The Workplace Setting
Picture yourself as a novice accountant, recently graduated. Alternatively, envision yourself as a rising talent in a specific financial niche. If you found yourself in one of these roles, would your firm be the ideal place for you to spend your entire career?
While it’s true that outsourcing accounting can significantly reduce expenses and save time during hiring processes, eventually, if your firm expands, you’ll need someone on-site to serve at least as a liaison for overseas operations.
This means allocating resources once to search for that exceptional employee. Assuming you’re fortunate enough to find the right person – how will you ensure their satisfaction?
Even if employee morale isn’t high on your list of priorities, there’s an additional factor to consider: the culture of your firm is mirrored in how you interact with clients. Clients are likely to sense any negativity among staff when they engage with you or any team member, which could ultimately cost you business opportunities.
Keeping this in consideration, here are four potential errors you might be making concerning your company’s culture
1. You lack the ability to listen openly
Your team will have their own diverse interests and passions. Some individuals may feel strongly about specific charitable initiatives, while others might be informed about a new seminar they believe could significantly benefit your organisation. There may even be someone who is following discussions on accounting outsourcing and feels it could provide your firm with the boost necessary to reach new heights.
Whatever the scenario, if you think that only your ideas carry weight, you’re likely to overlook some thrilling possibilities for your business. Your own interests certainly hold value; however, it’s unrealistic to expect yourself to remain engaged with everything at all times.
See: https://boz.com.au/avoid-staffing-issues-outsourced-accountant/
2. You’re not offering consistency
For your team to achieve their primary objective – delivering the highest quality work possible – they must understand what “high quality” entails. If your definition of quality is inconsistent or entirely absent, they’re likely to feel frustrated as they navigate their tasks without clear expectations regarding whether they’ll receive praise or criticism.
Regardless of the task—whether it’s managing workflows, coordinating with your accounting outsourcing staff, or interacting with clients—it’s crucial that your team is aware of what will bring you satisfaction. Clearly outline workflows and hold regular, efficient meetings where your team can rely on updates about the major goals you’re pursuing next and how they can best assist in those efforts. Additionally, allocate time during these meetings for team members to share their thoughts and suggestions.
3. You neither provide nor receive feedback
In point #2, we highlighted that your team requires direction to perform optimally when collecting client information for your accounting outsourcing team (or any specific task they handle). The most effective way for them to confirm they’re proceeding correctly is through established workflows.
Initially, these workflows will likely require adjustments. Therefore, if you notice a step in the workflow being executed incorrectly, engage with your staff to correct it. They’ll appreciate contributing positively and making you satisfied.
Simultaneously, you also need input from others. This applies to everything—from designing the initial workflows for gathering client data for your accounting outsourcing staff to delivering presentations and composing year-end messages to clients, among other tasks.
Not only will this lead to superior outcomes, but it will also encourage your team members’ commitment to the company as a whole. When success arises for your clients, they’ll take pride in shared achievements alongside you—an essential aspect of retaining top talent within your organisation.
4. You are fostering a culture of isolation
Building on the previous points, isolating various team members can harm your company, even when considering any confidentiality issues. If you’ve established an annual objective to acquire 50 new clients, it’s essential to involve everyone in this mission. Someone from your HR department might have a brilliant idea that could help attract potential clients, while a member of the marketing team might offer insights that enhance the workflow for your accounting outsourcing team, leading to quicker turnaround times and ultimately more satisfied clients.
