The shortage of qualified staff and challenges of retaining, developing and mentoring staff continue to be top issues at accounting firms. To attract and retain professional employees, firms must create internal programs focused on mentorship and coaching to enhance the employee experience.
Our firm recently rolled out a mentorship and coaching program that aligns staff with senior managers and partners focused on the same interests and who work together, outside of the normal team environment, on training and development. Senior managers and partners are paired with staff who do not work on the same engagements normally but who are in the same industry.
Mentorship program leaders develop goals and objectives that they must meet during the year. One exercise that received a tremendous amount of good feedback was the “shadowing experience.” Mentors were asked to include staff on at least two client meetings during the year. Some staff attended lunch meetings, others attended more formal in-office client meetings, while others were invited to client events or fundraisers that had nothing to do with business. The following are the benefits we have seen a result of the shadowing experience:
Builds strong relationships. Both parties involved have the chance to get to know each other on a personal level by spending quality time together. In addition to the time spent observing firm leaders, meaningful conversations can be held during travel, enriching the overall experience.
Develops leadership and management skills. Employees develop leadership and management skills more effectively and naturally by seeing how management conducts themselves in client meetings. Employees observe the executive’s professional demeanor, communication skills and body language, as well as how they prepare for meetings, deal with unexpected situations and resolve conflicts. Classroom or on-the-job training can’t provide the same experience. Although role playing has merit, seeing someone in action is invaluable.
Motivates employees. Employees participating in the shadowing program are frequently more motivated to make their best and highest contribution to the firm. Although the purpose of shadowing management is to learn from them, employees can also demonstrate the value they can bring to an engagement or client relationship. While typically the employee is an observer, some instances present the chance to provide thoughtful responses. More benefit can be abstracted from the experience when the pair reviews what interactions worked or didn’t work, as well as how the employee might have dealt with the situation if he or she were the only person in the room.
Builds self-confidence and soft skills. Employees report increases in their self-confidence and an improvement in their soft skills by observing management. The confidence comes from seeing what is entailed in the job firsthand. Less-seasoned employees realize that they can effectively handle client relationships. Staff can learn the importance of listening intuitively, crafting a thoughtful response and delivering more than what the client expects.
Attracts and retains employees. Job shadowing addresses employees’ desire to be valued and respected at work while learning and growing at the firm. Employees benefit from connecting with firm leaders on a personal and professional level. Firm leaders benefit from having more engaged and dedicated employees. Shadowing shows entry-level staff that the firm is personally invested in the professional and personal growth of the team.
The success of a job shadowing program depends on the mentor(s) selected to be shadowed. They should be positive, approachable, patient and willing to invest the time to explain what they do, how they do it and why it’s important. Job shadowing is an integral part of training employees at our firm. Everyone from our managing partner to senior staff are involved. Shadowing encourages teamwork, enriches relationships and improves employee engagement. We all benefit from the experience.