Holding on tight to talent: staff development as a staff retention tool.

• Position: Professionalissues

Keeping and motivating employees to achieve professional success--and add to the business' bottom line--has long been a key concern for corporate America and one that for the past several years has taken center stage for the CPA profession.

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A 2007 Robert Half survey found that 58 percent of respondents worldwide and 73 percent of respondents in the United States expressed concern about losing their top performers to other job opportunities, up from 43 percent and 46 percent, respectively in 2006.

Following the struggles CPA firms have had over the past several years to fill key positions, firms of all sizes are developing staff development and retention programs as a way to keep valuable talent.

Back to School?

San Ramon-based Armanino McKenna LLP last year established "Armanino University," which spans the first eight years of a person's tenure at the firm. And last month the firm rolled out LEAP: Leadership Excellence for A-M Professionals.

Everyone in the company--325 employees and 30 partners--enters LEAP, from entry-level staff (Level 1) to partners (Level 4). Each level offers varying courses to help employee achieve desired competencies.

"We're giving all employees the tools to help them achieve the ultimate management level, whether they're coming to us with experience from another firm or just starting out," says Vickie Moul, director of human resources and college recruitment for Armanino McKenna.

The firm also uses the "True Colors" leadership training module for all employees.

Travis Chance, a staff analyst, says that True Colors helped him identify other staffers who he would work well with.

"I'm a 'gold' and that means I'm very organized and detail conscious," Chance says. "One of my colleagues in the office is a 'green,' which means she's very analytical, and the combination of our strengths works quite well."

Following the True Colors training, participants can explore other courses and are offered tracks that are appropriate to their experience levels.

Erin Chan, a senior consultant in Armanino McKenna's IT Solutions Group, took a course called "fundamental principles of consulting," in which she role-played the client, giving her a better perspective on what clients are thinking when collaborating with her.

"It was great to be able to learn how to adjust my level of communication with clients by understanding their mind-set and through asking the right follow up questions of them," Chan says.

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