This document discusses initiatives to increase women in leadership roles in accounting firms. It finds that while women make up 51% of employees and managers, they only account for 19% of partners and principals. The MOVE Works program worked with the 10 largest accounting firms from 2014-2011 and saw an increase in women in management committees and across participating firms. The key is to measure current practices, define and adopt proven initiatives, and repeat the process. Success comes from initiatives focused on equitable pay and opportunities, work-life support, leadership development, and entrepreneurship training to help women qualify for partnership. These efforts provide returns through increased revenues, reputation, relationships, and referrals.
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MOVE Project at AFWA
1.
2. ROI on Initiatives &
Influence
• Initiatives: Business case to
business results
• Influence: Return on you
• How to convert adversaries into
advocates
Business case, unconnected to anything. Today’ we’ll find out how to get to linking it.
The MOVE Project is unique because it combines statistics and stories to measure and support the advancement of women at public accounting firms. Here are the top-line demographic results from the 2012 MOVE survey of 29 firms. You can see that women are nearly half of all professionals – and just over half of all managers. But, as well all know, women are not equitably represented at the partner level, as validated by the latest MOVE results – other research validates the MOVE results, by the way.
The MOVE Project is unique because it combines statistics and stories to measure and support the advancement of women at public accounting firms. Here are the top-line demographic results from the 2012 MOVE survey of 29 firms. You can see that women are nearly half of all professionals – and just over half of all managers. But, as well all know, women are not equitably represented at the partner level, as validated by the latest MOVE results – other research validates the MOVE results, by the way.
The MOVE Project is unique because it combines statistics and stories to measure and support the advancement of women at public accounting firms. Here are the top-line demographic results from the 2012 MOVE survey of 29 firms. You can see that women are nearly half of all professionals – and just over half of all managers. But, as well all know, women are not equitably represented at the partner level, as validated by the latest MOVE results – other research validates the MOVE results, by the way.
How can we break the logjam that prevents women from achieving partner? The MOVE Project creates common ground through its annual report, which the entire industry can use as a benchmark. Participating firms buy in to the MOVE point of view that we will advance women by measuring where we are now; sharing practices that are actually working to advance women, and encourage other firms to adopt them; and then measure the results.
As I mentioned a moment ago, the MOVE approach blends statistics and stories. The statistics are gathered through an annual demographic survey. The stories are the ‘how and why’ behind the statistics.
The four MOVE dynamics proven to advance women are Money, Opportunity, Vital supports for work-life, and entrepreneurship.
Money: The MOVE Project does not ask about salaries. It does ask about practices and policies that ensure that women are paid equitably. It’s not enough that a firm claims that it pays men and women equitably. MOVE asks for proof of audits, management coaching, and checks and balances that ensure that womens’ pay does not drift below men’s for comparable work.
Opportunity is leadership and management training. Traditional programs, such as mentoring, sponsorship, and training, fall here. As well, O includes innovation in advancing women, such as the Moss Adams Forum_W initiative and the Baker Tilly GROW initiative. MOVE asks how firms continually improve these efforts to reflect evolving expectations and needs of women CPA’s at all stages of their careers.
The V section is vital supports for work-life. This is where public accounting firms tend to have made real progress. We all know that work-life programs took root about a decade ago, largely to mitigate the stresses of the busy season. But these programs have catalyzed culture change too: for example, at Plante Moran, flexwork has become a year-round productivity tool. MOVE recognizes and encourages the cross-pollination of work-life programs proven to remove barriers to the retention and advancement of women.
For the accounting profession, Entrepreneurship is about gaining business development skills that qualify women for partner. This is where the advancement of women translates to a genuine win for your firm: when women bring in business, they drive growth …and in the process, become candidates for partner. One example of Entrepreneurship is the Rainmakers Roundtable at Rothstein Kass. This program cycles midlevel women through several rounds of training and experience to gain confidence in their networking ability. Already, the Rainmakers Roundtable has been pivotal to several RK women attaining partner.
To provide consistent annual comparisons, MOVE tracks the same demographic categories every year. But reporting on small changes doesn’t exactly result in an inspiring story that spurs change. That’s why we have an annual theme for each year. MOVE pulls in close to take an in-depth look at a trend that deeply affects the path of women in accounting. The 2012 theme is Advancing Women Through Strategic Community Service. We wanted to look beyond the usual teambuilding and check-writing efforts, to see where women were really gaining career skills through community service.
The MOVE survey found that the infrastructure already exists at most firms for strategic community service. 71% of firms offer leadership training through employer-supported volunteering. For example, this might be training for board positions. But….
A vision for the future
Relationships are most important, per PAR research
Community service resonates with many women’s deep desire to make the world a better place through their careers. When you blend these deeply held values with career development, you have a powerful pull. Community service can help retain high-potential women.
How we usually think of developing women – one on one, mentoring, sponsorship
How we think of women’s initiatives -- not connected to succession, biz growth , market share
Cultivating larger scale growth. How much larger?
Community service resonates with many women’s deep desire to make the world a better place through their careers. When you blend these deeply held values with career development, you have a powerful pull. Community service can help retain high-potential women.
Community service resonates with many women’s deep desire to make the world a better place through their careers. When you blend these deeply held values with career development, you have a powerful pull. Community service can help retain high-potential women.
How we think of influence
Industry = thought leadership …are you known as an expert?
Community – advancing women is one point of authority!
Clients – it goes both ways
Moss Adams program
Business case, unconnected to anything. Today’ we’ll find out how to get to linking it.
The annual theme for the 2013 Accounting MOVE Project is retaining women in the partnership pipeline. Our research partner, Wilson-Taylor Associates, will be pulling in close to understand the dynamics that play into retention as women are starting to gain traction in management. What keeps them on track, and what propels them to leave? We will capture statistics and stories to help us understand this critical career stage, and what programs and practices help us keep women focused on attaining partner.
The annual theme for the 2013 Accounting MOVE Project is retaining women in the partnership pipeline. Our research partner, Wilson-Taylor Associates, will be pulling in close to understand the dynamics that play into retention as women are starting to gain traction in management. What keeps them on track, and what propels them to leave? We will capture statistics and stories to help us understand this critical career stage, and what programs and practices help us keep women focused on attaining partner.
