Toward an Equal Future

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY * WHEN THE WOMEN AND FAMILY ISSUES executive committee issued its first survey results in 1993, many firms thought they had done all that was possible to attract and retain women CPAs. but it was necessary to rethink what all CPAs--not just women--want in a career. * THE INCREASING SHORTAGE OF ACCOUNTANTS since 1993 has led changes and increased options for CPAs--both men and women--according to a 1997 survey. * FIRMS NOW BOAST OF FAMILY-FRIENDLY POLICIES. It is now easier for people to telecommute, for example. * THESE POLICIES SEEM TO HAVE HELPED keep woman in the profession: The turnover rate is virtually the same for men and women at all levels. * TROUBLING FACTS REMAIN: ALTHOUGH WOMEN compose about a third of the senior manager ranks, they made up generally less than a quarter of the promotions to partner. * THE PERCENTAGE OF NEW MOTHERS RETURNING to the office was the same in 1993 and 1997, but more in 1997 returned to work on part-time schedules. Today, it is hard to picture any accounting manager being complacent about valued employees--male or female--deciding to leave because the work environment denies them growth opportunities. Firms have become more flexible and have empowered employees to manage the way they mesh their careers and personal lives. This empowerment and cooperation constitute an important tool firms use to retain both men and women. But in 1993--when the AICPA women and family issues executive committee (WFIEC) released the results of its first survey on women in the profession--many already considered the topic passe. Accounting managers said that "women in business" was yesterday's issue. Managers suggested that they had done everything possible to assist women employees' career growth. Many believed that job turnover for women was a result of their personal choices and therefore not part of a firm's realm of responsibility or influence. Four years later, a follow-up survey took another look that demonstrated that more needed to be done--flexible work arrangements, for example. TAKING SHAPE So what has happened in firms, and how are changes reflected in the new patterns of women in public accounting, according to the WFIEC? The rapid advances in technology have driven many attitude and culture changes. Technology helps people work from their homes and cars and many other locations. In addition to empowering workers, firms now try to enhance their reputations as desirable places to work. They compete to win awards for advancing women or for becoming the most family-friendly places to work. Firms hope this formal validation will add to their reputations as they compete for a scarce supply of experienced and valuable professionals. What is the status of women CPAs in this current professional environment? What percentage of positions do they hold in public accounting firms? How does it compare with percentages reported when we first took stock in 19937 What do the turnover trends look like? And how have firm policies changed in recent years? Answer: Overall, we see slow but steady progress for women CPAs. GROWING PAINS The WFIEC survey project established baseline data in 1993 on the representation of women within professional services firms. It also addressed flexible work arrangements and family-friendly policies. The information here is based on responses from firms in 1993 and 1997. The data, updated in 1997, can be updated periodically to monitor women's workplace issues. (See "Facts and Myths about Women CPAs" JofA, Oct.94, page 79, for more on the 1993 survey.) The survey looked at firms of all sizes. However, it is important to remember that promotion, turnover and family-friendly policies differ fundamentally in big and small firms. For example, large firms have traditionally used an "up-or-out" philosophy. Although this may be changing, up-or-out is still the norm and still forces many people's large-firm career paths into reasonably predictable time patterns. …