How Customized Career Paths Empower Accounting Talent
A Big Four firm’s development of rotational programs for professionals is paying off during a time when talent development has become more important than ever.
By Travis C. Hunter, Jr., CPA, MBA | Digital Exclusive – 2023
A traditional career path in public accounting typically starts with an internship, followed by a full-time associate role. Young professionals quickly learn the ropes, practicing and ultimately mastering the methodologies, technologies, and routines that comprise, for instance, a financial statement audit.
For many public accounting professionals, climbing the career ladder is the primary objective, each rung bringing them closer to becoming partners in their respective firms. But the ladder has evolved into a jungle gym, where professionals across all stages of their careers are charting new paths, reaching for rungs left, right, and everywhere in between. As a result, they’re expanding the definition of what it means to be an accountant or auditor, unlocking skills that benefit their career development while gaining insight into other aspects of the business world.
While reaching the top of the ladder may still be the ambition, today’s professionals are carving new pathways to get there. Rotational programs are one of the factors driving this change. Offering a great option for those looking to flex their accounting and auditing muscles in new ways, rotational programs are helping today’s talent expand their knowledge and hone critical leadership skills.
Rotations through firms’ different business units are also helping fulfill professionals’ desire for greater mobility in their careers. According to a KPMG U.S. survey of white-collar workers, 78% said they value a clearly defined process for career mobility within their company. This is especially true for millennials, 85% of whom are interested in career mobility.
During my tenure at KPMG U.S., I’ve witnessed the many benefits that rotations bestow on participants and, in turn, on the firm and the profession. Here are a few examples from my Chicago colleagues who are Illinois CPA Society members:
1. Rotations offer a behind-the-scenes look at the accounting profession
Most public accounting professionals sit in the field, occupying client-facing roles focused on delivery and execution. But behind the scenes is a vast network of professionals focused on operations, strategy, and technology. Rotational programs offer those interested a firsthand look into this world.
Christina Kaminski, CPA, an audit managing director who’s been with KPMG U.S. since her internship 14 years ago, pursued a rotation in 2017 with KPMG’s Center for Audit Solutions. During a three-year rotation, she helped build the centralized services group from the ground up and gained deep insight into how the audit practice operates.
Audit Senior Manager Ashley Keller, CPA, also pursued a three-year rotation at KPMG U.S., which offered her the opportunity to bring technology and methodology together to support audit execution. Keller reviewed methodology for new audit technology tools before they were released into the field. She used her core audit skill set every day but oriented toward operations.
Now back in the field, Kaminski and Keller continue to apply the operational knowledge gained during their rotations to their work on audit engagements. For example, Keller implements many of the automated routines she helped deploy on rotation while continuing to develop new ones.
2. Rotations cultivate the not-so-soft skills
Today’s business environment requires professionals to develop skills beyond traditional accounting. Engaging with boards and audit committees, for example, requires not only core accounting skills but also the ability to effectively communicate with leaders. Because rotations often temporarily draw professionals away from their technical accounting work, they can spend time fine-tuning an array of nontechnical skills that’ll benefit their long-term careers.
After completing three rotations in her nearly nine years at KPMG U.S., Audit Senior Manager Jordan Knights, CPA, knows a thing or two about upskilling. Knights pursued her first rotation at KPMG’s Chicago Ignition Center, helping develop an immersive space for clients to interact with the latest technologies and solve business challenges. Next, she segued her experience into a rotation centered on transformation. Finally, with the skills she learned, coupled with her passion for sustainability, she pursued a secondment focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting.
With each new experience, Knights had to quickly learn how to adapt and operate in the unknown. As a result, her project management, communications, and leadership capabilities flourished. Kaminski and Keller similarly credit their rotations with strengthening their proficiencies in areas such as communications, creativity, project management, and networking. These skills have been instrumental in their transitions back to audit work.
3. Rotations support an agile workforce
The accounting profession is rapidly evolving, and so is the realm of work that falls into a public accounting firm’s purview. Data and analytics, artificial intelligence, ESG, and many other topics are becoming embedded into the work firms are doing for their clients each day. Rotations are one of many ways firms can help their talent expand the skills needed to stay nimble and relevant in today’s changing environment—rotations are equally a savvy way of ensuring talent is enjoying greater growth and flexibility in their careers.
At KPMG U.S., we’ve invested heavily into developing audit talent by providing opportunities for our professionals to grow their careers in ways that benefit them and our firm. Our strategy embeds emerging topics, including those learned through upskilling and rotational programs, into professional development. It gives our professionals greater control over their careers, while keeping quality, innovation, and an exceptional client experience at the forefront.
Could rotational programs be another tool professional services firms use to attract and retain new and experienced accounting talent?
Travis C. Hunter, Jr., CPA, MBA, is the Chicago office managing partner at KPMG U.S.