You probably show new employees the ropes when they start – but are you showing them all the ropes?
Typically, entry-level staff get trained on the area they joined – whether tax or audit or accounting – and may spend their entire careers not knowing any other practice area. But many of the Best Firms to Work For often take a different approach, going out of their way to expose employees to a broad range of service areas, and often to a range of clients, too.
The 123 employees of Rochester, N.Y.-based Insero & Co., for instance, have “the ability to gain exposure to different clients and departments.” Similarly, St. Louis’ Mueller Prost offers cross-training program for entry-level staff “to learn about different departments and career paths.”
At the very least, employees come away from these kinds of programs with a deeper understanding of the firm and what it offers; at best, they may discover that a different service offering really speaks to them as an individual.
RGL Forensics, which is based in Denver but has a number of international offices, is in the unique position to take that kind of cross-training a giant geographical step further: It allows employees from “from global offices to be ‘exchanged’ for a limited period to develop new skills and learning practices in different states or countries.” (And for small firms who may think that kind of program is beyond their means, similar exchanges can sometimes be arranged through international associations.)
The important thing to remember is that helping employees explore everything the firm and the profession has to offer will help them build the best possible career – and they’ll appreciate that sort of individual attention from you.
