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| November, 2003 | The
Monthly Newspaper of the NYSSCPA |
Vol.
6, No. 11 |
Diversity Task Force Reports to Board
Lays Out Comprehensive Recruitment Strategy
By William Pape, Director, Member Relations
A task force recommended that the New York State Society of CPAs set five general goals to educate and recruit ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in the accounting profession.
The nine-member task force developed the goals alongside a hefty list of proposed initiatives in early September, before presenting a report on its findings to the NYSSCPA Board of Directors later that month.
Society President Jeffrey Hoops established the group earlier this year, charging members to focus on what appropriate role the Society might take to foster diversity in the profession. Following the task force’s presentation, Hoops asked that the goals and initiatives be included in the Society’s 2004-2005 budget.
Five Points
The task force developed five goals, with several initiatives specific to each goal. These include:
General Initiatives
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Collect data about the ethnic characteristics of the membership.
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Encourage firms to consider paid and unpaid internships; shift the internship period to January, February and March instead of the summer.
Recruitment
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Develop a broader recruitment network at high schools, public colleges and universities.
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Develop a level of trust with firms (national, medium and small), so that when recruits are available, firms can call and arrange interviews.
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Develop recruitment efforts in churches, synagogues and mosques.
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Develop a stronger, more comprehensive program to recruit college students.
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Expand the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP) program to at least 1,000 students every summer.
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Expand recruitment focus to middle-of-the-road, ambitious, dynamic students, not only students with the best grades.
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Focus more recruitment efforts on small- and medium-sized firms.
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Increase resources in the One-on-One program, which matches high schools and colleges with NYSSCPA members who provide information about accounting careers.
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Recruit at the High School of Economics and Finance.
Outreachn
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Develop a job readiness program, focusing on interview skills, resume writing, etc., getting students motivated and focused on accounting.
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Develop a section on the NYSSCPA website for minority resumes. Send e-mails to managing partners letting them know of the minority students available.
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Develop a speakers bureau with minority role models.
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Develop an “adopt-a-scholar” program, where people can give donations in the name of students.
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Develop a comprehensive network with accounting professors.
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Develop a mentoring program.
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Focus on who is speaking to students; representatives of the profession should be young, energetic and passionate.
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Help high schools develop their curriculums. Reach out to high school teachers and guidance counselors.
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Host conferences for accounting, business school teachers and professors, to elucidate topical issues in the profession.
Fundraising
- Improve fundraising for COAP, soliciting resources from CPA firms and non-CPA corporations.
- Institute a grant-writing program.
- Solicit more money from the general membership for NYSSCPA minority recruitment programs.
Chapters
- Encourage chapter leadership to become more active in recruiting to the profession.
- Implement a career day, COAP program, and education night at every chapter.
- Produce a package listing things that need to be done for chapters to reach out to high schools and colleges.
The nine members of the task force were Frank Fusaro, Gerry Golub, Ray Jones, Ilene L. Persoff, Barry Seidel, Edward Torres, Rosemary Rodriquez, Roy Weathers and Patricia Wright.
