Some smaller accounting firms are in denial that they have a major role to play in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the accounting profession.
One-third of micro and 13% of small firms say DEI is not a necessary part of their strategy, according to
By and large, experts agree there is still much more work to be done on the DEI front.
Donny Shimamoto, founder of CPA firm IntrapriseTechKnowlogies and the Center for Accounting Transformation, says that among small firms there is a sense of “this doesn’t really apply to us; this is for big organizations,” and “we can’t have representation; we’re too small.”
So what can small firms do, with the limited resources they have, to advance DEI?
Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, the former chair of the American Institute of CPAs’ National Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, says small firms should view their size as their strength: They have an advantage in that there’s less bureaucracy — they can make changes and implement policies in the office without getting caught up in red tape.
She said firms should not underestimate the value of flexibility. Diversity encompasses race, ethnicity and gender, but it also includes parental status, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, physical ability or disability, and more. Offering hybrid or remote schedules, or offering reduced hour requirements, can be a deciding factor for potential employees choosing between firms.
(For more on the current backlash against DEI and how it’s playing out in accounting, see
“Play to your strengths and use that to get them to come and work with you,” Ellison-Taylor said. “It might not follow any conventional model that you’ve ever heard of, but why not start one?”
It’s important for DEI to be a tone set from the top.
“In order for staff to really have buy-in, they like to see that their leaders are actually bought into the various initiatives or the culture of the firm,” said Trevor Williams, audit partner and director of DEI at GRF CPAs in Bethesda, Maryland.
“There’s only so much growth that your firm can do if everybody looks like and thinks like the same cookie cutter,” Williams continued. “You can’t be successful in today’s environment with that type of belief.”
Diverse leadership brings different perspectives to the table.
“If everybody has the same opinion, you’re not going to get the right answer,” said Lexy Kessler, vice chairman of the AICPA and mid-Atlantic managing partner of Top 100 Firm Aprio. “If you have people with different opinions and different backgrounds coming into conversation, then you get to the right answer.”
DEI can improve a firm’s bottom line.
“We work in accounting. If we can start showing people that by continuing their efforts in inclusive initiatives in their firm — that the metrics will get better — I think that they will keep going with it,” said Sandra Wiley, president of Boomer Consulting. “But I think we’ve got to turn the attention to not just what some firm leaders would call fluff and talk about the numbers. Talk about profitability, talk about how many innovative ideas are coming up, talk about the collaboration between teams about engagement, and attracting and retaining good people.”
But it’s up to firms to make change happen. “You can’t wait and hope for the best,” said Anoop Mehta, past chair of the AICPA and current chair of the AICPA NCDI. “You have to put processes in place, and you have to be intentional about it.”
Experts say that now is not the time to pull back. Doing so risks alienating not only diverse talent but also the growing Gen Z workforce who highly value their companies’ stances on critical social issues.
“Pulling back is only going to position your firm as being run by people that don’t care about this kind of stuff,” said Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk, president and manager of the Accounting MOVE Project. “They don’t care about their employees. They don’t care about reaching people outside of the majority of firm employees.”
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