Friday Reflection
Business Advisory Services Update
“Your greatest challenge at the moment is getting good people to work with.”
Andrew Geddes, Australian Accounting Legend, Chair of Greencross Ltd for 10 years, a company which developed over 30 years from a very small veterinary surgery to be a top 200 ASX company, utilising the “scaling up process” that Geddes introduced to the Greencross leadership team 15 years ago.
“Partners of accountancy firms are saying there are not enough of them (young accountants) but no, there are enough of them, they’ve chosen not to work in the profession because they’ve been asked to do compliance work only and to obtain 80% productivity which has caused people to say – I’m not sure I want to work in that environment.”
“Having younger accountants work as your shadow with you on client work and it helps having them work in project teams because we are teaching them about how to improve the business, how to communicate with clients and we are giving them the experience that develops their experience and their skill base.”
“I think the profession has got to make itself more attractive for people to work in and talk about.”
“The attitude we take to work has got to be one of encouraging and providing opportunities and growing and developing people, more so than ever before, because there is a shortage of people.”
“You’ve got to start it now – this afternoon!”
