This edition of Generational Viewpoints features two professionals from BSB CPAs + Business Advisors, a 55-employee firm located in Fairfax, Virginia. We asked baby boomer managing partner Debbie Harris, born in 1963, and millennial audit partner Kevin Hamaker, born in 1987, to share their perspectives on the following question:

“What differences have you noticed in the perspectives or motivators of your interns and new hires that likely represent the oldest Gen Zs? How are you adapting or adjusting to those differences?

Harris’ boomer viewpoint

I have been in this business for many years, and so much of my work history has been steeped in traditional accounting firm mindsets. The events of the past few years have forced a change in our thinking. We are all fighting over a reduced number of accounting candidates, and to remain competitive, we need to listen and adapt to the new environment. I am pleased that we have seen so many positive changes in our firm by implementing the ideas of our youngest team members.

Gen Z feels more independent to us than earlier starting classes. They know what they want and how to go about getting it. They want to feel valued, expect greater work/life balance and flexibility, they embrace technology, and want to be part of a culture that allows them to thrive. 

We recognized that our Gen Z team members place great importance on feeling valued, respected and included. We have multiple committees and invite the staff to participate in the ones that interest them. Most notable is our marketing committee, where we have started to deploy TikTok content. Our Gen Zs prepare and post many videos on TikTok as well as our other social media sites. They have also contributed to many changes in our recruiting efforts. We are now using Hubs at our events and have more relevant recruiting materials. 

The changes that they have brought forward have helped us implement a recruiting program that is interesting and applicable to prospective interns and first-year team members. They have a great time generating these ideas and feel they are truly contributing to our team. Gone are the days of the partners sitting in a room producing the content to tell our story — it’s being told in a more impactful way by our people.

Gen Zs value flexibility and work-life balance. The movement for work-life balance has actually been around for some time now, but I believe that Gen Z has helped to bring the value of flexibility to the forefront. Since embracing the remote work environment, the mindset has slowly shifted from believing staff were more productive while in the office to recognizing we are successfully working from anywhere. We have also become more flexible with our schedules. A few years ago, we would ask the staff to work crazy hours during busy season, and it was expected of all staff. We can no longer expect that and have had to look at our business processes to help ensure that balance and flexibility are available to all. We are selective when taking on new clients and make sure our existing clients are a good fit.  

Gen Zs embrace technology in the workplace. They are not afraid to try anything new and they are able to quickly adopt new software. They have become a valuable resource for some of our more experienced staff members. More important, they want to see the firm staying current and investing in our digital strategy. Our firm has tried multiple new programs this year and our younger staff have been a big part of this. Recently, we implemented digital business cards and I relied on the staff to help set up my account and my profile, and teach me what I needed to know about the program. 

It has been challenging to let go of some of the traditional business model constructs to allow for more creativity and involvement by our team members. Still, I believe the Gen Z influence has added valuable perspective, helped change the way we work, and become an important part of our team.

Hamaker’s Millennial viewpoint

Gen Z has changed our firm for the better. In some respects, the pandemic took the fun out of our profession and Gen Z is bringing it back. They have fresh ideas, are not afraid to participate or help, and they keep us “hip.” In my opinion, this generation has been a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Gen Z grew up in the age of technology, and due to the pandemic, were forced to learn remotely. They embrace digital communication, have high expectations when it comes to technology implementation, and know how to use the technology that is available to them. As a result, this new generation opens our profession to more possibilities. They understand the remote work environment, do not need as much “in-person” learning and training, and know how to quickly adapt to new technologies.

Gen Zs are a very confident generation. Our interns and new hires come in believing they have a greater knowledge of the profession than might be possible for their experience. This summer, several of our interns were shocked at how much they didn’t know coming into the internship program, and exposure to “real” accounting was an eye-opener that many of them needed. During our internship, we made a concerted effort to have them perform client-facing work so they could truly experience the profession. A motivating factor of Gen Z is that they want to feel they are actually contributing, so providing them real work gives them an opportunity to feel included and be part of the bigger picture.

I am a Millennial, and Gen X and Baby Boomers thought we didn’t work as hard and that we overvalued work-life balance. I believe Millennials value work-life balance; however, Gen Z is more committed to this balance than even we are. They hold firm to this belief and will not waver. We offer a completely flexible work environment, and this allows them to balance their time between work and life. Their joys outside of work are important to them, so they are important to us, too. Offering the anytime and anyplace work environment allows them to focus on life, too.

This past year, we offered remote and hybrid internships. This allowed our interns to have the flexibility and work-life balance that is available to the rest of our team. Initially, there was pushback from the more experienced members of our firm. They believed that you could not have inexperienced staff or interns learn in a remote environment while staying focused. I knew this was false, as Gen Z had already performed in this environment in school. I knew our internship program would be successful and it was. Our firm benefited greatly from this success and we were able to extend our reach for talent nationally, even though we are located in the Washington, D.C., area.

Another Gen Z motivating factor is recognition. If they are doing a good job, they want and need to receive this feedback. This contributes to their self-worth and they gain confidence that they are a valuable member of our team. Personally, I have been making a more concerted effort to recognize them. Recognizing that they add value can be done in other ways, as well. Our firm does a great job of providing opportunities to actively include them in various facets of the business. If you want new and innovative ideas, they are a great resource to have. We have put Gen Zs in charge of our firm’s social media team and other marketing initiatives. They have produced great content, and having the older generations get involved with TikTok has brought fun to our firm, and made recruiting very successful. These TikTok videos allow us to be more relatable to our Gen Z recruits because our Gen Z talent is producing the content. It also gives them a chance to brag about our firm’s culture and environment.

We try to get Gen Z involved on the technology front. Gen Z has been instrumental in designing our website and implementing the usage of digital business cards. Again, they embrace, appreciate and use technology in ways that older generations haven’t.

As a profession we must welcome Gen Z with open arms and realize they will make us and the world a better place.

This column is facilitated and edited by Caroline Ready, the millennial marketing and sales coordinator, and Jennifer Wilson, the Baby Boomer co-founder and partner, of ConvergenceCoaching LLC, a leadership and management consulting and coaching firm that helps leaders achieve success. To have your firm’s generational viewpoints considered for a future Accounting Tomorrow column, e-mail them at [email protected].