Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
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32 September 2014 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com FEATURE Besides hon ing t heir tech n ica l skills, your accountants will need to focus on their nontechnical, or sof, skills as well. Solid communication a n d i n t e r p e r s o n a l a b i l i t i e s a r e b e c o m i n g j u s t a s i m p o r t a n t t o a c c o u n t i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l s i n addressing client needs. Sof t sk i l l s i nc lude d iplomac y, customer service, problem solving, a d a p t a bi l it y a nd , i n pa r t ic u l a r, communication. Your team mem- bers also need business acumen that e x t e n d s b e y o n d a c c o u n t i n g t o understanding clients' bigger-pic- ture business goals and concerns. Te importance of nontechnical skills is borne out by the results of a survey conducted by Accountemps, a Robert Half company. W hen chief fnancial ofcers (CFOs) were asked to identif y the most common reason their employees failed to advance, poor interpersonal skills was the top reason cited. But here's t he t w ist: A lt houg h CFOs recognize the need for their employees to possess key sof skills, there seems to be a disconnect in t h e i r w i l l i n g n e s s t o h e l p s t a f f develop them: In the same Accoun- temps sur vey, only one in fve (19 percent) executives said their orga- nization is li kely to invest in sof t sk ills training for accounting and fnance employees in the near term. It makes business sense for your frm to be among that 19 percent. Accountants must be able to clearly communicate fndings and recom- mendations to clients. A not her f ac tor i nc rea si ng t he need for outstanding sof skills is the u nprecedented a mou nt s of d at a clients are generating. They often rely on consu lta nts to tea m w it h management or, if the company is l a r g e e n o u g h , t h e i r i n - h o u s e accounting and f inance teams, to analyze this information and then tel l an easy-to-comprehend stor y behind the numbers to colleagues and executives. Prov id ing th is strateg ic adv ice requires excellent communication, teamwork and other interpersonal skills. In cases where a CPA frm has of-site accountants to handle a cli- ent's daily accounting needs, these professionals need to know how to adapt successfully to another busi- ness's culture and work well w ith employees a nd compa ny leaders who may not have an accounting background. Building up Your Firm's 'Soft' Side Some people believe that communi- cation and other nontechnical skills are in-born — you either have them or you don't. T he tr ut h is t here's plenty you can do to help improve your team's sof skills: • GIVE CONTEXT. Make sure your staf understand why interpersonal skills are so critical to the frm's work as well as their advancement within your organization. Explain how profes- sionals without these skills increas- ingly fnd themselves held back in the workplace and have difculty moving up in the organization. • OFFER MENTORING. Sof skills are inherently hard to teach; they are defnitely an art rather than a science. A mentor can "show by doing" for your team members. When partnered with top-performing employees, staf can observe the interactions of these individuals with leaders in your frm as well as clients. • STRUCTURE TRAINING. Best prac- tices for some skills, such as verbal and written proficiency, can be taught more easily. Instruction can take a number of forms, including online classes and membership in a public- speaking organization. • MAKE IT PART OF PERFORMANCE REVIEWS. Include sof skills in your employees' evaluations. Prov ide specific examples of successful or unsuccessful communication and collaboration, rather than just your general impressions. Hiring for Soft Skills Just as you want to train your staf to have top-notch interpersonal skills, you should also look for these abili- ties in job candidates. Yes, it's harder to make a judgment about a person in an interview than it is with staf you've known and worked with for years, but it's not impossible. A sk open-ended questions that requ i re t houg ht a nd prompt t he c a nd id ate to re vea l at t it ude s or opinions. Examples include, "Can you describe how you handle tight deadlines on the job?" and " W ho was your best boss ever and why?" Hypothetical questions can probe deeper into a candidate's person- a l it y. He re's a n e x a mple: " How wou ld you respond i f placed i n a situation you felt presented a confict of interest or was unethical?" You can also ask an of-the-wall question and take note of the candi- date's reaction. Was he ratled by the question, or did he welcome it? A candidate who smiles at a surprise a nd h a nd l e s i t d e f t l y i nd i c a t e s some one w ho i s able to q u ic k l y adapt when the job and sit uation require it. Today's accounting f irms can't rely on having candidates with just the best technical skills. It's also key to focus on interpersonal abilities in your professional development and recruitment eforts. How to Hone Your SOFT SKILLS to Strengthen Client Relationships By Paul McDonald Paul McDonald is senior executive director with Robert Half, the world's frst and largest specialized stafng frm. Over the course of his 30-year career with the company, he has spoken extensively on employment and management issues based on his work with thousands of companies and job seekers. A s summer draws to a close, kids and young students aren't the only ones who need to think about heading back to school. Your employees — even your top performers — can become stronger contributors by enhancing their abilities and ex per tise through professional development opportunities.