1. XXX FIRM Business Case Communication
Retaining & Developing Women Leaders Improving Gender Diversity

2. Current State of Affairs – 2010 Women in Corporate America and Public Accounting
Women comprise more than 50 % of the US Labor Force
Women hold 32% of first level manager roles in industry, 50% in public accounting
Women hold 35% of mid management positions in industry, 35% in public accounting
Women hold 12% of CEO/senior executive Roles
Women hold 19% of the total partner positions in CPA firms

3. Percentage of Women by Level at CPA Firms - AICPA Data

4. Business Drivers - Profession
Accounting graduates have been at least 50% female for 25 years
Baby boomer outflow
Changes also reflected in our marketplace
Talent acquisition/retention and succession planning are the top two concerns of firms all sizes
Competitors for talent may be ahead of us in the race

5. Business Drivers - XXX Firm
Quantitative
Link to firm strategy
Changes also reflected in our marketplace
Competitors for talent may be ahead of us in the race
Talent acquisition, succession planning concerns

6. Business Drivers - XXX Firm
Quantitative
Retention statistics
Advancement statistics
Cost of turnover

7. Percentage of Women by Level - XXX Firm

8. Cost of Turnover Standard industry measures
1.5x annual salary
Includes loss of productivity, hiring cost, training cost
Conservative four years totals
$x Million

9. Business Drivers - XXX Firm
Link to Firm Strategy
Risk to growth strategies
Growth target xx% unachievable without advancement of women
XXX Niche will not progress without movement forward of female leaders
Geographic expansion, acquisition goals can be impacted by lack of leaders and/or lack of gender diversity in leadership
Talent attraction and development
Candidates are looking for progressive firms
Female candidates will be significant percentage of total and will look for firms where women are succeeding
Profitability
Turnover of key experienced staff impacts efficiency, effectiveness of engagements
Loss of female staff with specific technical skills to support niche area growth
Lack of progression of female staff can impact growth geographically or niche areas
Innovation
Lack of diversity of thought in approaching new markets, ie; female owned businesses
Lack of diversity of thought in new products or solutions to take to market

10. Business Drivers - XXX Firm
Changes also reflected in our marketplace
Client decision makers, owners
Demographics of essential networks
New networks

11. Business Drivers - XXX Firm
Succession planning concerns
Competitors for talent may be ahead of us in the race
Talent attraction and retention
Talent development and advancement
Exit strategies

12. Business Case Conclusions
Sustainable growth models
Sustainable succession planning models
Viable exit strategies
Bottom line impact of talent shortages
Increased need for diverse talent that:

13. What are the Barriers to the Advancement of Female Leaders?

14. The Barriers to Retention and Development of Female Leaders:
Career Sponsorship & Navigation
Access to Female Role Models
Work/Life Integration

15. Career Sponsorship & Navigation
Unequal access to career development and advocacy experiences
Stereotyping, unconscious bias
Traveling without a road map
Self Selection (Opting Out)

16. Limited Access to Female Role Models
Stunts the growth of aspirations
Maintains stereotyping
Lack of diversity in role models
Lack of access limits ripple effect of successes

17. Career/Life Integration
Rigid career models
Lack of customization
Demands of the profession
Societal norms (systemic unconscious bias)

18. XXX Initiative Next Steps
Initiative structure
Communication plan
Firm leadership awareness and education
Sponsor program
Determine opportunities to improve flexibility culture and career customization programs
Networks and skill building for women leaders

19. Initiative Structure Clear leadership involvement Accountability
Governance mechanism necessary
Execution ownership by business
HR key player
Communication function-active and consistent
Metrics

20. Initiative Structure-Sample
Managing Partner
FW Management/Exec Committee
Steering Committee
1 – Line Partner Representatives
2 – HR Representative
3 – Managing Partner
4 – Marketing/Communication
Advocates
Network

21. Initiative Structure - Roles
Steering Committee
Facilitate vision, strategy setting
Monitor execution of strategy, results & ROI
Communicate with firm leadership
Line of Business Reps
Strategy execution
Ongoing tie of initiative strategy to business strategy
Sponsors
Use of political capital
Increase access to stretch appropriate opportunities
Proactive management of barriers
Network ( Strategic Roll Out-Aligned with Business Case

22. Communication Plan Targeted audiences for communication
Targeted messages to specific audiences
Communication of business case
Structure
Strategies and action plans
Early successes
Results

23. Firm Leadership Awareness
Awareness, buy-in, and commitment of Firm leaders is essential and foundational for success
Comprehensive understanding of the business case and the link to Firm strategy is the foundation of the necessary awareness raising effort
Essential educational efforts regarding unintended bias and unintended consequences

24. Career Sponsorship Targeted focus on a specific group of leaders
Sponsors assigned
Ensure key success factors are in place
Access to strategic opportunities and stretch assignments
Assignments align with targeted career goals
Opportunity for interaction with female role models

25. Targeted Coaching and Career Sponsors
High influence - high impact career advocate
Regular connection points
Long term career focus, specific staged goals
How short term goals connect to long term focus
Customized personal and professional planning
Organizational guide - how to increase value proposition?
Accountability

26. Targeted Coaching and Sponsorship
Career Reflection & Action Planning
In depth aspirations reflection
Analysis of barriers, real vs. perceived
Short and long term focus

27. Flexible Culture Assessment
Identify career path inflexibility
Supported by policies, norms may camouflage unintended bias
Clarification of flexibility philosophy in the organization
Two way commitment and two way flexibility regarding issues of unbounded time
This is not just about part time work arrangements
Impacts men and women but must be improved to improve gender diversity

28. Skill Building and Networking Opportunities
Strategic focus on education and awareness gaps, not a social network
Awareness raising regarding Firm norms, socialization factors affecting them inside the culture, bias, etc.
Exposure to diverse examples of success
Forums and other events to gather visible female roles models and examples of success within the organization, profession, and the market

29. Networking & Leadership Development
Access to visible female role models
Peer learning
Visible success stories
Understand how to increase value proposition
Awareness raising regarding Firm norms, socialization factors affecting them inside the culture, bias, etc.
Hope, energy, organizational credibility

30. Action Plan – Phase One Example
Organizations
Business case
Governance structure
Communication strategy
Baseline survey
Diagnostics & prioritization of strategies to address barriers
Individuals
Training for women leaders
Network for women leaders
Only after business case, buy in and diagnostics are complete
Career advocacy pilot

31. Action Plan – Phase Two Example
Organizations
Business case communication continued
Governance structure evaluated and adjusted as appropriate
Continued prioritization of strategies to address barriers
Institutionalize education, awareness, accountability strategies
Survey II & comparison to baseline survey
Individuals
Ongoing training for women leaders
Network for women leaders expanded and taken from pilot phase
Career sponsor program designed from pilot learning

32. Copyright © 2013 American Institute of CPAs. All rights reserved.
Thank You
Copyright © 2013 American Institute of CPAs. All rights reserved.