rebecca Ryan shares the top 10 attraction and retention factors for high potential CPAs who work in public accounting. She also recaps a Harvard Business Review article about why high potential programs fail. Contact: rr@nextgenerationconsulting.com or 888-922-9596 ext. 702.

1. What do Top Talent Value?
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3. About the Top Talent
Survey
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4. Other features of the 2011 TTS
BIG and CPA firms
Non-whites v. Whites
New parents v. others
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5. We broke A&R factors into:
Compensation & Benefits
Education & Development
Environment & Culture
Life-Work Balance
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6. Key Questions we’ll
answer...
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7. How have top talent’s
expectations changed
since 2006?
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8. What is not changing?
What core elements of
attracting and keeping top
talent are recession-proof?
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9. Key Findings.....
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10. Overall, High Potentials:
Have 14 years of experience
Have been with their current employer
10+ years
Have advanced credentials; 24% have an
MBA; 8% have PFS, CITP, ABV, or CFF
certifications
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11. High Potentials, con’t:
Are committed to the profession (67%)
Believe they are being groomed for
leadership (63.7%)
Would like to be partners or senior
executives (62%)
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12. How has your firm been
impacted by the
recession?
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13. 71% scored “5” or higher
41% scored “7” or higher
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14. What about trust in firm
leadership?
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15. Throughout the economic recession, has your
level of trust in your firm or leadership 2011
decreased or increased?
My level of trust has decreased significantly 11.7%
My level of trust has decreased somewhat 28.6%
My level of trust has remained about the 46%
same
My level of trust has increased somewhat 10.4%
My level of trust has increased significantly 3.3%
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16. What are the 2011 Top
Attraction Factors?
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17. Rank ATTRACTION FACTOR 2011 2006 Change
1 Career growth opportunities 91% 80% 11%
2 Salary 88% 78% 10%
3 Paid personal/vacation time 86% 79% 7%
4 Open-door/accessible management 83% 68% 15%
5 Comfortable office atmosphere 81% 69% 12%
6 Interesting, challenging client projects 81% 71% 10%
7 Medical benefits 73% 70% 3%
8 Firm’s reputation or prestige 73% 59% 14%
9 Retirement savings plan 72% 67% 5%
10 CPE credit reimbursement 65% 50% 15%
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18. What has changed since
2006?
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19. 2011 2011 Top Attraction Factor 2006 2006 Top Attraction Factor
Rank Rank
1 Career growth 1 Career growth opportunities
opportunities (91%) (80%)
2 Salary (88%) 2 Paid personal/vacation time
(79%)
3 Paid personal/vacation 3 Salary (78%)
time (86%)
4 Open-door/accessible 4 Respect for company mission
management (83%) statement or vision (73%)
5 Comfortable office 5 Interesting, challenging client
atmosphere (81%) or internal projects (71%)
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20. What are the 2011 Top
Retention Factors?
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21. Rank RETENTION FACTOR 2011 2006 Change
1 Salary 95% 89% 6%
2 Career growth opportunities 93% 92% 1%
3 Paid personal/vacation time 90% 86% 4%
4 Open-door/accessible management 89% 89% 0%
5 Interesting, challenging client projects 88% 88% 0%
6 Comfortable office atmosphere 87% 83% 4%
7 Firm’s reputation or prestige 79% 74% 5%
8 Flexible work schedule 78% 88% -10%
9 Retirement savings plan 77% 78% -1%
10 Frequent client contact 76% 74% 2%
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22. What has changed since
2006?
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23. 2011 2011 Top Retention Factor 2006 2006 Top Retention Factor
Rank Rank
1 Salary (95%) 1 Respect for company mission (93%)
2 Career growth opportunities 2 Career growth opportunities (92%)
(93%)
3 Paid personal/vacation time 3 (Tie) Salary and Open-door/
(90%) accessible management (89%)
Open-door/accessible (Tie) Flexible work schedule &
4 management (89%) 4 Interesting challenging project
(88%)
5 Interesting, challenging client 5 Paid personal/vacation time (86%)
projects (88%)
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24. Non-white Top Talent
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25. Impact of Mentoring
programs
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26. What kind of mentor program does your Percent
firm or organization have? Agree
My firm/organization does not have a 21%
mentoring program.
My firm/organization has an informal
mentoring program adopted independently 26%
by employees.
My firm/organization has a formal
mentoring program instituted by H.R. or 53%
firm/organization management.
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27. Do you receive mentoring at your firm? Percent
Agree
Yes, through a formal program. 37%
Yes, informally. 41%
No. 22%
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28. What has been the result of your Percent
participation in mentoring at your firm? Agree
(Check all that apply)
I have had some opportunities for growth,
but mostly have become a better 31%
professional.
I have established a strong relationship with
my mentor, who has become a sounding 30%
board and advisor.
I have had many more opportunities for 23%
leadership and growth in my firm.
None of the above. 12%
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29. Putting these results to
work...
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30. High Potentials or “Top Talent”
The Plateau
Keeping them engaged
Developing them as partners
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31. Angela Martin
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32. Before he was promoted to regional manager, he was
a great salesman, able to relate well with clients and
using his personable attitude to his advantage.
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33. The Plateau
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34. Partner
Interpersonal
Skills
Senior
Manager
The Plateau
Technical
Skills
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35. Great technicians become
partner material when they
develop their people skills
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36. How to keep Top Talent
engaged while Partners are
camping out?
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37. Underperforming partners are sucking up
money from high performing superstars.
- Allan Koltin, Consultant-to-the-Stars
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38. Give Top Talent What They Value
Allow them to steward a Serve on a committee
Stretch that’s developing
“pet project” and name it business plans for a new
Assignments after her/him unit
Ask Partners to “Sponsor”
a High Potential and:
Set up a private blog
Access - Take them to lunch where Top Talent and
Partners communicate
- Share the strategic plan
and their role in it
Spot Awards or “Spot Recognize them formally
Bonuses” for business in front of their peers,
Appreciation origination, high client e.g. the Equivalent of the
satisfaction scores, etc. “Red Drum”
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39. About “Spot Awards”
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40. It’s the element of surprise, not the size of
the award, that really moves people.
- Dr. Hayagreeva Rao, Stanford
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41. Partner Development
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42. 2 : 1
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43. Will the folks YOU think are
future partners make it?
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44. Three conditions must be met...
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45. Ability
Technical skills
People skills
Leadership skills
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46. Commitment
Often called “engagement”
“I’m committed to this firm and connected to
its mission and vision.”
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47. Will
Wants to be a partner
“The goals I have for myself and the goals the
firm has for me are the same.”
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48. “Mark” (33%)
Has Ability & Commitment but no Will.
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49. “Eryka” (30%)
Has the Ability and Will,
but lacks Commitment.
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50. “Angela” (7%)
Simply doesn’t have
Aptitude to succeed as
Partner.
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51. What to do?
Get Mark off the Partner Track
Talk with Eryka about her commitment;
she can be developed!
Scratch Angela; no one wants her to be
a Partner.
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52. Q&A
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53. THANK YOU!
Rebecca Ryan
E: rr@nextgenerationconsulting.com
T: 888-922-9596, ext. 702
Twitter: @ngcrebecca
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