Remote Access as a Retainment Strategy

How does this idea fly on the mainland? “It’s a no-brainer,” said Jake Jacobs, IT specialist shareholder for McDonald Jacobs Accounting & Consultants in Portland Oregon.  “The cost of losing someone of Misty’s caliber is huge compared to the hurdles of making this work.”

Hara and Jacobs represent accounting firms that use remote access technology to mitigate the industry’s biggest problem – finding and keeping worthwhile employees.  Taketa Iwata Hara and McDonald Jacobs both employ about 20 professionals.  With cutting-edge technology and an innovative firm culture, both firms have realized an unexpected return on their investment.

Jacobs, Hara and O’Brien discussed the advantages and obstacles of employees working remotely in a recent round table interview with Boomer Consulting, Inc.’s CEO Gary Boomer.

An Innocent Progression

Five years ago, McDonald Jacobs employed a shareholder who also needed to move as the result of a marriage.  The initial solution was to commute three hours for a four-day work week followed by a three-day weekend in her new home in Seattle.  The firm wanted to offer greater flexibility, so it began a gradual upgrade in technology.

“It was a progression – and we didn’t realize where we were going with that progression at the time,” Jacobs said.

The key technological implementation was converting to a paperless environment and utilizing ProSystem fx Engagement as a document management system.  When another long-time employee faced a short-term move to Australia a few years later, the firm was predisposed for remote access and decided it was worth using to keep her employed.  A third opportunity arose when a former employee with 15 years experience expressed an interest in returning to the firm if she could work from her home on the beach.

“Now, culturally, we’re just used to the fact that you can be in different places and still work productively,” Jacobs said.

The Technology is Fine, the Culture Needs Changing

A firm’s culture can be the primary obstacle to utilizing this successful strategy, according to Boomer.

“I’m not hearing any problems with the technology,” Boomer said.  “What I see in many firms is they’re still struggling with the culture but blaming it on the technology.”

Both Jacobs and Hara confirmed that their firms had experienced a change in culture.

“This conversation would have never taken place earlier in our careers – never,” Jacobs said.

“Even our firm, which is pretty flexible now, wasn’t five years ago,” Hara said.  The change occurred when a valuable employee decided to quit, and the firm realized it had the ability to allow that employee to work from home.

“If we can outsource to India, we can outsource to her home,” Hara said.

Being Paperless Provided an Unintended Benefit

Both firms agree that an important key to success is going “paperless” with a good document management system.

“There’s no way without Document, or a good document management system, that we would have been able to do this,” O’Brien said.

The firm converted to a paperless environment two years before O’Brien’s move.  It is an unintended benefit that the tools she uses to access prior years’ information from South Carolina are the same for those sitting in the office at Hawaii.

“The technology definitely made it possible,” Hara said.  “In a small firm we can be early adopters of technology, because it’s easier for us to make a decision and because one person can become really critical to the firm.  If you only have one tax manager and they’re leaving – that’s a big problem.”

“That’s true,” Jacobs said.  “All these other investments we’ve made along the way – when someone moves away you can really start to capitalize on them.

Advice for peers

Hara and Jacobs offered similar advice to peer firms.

“Do it,” Jacobs said.

“Don’t be afraid,” Hara said.

Both firms cited a few minor challenges.  For example, the time zone differences between Hawaii and South Carolina and between Oregon and Australia required changes in backup procedures for both firms.

O’Brien explained that her biggest challenge is to maintain an emotional connection to the firm.  Her solution is to make daily phone calls and meet with partners at conferences and meetings like the Boomer Technology Circles.

In spite of a few obstacles, both firms give a resounding recommendation to peer firms who face challenges finding or keeping valuable employees.

Remote access technology can help retain employees who move because of life changes.  It can also allow partners to phase into retirement.  In both situations, your client may be just as happy as you to continue working with a trusted advisor.

Fostering a culture that allows employees flexibility to work from home can also be used as an advantage in the recruiting wars.  Firms that have conquered their fears of evolving with technology will also attract the strongest and brightest employee candidates.