AICPA study shows women making progress in public accounting firms, both sexes benefiting from work/life initiatives.

Women increasingly are attaining leadership positions in public accounting firms, and many more women, as well as men, are taking advantage of alternative career paths offered by an increasing number of firms. These are two of the findings of a recent AICPA study.

The study, "A Decade of Changes in the Accounting Profession: Workforce Trends and Human Capital Practices," was conducted under the aegis of the AICPA's Work/Life and Women's Initiatives Executive Committee and explored a wide range of topics, including career advancement, turnover and mentoring. More than 2,600 CPAs took part in the research, including those working both in firms and in business and industry. This was the fourth such study the Executive Committee commissioned since 1992.

Women now account for 19% of all firm partners, up from 12% a decade ago, the survey found. Even more significantly, women partners do not appear to be experiencing barriers to leadership positions in their firms, such as firm director of tax or audit or office managing partner.

Many CPA firms are moving beyond the up-or-out philosophy of the past. They recognize that choosing an alternative career path is often a solution for some individuals to help them cope with children, aging parents or other issues. The study reported, however, that only 38% of the firms surveyed offered some kind of alternative career path that does not lead to partner (i.e., choosing to stay as a senior manager or moving into an area like recruiting that is less client service driven).

The report concluded that the accounting workforce is changing faster than human resources policies can adjust, noting significant gaps between what firms think motivates and retains people and what is effective in actual practice. To obtain the report, go to www.aicpa.org/worklife and click on "Research."