Many participants have simply never experienced an engaging, high-quality online training program. Leaders are weighing the benefits of in-person training (like networking and personal interactions) against the cost savings and convenience of virtual training, while often operating under the assumption that the training aspect of the event will automatically be better if it’s delivered in person.
“We’ve just tripled our workforce overseas” is a statement we have heard quite a few times over the past few years. The immediate challenge is providing an offshore accounting staff training program that gets this rapid influx of internationally based employees on the same page with the accounting firm’s personnel in the United States.
Soft skills for accountants are important throughout their careers, but the CAAS professional in particular, needs to become proficient in things like empathy, presentation skills, executive presence, persuasiveness, and flexibility sooner than those who come up through the ranks in audit or tax.
With so much riding on the training that a firm provides to its professionals, how can learning and development (L&D) teams make the best use of their finite time and resources?
No matter what size firm you look at, there’s always too much work and not enough people. Regional firms face additional challenges with hiring early-career professionals and delivering the accounting training they need to more effectively serve clients. Many of these firms have the flexibility and insights necessary to capitalize on this shift if they consider these three strategies.
To solve recruiting and retention challenges, firms should invest in training and knowledge growth for employees that will get them into the positions that will be most successful and fulfilling for them—and for the firm.
