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"Women's advancement
and retention is important
to the firm of the future."
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) report According to the old stereotype, an accountant is a man wearing a green eyeshade, stiff white shirt and suspenders - punching numbers into an adding machine with a pull-lever. Of course, technology has cast aside the adding machine and more casual workplaces have replaced the white shirt.
But more importantly, the man behind the eyeshade is now more likely to be a woman. The number of women entering the accounting profession is close to 60 percent today. It is an industry where women are enjoying good pay, professional respect, and to some extent, flexibility. But although the numbers of female accountants have increased in recent years, what can women expect in terms of rising among the ranks to upper management in today's firms?
The last decade shows that women are making progress into senior leadership positions, but not at the same brisk pace they are entering the field. Proportionate to their numbers, females make up about half of public accounting professionals, but only an average of 19 percent of partners, according to AICPA research. They fare a little better in smaller firms, where 27 percent of partners are female, compared to 12 percent in large firms. The figures are close to the same for women in senior leadership roles.
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Women AICPA |
Members |
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1952 |
750 |
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1972 |
2,004 |
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2005 |
106,000 | But are women clamoring to be partners? Certainly, there are many women with partnership ambitions, but fewer than their male counterparts. The AICPA reports that while 65 percent of men in senior leadership positions aspire to become partners, only 41 percent of females in similar positions cite partnership as a goal. At the staff level, there is an even greater disparity, where 25 percent of women and 62 percent of men want to become partners.
Until around 1993, public accountants were generally expected to keep moving up with the goal of partnership in mind. For some people, that's still true but the overall "up or out philosophy" has changed, according to the AICPA. More firms now recognize that not all accountants want to follow the same path. These firms are offering non-partner career tracks, where there is mutual agreement that the ultimate goal is to move into senior leadership/management positions, rather than partnership.
Is Accounting a Natural Field for Women?
An AICPA official in charge of work and life issues named the following as some of the qualities that make a successful accountant: good listening skills (since there is usually a great deal of consulting involved in the job); consensus building; strategic thinking; and the ability to work well with others.
She went on to suggest that since women are generally the primary caregivers at home, these qualities often come naturally to them in the workplace. Accounting is a tough field, but the fact that women are increasingly attracted to it proves that this is an industry that provides the job satisfaction many female professionals want.
| If you or another accountant you may know (male or female) is interested in finding out more about the benefits of working at Stambaugh Ness, please contact Human Resources Manager Lois Ribner, CPA at 717-757-6999 or 800-745-8233 or email Lois by using the form below. | |
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Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
IRS Circular 230 Notice: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any US tax advice contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code.
Securities and advisory services offered through Geneos Wealth Management, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Geneos Wealth Management, Inc is not affiliated with Stambaugh Ness. |
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