You know the age-old question which came first the chicken or the egg? Here’s a new one: which comes first your job or your personal life? This is the question many of us in the accounting industry have to ask ourselves these days. It’s hard to find a balance between wanting to be career-driven and also wanting to have free time to enjoy the small pleasures of life. And so it becomes an everyday battle trying to decide which comes first.
Thankfully millennials are reshaping the workforce, even in the accounting industry. Born between 1981 and 1996 millennials are go-getters, tech-savvy, and aren’t afraid of change. They’re the #1 advocates for change in the workforce. They’re demanding a better work-life balance. They believe that while their responsibilities at work are important there should also be time outside of work to pursue hobbies, hang out with friends and family, and enjoy life.
What do Accountants have to say?
If you have a few minutes I encourage you to head over to the subreddit: r/accounting page to see what others have to say about the Work vs. Life debate. A quick scroll on the page displays countless posts about the dread of public accounting during busy seasons. While every industry has its flaws, public accounting gets a bad reputation for the industry’s tendency to excessively work employees.
There are two major factors in deciding whether to pursue a career in private or public accounting. Either compromise personal time or sacrifice higher monetary rewards. In a recent study by White et al. (2020) millennial accountants highlighted their feelings toward job stability, security, and attractiveness. Those in public accounting believed they had compromised their time, while those in private accounting believed they had sacrificed higher monetary rewards and future marketability. (“Career Anchors of Millennial Accountants,” Advances in Accounting Behavioral Research, Vol. 23)
What’s the Solution?
With technology at our fingertips, accounting firms can save time and money by investing in software that increases efficiency. The battle isn’t about eliminating the work our jobs require of us. It’s about efficiently completing tasks so time is well spent. When efficiency is increased, work gets done faster, freeing up time to spend on our personal lives.
Our team at notis has created a solution to provide more balance between work and personal life. With notis, efficiency is at the forefront of every engagement. We’ve transformed the way firms organize, communicate, and operate so time isn’t spent on unnecessary tasks such as searching and gathering information. The task management suites are designed so files and communication history can instantly be found without searching through endless folders in a file room. Our goal is to make accountants’ lives easier at work so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor at home with family and friends.
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