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Everyone thinks they know the most forward-looking industries. Web development, marketing, biotech, even media – all sectors people see as dedicated to constant, rapid change; sectors where executives live with unrelenting, extreme FOMO. They can’t miss out on the next big thing and survive.

Accounting, meanwhile, seems comparably stable. To an outsider, the industry looks relatively stable – the pleasant Victorian mansion set among the city’s steel-and-glass skyscrapers.

You know that’s not really the case. With your view from inside the industry, you understand the world of accounting is constantly changing. You need to be as attuned to changing market conditions as anyone in the technology or drug development fields.

With that in mind, here are five trends to watch out for in the accounting industry going into the 2020s:

Customization

You’re used to getting exactly what you want every time you walk into a store or log in to your favorite retailer. That expectation has overwhelmed the accounting world as well.

Your clients demand customized service. They want micro-targeting and increased communication, allowing them to achieve a result more well suited to their particular concerns and long-term development.

This means you’ll need skills beyond vanilla accounting acumen. Expect a role with a lot of slashes in ... Read More

While some friction in the workplace is to be expected, too much is harmful to everyone involved, particularly if left unresolved. Conflicts between employees disrupt their work and that of colleagues who share the work environment. Ongoing disagreements can affect job performance and even the company’s productivity and bottom line.

While most U.S. workers report involvement in workplace strife at times, more than a third say they deal with it often or always. In a typical week, employees spend, on average, about three hours handling conflict at work. That’s just 7 percent of the work week, but in terms of productivity, the costs are staggering, resulting in an estimated $360 billion in paid hours.^*

So, what’s causing all this workplace friction? Employees say mainly personality conflicts and warring egos, as well as stress and workloads. These may lead to angry outbursts and insults; nasty, behind-the-back comments; poor communications; procrastination on projects; and more.

Other than avoiding people who rub us the wrong way—which doesn’t solve and often intensifies the problem—what can we do to resolve conflict at work?

Try taking these steps to manage conflict with co-workers

1. Ask yourself why the person bothers you. Be aware of what is setting you off. If dealing with ... Read More

In the “Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus assigned the care and education of his son, Telemachus, to his trusted advisor Mentor. Borrowing from this ancient epic, today we use Mentor’s name to refer to someone who uses their knowledge to advise a less-experienced colleague.

Over the last several decades, U.S. businesses have adopted mentoring as a training vehicle, mainly for young or new employees. Among Fortune 500 companies, 70 percent offer formal mentoring programs to employees.

While some companies have structured mentoring processes, most smaller companies don’t. But mentoring new employees can take place without a formal program and with little to no expense.

Mentorships can be an employee retention and recruiting tool

Young or new employees can learn their jobs faster and expand their skill set if coached by  experienced mentors. Together, they can tackle issues related to problem-solving, communication, collaboration, networking, and more.

Mentors get the satisfaction of using their knowledge to assist someone just starting out in their profession or a new position. They might benefit in other ways—many mentors report that they learn from their mentees. For example, mentors may learn about new technologies from younger employees.

Companies with formal mentoring programs generally find they improve employee satisfaction among participants. This, in turn, ... Read More

You’ve been out of work for a long time. The frustrating treadmill of applying to jobs and absorbing rejections has started to cut into your self-confidence. Meanwhile, the lack of a paycheck has simultaneously cut into your bank account.

Or, maybe you’ve toiled in the same dead-end, unfulfilling position longer than you care to remember. Your hopes for long-term career satisfaction have started to fade.

Either way, you can help your situation by teaming with a staffing firm. You’re reluctant, however, because of what you’ve heard about life as a temp.

You’ve heard working as a temp means submitting to a series of short-term, mind-numbing tedium, where you’ll draw the ire of your co-workers and constant mistreatment from your managers. A cross between a medieval serf and a court jester.

These are myths. A recruiter aims to put you in engaging, career-expanding placements, ones with dynamic co-workers and supportive bosses happy for the talents you bring to the table.

Here is the truth about four myths related to life as a temp:

You Only Get Mind-Numbing Work

People tend to view temp work like a glorified paid internship. Under this conception, you’ll spend your days making copies, brewing coffee or taking lunch orders. If you’re lucky, you ... Read More

Are you constantly having to find candidates for open positions? You have a lot of company.

Employee turnover in the U.S. reached an all-time high of 19.3 percent in 2018, according to a report by Salary.com.

Nationwide, the number of voluntary resignations (or “quits”) continued to soar at 3.5 million in Feb. 2019, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (The previous high was 3.2 million in 2001.)

With increasing job creation, baby-boomer retirements, and youthful job hopping, high turnover is becoming the norm, with no end in sight. Opportunities abound for workers, and they are responding—and who can blame them?

Of course, employees’ gain can be employers’ loss. The current job market is definitely in employees’ favor as companies compete to find candidates.

So, how can businesses limit high turnover? Frankly, by motivating your employees to stay—which may sound easy in theory but isn’t always in practice.

While higher pay can entice some workers to stay, it’s not a universal solution. One in six U.S. employees say they would take a commensurate pay reduction in exchange for more time off.

Here are a few ideas to consider for reducing employee turnover

Granted, some of these are more feasible for some companies than for others. But spending ... Read More