As a leader of a CPA firm, your plate is always full. And whether you’re focused on meeting the demands of busy season or driving business growth, you sometimes need to shift other, less-pressing management responsibilities to the back burner. However, no matter how frenetic the pace of work, you should always strive to schedule time for career conversations with your employees.
When was the last time you sat down with your staff members to discuss their professional goals and how they envision their future at your firm? Do you ever address these topics with them outside of their performance reviews? Having career conversations with your team on a regular basis can benefit you and them. It is one of the best ways to learn more about your employees’ preferences, which can help you develop more effective talent management strategies.
You never want to risk losing your best people. And if they do end up leaving your firm because they don’t feel valued or they’re worried about their career trajectory, replacing them wouldn’t be easy. According to the 2025 Salary Guide From Robert Half, 85% of managers in finance and accounting are having difficulty locating skilled professionals for hire. In a separate Robert Half survey, four in 10 managers at small and midsize businesses said finding candidates with the required skills will be one of their greatest hiring challenges through the end of this year.
The Many Benefits of Career Conversations
By dedicating time for meaningful career conversations, you’re not only demonstrating that you care about your employees’ aspirations and interests, but you’re also investing in your CPA firm’s long-term success. What you learn in these one-on-one discussions with your staff can help you to:
- Drive engagement and retention: Through career conversations, you can learn what your team members need to stay focused and motivated at work. The insight you gain can help you tailor professional development and growth opportunities—from mentorship to training—that can keep your employees feeling satisfied and help reduce turnover.
- Attract in-demand talent: Your firm can earn a reputation as an employer of choice by actively supporting your employees’ career growth. If you foster a workplace culture that offers clear paths for skills-building and advancement, your staff members will be likely to promote this fact to their friends and peers outside the company and in interviews with potential hires.
- Create a robust leadership pipeline: Career-focused discussions with your staff members can help you identify future leaders within the organization. You can also determine how best to prepare those individuals for their next move, such as through formal succession planning.
- Align employees’ goals with business objectives: Do your employees want to deepen their industry expertise or earn in-demand certifications? Supporting their goals can help strengthen your firm’s bench strength. It can also help you position for new business opportunities.
- Adapt more effectively to a changing industry: Technologies like AI, blockchain and advanced data analytics are transforming how finance and accounting organizations operate. Career conversations can help you discover which employees are eager to expand their tech skills, and who can benefit most from targeted training based on their career goals. Investing in their development can, in turn, keep your firm competitive.
How to Start and Structure Career Conversations With Employees
Career conversations don’t need to be formal, and they definitely shouldn’t feel like a performance review (or be blended into one). You may want to consider hosting these discussions in a neutral, comfortable setting—like a conference room or lounge area—to help put your employees more at ease. You can also set the stage for a relaxed and productive conversation by:
- Asking open-ended questions: Examples of questions you might pose include: What do you find most rewarding about your current role and responsibilities? How would you like to see your career evolve over the next two to three years? Are there specific areas of the business that you’d like to explore?
- Listen more than you speak: Career conversations may focus on professional goals, but they also have a personal dimension. After all, you are inviting your staff members to share their interests and ambitions. Show genuine curiosity, listen actively and resist the urge to jump in with feedback or suggestions. Let your employees fully express their thoughts first.
- Collaborate on a plan: Partner with your employees to outline attainable steps for achieving their goals. These actions might include finding or becoming a mentor, earning certifications, taking on stretch assignments, pursuing leadership development opportunities, or engaging in cross-training to broaden their skill set and perspective.
Keep the Discussion Going
A career conversation shouldn’t be a one-and-done event. You can keep your employees feeling confident that you view their development as a priority by making the point to:
- Check in with them regularly: Following up between more in-depth career conversations can help you track your employees’ progress, identify potential challenges, and offer support or encouragement when needed. These spot checks also allow you to assess whether your team member’s priorities or aspirations have shifted—and why.
- Offer resources: Provide additional tools and opportunities to help support your employees’ professional growth. For example, you might share information about relevant training programs, industry conferences or workshops that align with their career goals.
- Acknowledge successes: When your employees achieve their aims, whether it’s a small win, like completing a project, or a major accomplishment, like securing a promotion, be quick to celebrate it. Just be sure to do it in a way that suits the individual—whether publicly or more privately—to help reinforce their efforts and keep them motivated.
In an industry as demanding as accounting, it is easy to focus more on meeting your clients’ needs than taking the time to understand your employees’ professional aspirations. However, the firms that excel at retaining top talent and staying competitive are those that prioritize investing in their people.
Career conversations are a simple but powerful way to show your team that you want them to be successful—and satisfied. So, ask yourself: When was the last time I had career conversations with my staff members? If it’s been a while, now is the perfect time to start. Your employees—and your firm’s future—will thank you.
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Steve Saah is the executive director of permanent placement at Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized financial talent solutions service. The company has more than 300 locations worldwide. He is responsible for leading U.S. operations, based in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. He was named executive director in 2017, previously serving as director of permanent placement services.
Saah has been with the company since 1998, where he started as a recruiting manager, following a career as an internal auditor and assistant controller. He is a noted expert, author and presenter on career, management and hiring trends, particularly those affecting the accounting and finance fields. Saah earned a finance degree from Virginia Tech.
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