LEAD STORY
Mentoring Makes a Difference
No need to convince Renee C. Aloisio about the importance of mentoring programs. The Director of Internal Operations at Providence’s LGC&D LLP, says she likely would have left the firm and the accounting profession altogether if her mentors didn’t take an interest in her early career.
“They provided the encouragement I needed to sustain my interest in the profession and, more importantly, gave me the confidence I needed to advance my career,” said Aloisio.
Twenty-four years after Aloisio joined the firm, LGC&D LLP continues to have a vibrant mentoring program. Fortunately for the profession, LGC&D is not alone, as many firms have adopted similar programs focused on nurturing the careers of junior staff.
Aloisio believes the need for such programs is critical since so many new CPAs are hired fresh from college and are facing various cultural challenges as a professional, including the important role of working and communicating with clients. Aloisio says that is a time when confidence building can be the most difficult.
“I think the more you learn in the first couple of years, the more you realize what you don’t actually know,” she explains. “That’s when the career path to manager and partner looks unachievable. The mentor can help the mentee see the path more clearly by sharing experiences, and providing recommendations to use in developing a plan to achieve their goals.”
Programs vary from firm to firm. At LGC&D there are several components, from an onboarding or ”buddy” program that starts prior to an accountant joining the firm to connecting him or her with a senior manager who will serve as a long-term career counselor further down the road.
Anne M. Pisaturo, CPA, MST, a senior tax manager at Sansiveri, Kimball & Co., LLP, in Providence, says the firm’s mentoring program is a component of its Performance and Career Excellence program (PACE). Through PACE, mentors are responsible for answering junior staff members’ questions, keeping an eye on his or her performance, providing feedback on professional expectations and identifying areas for professional growth, among other things.
Pisaturo said the obstacles that challenge many young accountants are usually not contained to technical accounting skills.
“What they really need to learn on the job are the soft skills that are sometimes taken for granted, most importantly people skills and time management,” she explained. Pisaturo said people skills can take years to develop, “Young accountants need exposure to various personalities and the different styles of clients and managers. Those are areas that a seasoned professional can provide insight on.”
The same is true for prioritizing and time management. Of course, those skills are magnified during tax season.
A 24-year accounting veteran, Pisaturo can remember the challenge of creating a work-life balance early in her career.
“I soon came to realize that I would have to dedicate the majority of my time to work during those 10 weeks, and plan for more personal time outside of tax season,” she explained.
Other professions have embraced mentoring programs as well. Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, in Providence, RI, Westborough and New Bedford MA, is one of many law firms to employ the tool. At PS&H another effort, Women AdVocates for Enterprise (WAVE), was created to assist female professionals in a variety of business sectors.
Kathi Ryan, a partner at the firm and a founding member of WAVE, says WAVE provides educational and mentoring opportunities in the community. She said members frequently meet with similar organizations in diverse professions like banking, manufacturing, real estate development and other industries to share best practices.
Ryan says mentoring relationships, regardless of the field, can have a lasting impact on a young professional as well as students exploring career choices. She also serves as a mentor and part of an executive mentoring program sponsored by Providence College’s President’s Council. The Council links executives with students completing their last two years of college.
“It’s rewarding to help the students learn more about opportunities in the legal field. Whether it be networking, public speaking, or time management, it’s essential to develop skills that will be pertinent to their future business development,” said Ryan.
Gary Doster, CPA, is manager at Sullivan & Company, LLP in Providence. Doster said the company, founded 35 years ago by Tim Sullivan, has always fostered a culture in which employees mentor help one another. Now that the company has grown to more than 70 employees, those mentoring initiatives have never been more important.
“Our experienced CPAs offer their time and their talents in our mentoring program by acclimating new employees,” he said. “Whether it be questions about our work environment, our volunteer efforts, or getting through the first tax season, our mentors offer a seasoned perspective. And, of course, the ultimate value to our new hires is having that go-to person for questions.”
Doster has seen first-hand that the mentoring program benefits not only the mentee, but the mentor as well.
“We believe being a mentor helps our more experienced professionals become better managers because they see the questions and concerns at the entry level and understand that perspective when those new professionals reach the point of managing an engagement team.”
