At our town hall meetings, we always focus on the workforce as one of the major issues facing the CPA profession. Our session always features a piece on the latest trends in recruiting and retention, along with a section on understanding the generational differences.
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to feature a panel of accounting students live at our town hall meeting at Salisbury University on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Needless to say, our members listened intently as they heard directly from these students about what they are thinking about their careers, technology, and what they expect from their employers.
Here are the top five things they want from an employer:
- A comfortable work environment, with access to technology
- An understanding of the big picture of the company / firm and how their work matters
- A mentoring relationship, including access to the big bosses
- They want to be managed based on performance, not tenure
- A clear career path with expectations
They were impressive, articulate, and had a great grasp on what they wanted from their careers. Two of them had interned — one with a small practitioner on the shore and another with one of the Big Four.
When I asked them what their friends thought about them majoring in accounting, 
they said things like, “You will be making good money” and, “That is a tough major.” Not one comment about the “green eyeshade” image that faced us baby boomers back when we were in college.
Pictured at left are Professor Bob Dombrowski, CPA; Jonathon Mark; Slade Brenneman; Jenna Nelson; Megan Hammond; and yours truly.
They expressed a bit of intimidation about the CPA exam, and said they want to utilize technology at work, including their iPods, social networking sites like Facebook, etc.
One more thing: At least one student was attracted to the profession due to its importance in the economy and because it offers a place to make a difference.
If most of the students graduating are anything like this group, the CPA profession has a very bright future ahead.
What are you doing to attract and engage this new generation of future CPAs?
More resources:
- MACPA student membership (high school and college) at www.TomorrowsCPA.org
- CPA Candidate membership to prepare you for the exam
- The MACPA’s New / Young Professionals Network
- The MACPA’s town hall resource page
- See our post on the CPA exam for helping students deal with this challenge.