The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) acknowledges that the progress of women within the accounting profession is imperative to organizational sustainability. The organization’s website stresses that growth of accounting firms is at risk if a significant portion of the accounting profession (women) is not maximizing its potential. In addition, firms’ inability to create a family and gender-friendly environment is known to be detrimental to both staff and client retention.
With a similar challenge for Yeo & Yeo in mind, the firm’s leadership team is taking a proactive approach. “Career advocacy is one of the cornerstones within Yeo & Yeo’s five-year strategic plan. The workforce is changing, and firms that do not embrace programs supporting the advancement of women and equal access to leadership development within their firms risk the loss of talented CPAs – both women and men,” says Yeo & Yeo’s president & CEO, Thomas Hollerback.
You can be a female accounting professional and be successful at Yeo & Yeo. Among the initiatives in the firm to help advance women professionals is our mentor program in which we pair women on a partner track with established female partners who serve as peer models for success. Throughout my career at Yeo & Yeo, my mentors have encouraged me to take on new roles and step outside of my comfort zone. I now have leadership roles within the firm and in the community. The firm also invests in the training needed to successfully develop our professionals. I was the first woman from Yeo & Yeo to attend Upstream Academy’s Emerging Leaders Academy three years ago and since then we have sent five more women to the leadership program.
Everyone has his or her own outside interests, and finding a schedule that works best for you will make your home life and work life manageable … and enjoyable! The flexibility Yeo & Yeo offers is unique compared to other CPA firms. Yeo & Yeo allows you to bank your overtime hours, or you can chose to be paid for those hours. It’s nice to be able to take a little extra time off during non-peak time, or to see the extra money in your paycheck when you are working overtime during busy season. For me, this is very empowering as I am able to set my own schedule and feel as though I am able to keep up with my active kids and my workload.
Being a mom and a new partner, I stress the importance of schedules, planning ahead, flexibility and finding what works best for you. It’s important to me that I have dinner with my family and be there to help my kids with their homework. I make it a priority! This might mean I work a little after the kids go to bed or during my lunch hour. Everyone’s support system at home is different, so having the flexibility to work from home when it is most convenient for me is one of the things I value most about my career at Yeo & Yeo.
Read the stories of our Women Leaders to learn more about advocacy for women at Yeo & Yeo.