by
Kimberly Scott, CAE
| Jan 13, 2023
The challenges of the last few years have changed us individually
and how we work. These changes will ripple into the future. The
thought of addressing some of these changes may make you
feel overwhelmed. Some changes may seem too monumental
and paralyze your ability to decide where to start. Fortunately,
some of these we can tackle together.
The WSCPA Board of Directors took on the challenge last year
to review and update our strategic plan, focusing on goals to
address the challenges we not only see now, but also those
we envision will be facing us in the future. We included a wide
range of participants in the process in order to gather diverse
insights. Past Board members, Foundation Trustees, our Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion Council and student members provided
valuable input and feedback. (You can read more about the
strategic planning process and the several areas of focus that
were identified in Sara Bailey’s article, here.)
The key area of dedicated focus of the strategic plan, which
is still being finalized, will not be a surprise to most of you.
Many members have shared how challenging it is to find staff to hire and how firms have been flexible in designing working
arrangements to bring in or retain talent. This issue is likely
to become escalated if it is not addressed. The enrollment in
accounting programs at community colleges and universities has
decreased. The percentage of accounting students deciding to
sit for the CPA exam has also dropped. The “CPA pipeline” that
brings new CPAs into the profession is absolutely a concern.
Focusing on barriers to the profession and barriers for staying in
the profession appeared prominently in our strategic planning
group discussions. This insight from our focus groups reminded
me of a story about how removing barriers often results in a
ripple effect of benefits.
Curb Cuts: A Barrier Busted
The story is about curb cuts, the dips in the sidewalk that
connect to the street. Do you know how these began? They were
implemented following World War II. Disabled veterans were
returning home and finding difficulty maneuvering their sidewalks
and streets. The
idea of adding curb
cuts was not met
with overwhelming
approval, as it was
a very costly and
time-intensive
project that many
saw as serving “just
a few” people. However, as curb cuts are now standard, we
know this investment was approved. Think about how many
other problems these curb cuts solved that were not even
considered at the time the solution was proposed. Removing
one barrier now also provides benefits to strollers, shopping
carts, bicycles, as well as a general ease in crossing the street.
Removing the barrier did not make the sidewalk less valuable.
The Barrier: 150-hour Requirement
Turning back to the CPA profession, are there some barriers to
becoming a CPA that could be removed, while still allowing for
those entering the profession to be well equipped, and leave
the profession unharmed? One example is the requirement to
sit for the CPA exam at 120 hours. A student would still need 150
hours of education to obtain their license, but they could start
the testing process while in school, shortly after learning their
area of expertise, and when they are already used to studying
and taking exams. Contrast this with the current reality many
candidates face: trying to juggle taking the exam and full-time
work. Statistics show that states where the 120-hour option
already exists saw about a 25 percent increase in students
starting the exam. The WSCPA has been working with the
Washington State Board of Accountancy during the last year
to make this change and we hope to see the rule officially
change in early 2023.
The Barrier: The Stories We Tell
We are also working to identify barriers within the profession
and our organizations to help us attract and retain CPAs. While
this challenge is far more complex, there have been some great
ideas from some thought leaders in the profession to get us
started. Here is a simple example. We all know the value of
the CPA, the doors it can open, the opportunities it can bring.
However, we often tell or hear the stories about how horrible the
working hours are, or how difficult it is to move up into leadership
roles. Selling something when only highlighting—and maybe
even exaggerating—the negative parts of it is an arduous task.
The Barrier: Awareness as a Leader
I challenge us to personally become more aware of the barriers
we have as well. I believe as a leader we should be welcoming
feedback, be willing to be respectfully contradicted, admit when
we are wrong, and acknowledge openly when others are right.
If we are not learning and being challenged, we probably have
created barriers within our own work cultures.
Thank you for being a part of the Washington Society
of CPAs as we welcome a new year and bust barriers
for the good of the profession and both current CPAs
and future ones!
Kimberly Scott, CAE, is President &
CEO of the WSCPA. You can contact
Kimberly at kscott@wscpa.org.
This article appears in the winter 2023 issue of the Washington CPA magazine. Read more here.
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