Mutual attraction: what their employers do for them.

• Author: English, Damien B.M.
• Position: YEPs Share

it's no secret that attracting and retaining talent is a top priority for businesses. It's also no surprise that there can be a disconnect between what management thinks emerging professionals are looking for in a job.

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Of course, money is an important starting point. A recent survey of CFOs by Robert Half found 37 percent believe offering higher compensation than competitors is the most effective incentive for attracting accounting professionals. A good benefit package is a close second.

But what makes your firm attractive can include much more than pay and benefits.

California CPA interviewed young and emerging CPAs to ask them about the things--big and small--their employer does for them.

Getting Them in the Door

You've heard this before: first impressions go a long way. Whether it's a website or the first face a job candidate sees, first impressions can get you halfway to landing that perfect employee. For Kristen Contreras, a 34-year-old internal auditor and business risk consulting for Good Swartz Brown & Berns, LLP, the people at her firm "and discovering their enthusiasm for the profession" made an immediate impact.

"An office is an office, but the people in it make a huge difference," she says.

Of her first impressions of Rothstein Kass, Sindhu Rajesh, 32, says, "They had an attractive website, as well as many different office locations around the nation. There was a great potential for growth."

Indeed, now with the firm for eight years, Rajesh is a senior manager.

Evidence of growth opportunities also was attractive to 29-year-old Jeff Chen, who has worked for Oaktree Capital Management, LP since October. He says the company was experiencing "tremendous growth" when he interviewed, which meant opportunities would "abound" for him.

To further seal the deal, Chen's company made it apparent that it would help him with those opportunities. "The company appeared to be very supportive of the career development of its people," he says. This can take the form of compensating for CPE and professional memberships, or providing in-house training and time off to pursue further education.

Contreras says this attention to new employees is a major factor in bringing in the right talent. "People want to feel that they matter, and want to work with people who will mentor them when they're starting out in their career," she says. "Someone who will be aware of the employee's interests, natural talents and ability that might...