In Massachusetts, Small Firms Need Love, Too

Well, maybe not love, but they sure need more CPAs on staff. The pressure on Big Four firms trickles down in many ways:

"The marketplace is very challenging from an employer's standpoint," adds Barry Beck, a CPA with a practice in Woburn, Mass. "A kid coming out of school today almost knows nothing form a production standpoint … The on-the-job training that's needed is immense."

People with three to five years of experience are especially difficult to find because they're getting settled in their careers, says Kimberly Sackie, controller of Walter & Shuffain, a 45-person firm in Norwood, Mass. "We, like most accounting firms, could use staff at various levels right now," she says. Other firms are trying to keep their workers happy by instituting casual business dress and offering reduced hours when business is slow. Some, like Walter & Shuffain, provide meals and massages for people working late or weekends during the tax season.

In Mass., Small Firms Compete Hard for CPAs [JITM]