LEADERSHIP LENS
YOUR OFFICE OF THE FUTURE Kimberly Scott
Virtual or Hybrid World Many offices went virtual at some point during the pandemic, and according to industry surveys and what I’m hearing from firm leaders, most offices appear to be considering maintaining a hybrid working model moving forward. This has created many new challenges and benefits. Perhaps the most significant benefit for staff is the time gained due to the lack of commuting every day. Many have also taken this opportunity to move out of the city or to other locations, allowing more choices in their work-life structure. If we compare member addresses from pre-COVID to now, there is a noticeable difference in where members are living based on chapter area. During the pandemic, many staff combined work with a vacation or travel, often for a month or longer. Whether this trend will continue is unknown, but it is unique. These benefits appear to be extremely valuable to employees and are pursued by those who are considering new opportunities.
Typically, when you see a title or headline that mentions the office of the future, it is focused on technology. While technology is absolutely key to any office, there are many more variables related to the office of the future which are keeping CPAs up at night.
your organization, as the cost of living and wages in our state are higher than other areas. Although the benefits are enjoyed, the challenges seem to be growing. Last fall a group of partners from small, mid-sized and large firms shared the challenges that were keeping them up at night. Technology remains a top consideration. Cyber security is a tremendous concern with staff working in multiple locations.
For organizations, virtual or hybrid operations offer the opportunity to reduce their footprint or move locations and cut overhead office costs. This is not unique to firms, as the Puget Sound Business Journal has reported that many organizations are decreasing their office size. Another benefit to firms is the ability to look outside of the immediate location to hire. I have heard from firms of all sizes in our state that they have new staff living and working in other states. This can give a competitive edge if it works for
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The Washington CPA Winter 2022
www.wscpa.org
