Employee Wellness: Part 1
I Live For Busy Season… Said No Audit Senior Ever
“Do I want to literally put my life on hold and work around the clock for yet another 15 weeks of busy season? For what? Average pay and benefits?”
Sadly, that’s a recurring conversation in the mind of the quintessential audit senior that only intensifies as they near... yet another dreaded busy season.
But at least this is a modern firm using the latest in tech right? “I attended their leadership event where they spoke about why they not only welcome but embrace the latest technological changes…” Shortly after the first week on the job, the audit senior discovers their technological solutions are average (at best) too.
And so (wait for it)... the audit senior resigns just before January stress hits - or even worse - during their first engagement!
And the scramble for talent is on! Managers are freaking out. Partners are pressurizing recruitment and HR. Industry-relevant experience no longer matters. Just find and “plug” in ANY senior. Is nobody available? Well, just use existing seniors that are already stretched to the max across four other jobs… We got this!
The negative downward spiral of consequences ensues… new loads of stress on existing teams that now have to cope with just three (all new) team members, instead of five. Team morale hits a new low. WIP balances get unruly. Client continuity is impacted. The list goes on...
But… there is good news! The COO just reported that utilization rates are at an all-time high! Yup, they sure are. But... at what cost?
Busy Season Band-Aids
Don’t worry! Our people come first. We got your back. We’ve installed a coffee machine on each floor. There will be a fruit delivery each morning in the kitchen (working remotely? That’s too bad). Also, we’ve arranged for you to book one 15 minute massage on us. That works out to about one minute of massage for each week of your busy season. Onward and upward!
OK, some of this may be a (slight) exaggeration and written tongue-in-cheek. But many audit seniors would agree that it's also not too far from the truth! The fact is that firm leaders are already aware that employee wellness and mental health concerns are only increasing in importance year-on-year.
However, add a global pandemic to the mix and suddenly employee wellness programs and support are no longer a “nice-to-have”. It’s now required.
Employee Wellness… An Opportunity To Lead
In this 3-Part Series on Employee Wellness we’ll look at the rise and importance of virtual care, leveraging virtual care as a differentiator, and key insights relating to the impact of COVID-19 on behavioral health (i.e. emotional and mental health) of your U.S. full-time professional talent.
Behavioral health research studies conducted in 2020 (more on this in part-2) thus far suggest that Employers’ attitude about mental and emotional health is not only a top priority for existing employees but job seekers alike.
If there has ever been a time for HR and firm leaders to step up and prioritize the health of their workforce, it is now. Especially as we are quickly leading up to a busy season that may be very different, given the impact of the global health crisis.
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Schedule a free consultation to learn more about how our unique talent-based partnership model can help you lower stress on your existing professionals and provide you with the peace of mind that you’ve “locked-in” the best talent for your upcoming busy season, to absolutely delight your clients and without the long term sunk cost of full-time salaried employees.
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