How to retain top CA's

Top students aspire to become CAs (SA) because it gives them an excellent opportunity to have a successful, sustainable career in almost any industry.

Over the years South Africa’s chartered accountants have earned a reputation as professional, dynamic and as achievers. But how do employers keep them?

Robert Walters accounting and finance recruitment division offer their expert advice.
 

Training and development

It's important to set out training and development programmes to ensure that the job grows for the CA and that the employee is continuously learning. This will help the employee to feel there is depth and variety in their role and help them progress in their career.  

Performance plans 

Have a performance plan for your CA in the long-term and be their career and professional development partner, outlining potential timelines and a solid career path once performance is strong.

Career development

Be proactive and set clear career goals to help your CA achieve their own career development plans. Set out expectations about what the job entails and what the key deliverables are over a certain period of time.

You will also need to implement regular appraisals to assess their career progression and offer advice and feedback. This will give the CA specific challenges to work towards over a monthly, quarterly or yearly timeframe.

Communicate openly and honestly

Communicating opening and honestly about the responsibilities and challenges faced by the business and the role the candidate has undertaken will help to create trust and a better working relationship. Encouraging employees to ask questions and make suggestions will help them to feel as if they are truly part of the team and are contributing to the overall business strategy.

As a result, professionals have 'buy-in' to the business and don't feel like they are being 'oversold' to in their current role,  often encouraging them to stay to help grow the business.

Competitive salary 

Organisations should make sure the salary they are offering CAs is market related. Employees will then feel like they are being fairly paid according to industry standards and are more likely to experience stability in their role.

Financial incentives 

Performance bonuses with set KPIs will keep candidates’ expectations steady and reward good performance. Performance goals can also increase motivation and morale.  

In addition, offering annual raises is a well-known incentive to keep employees working for you longer.

Flexible working  hours 

Being able to work from home is considered a huge perk for prospective and current employees, and can act as an incentive to hire and retain the best CAs in the marketplace.

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For more hiring advice please contact:

Jason Grundy, Managing Director - Middle East and Africa
jason.grundy@robertwalters.com