Paul Richmond recently spoke with Rob Brown on his weekly Accounting Influencers Podcast about “The Future of Offices & Cultures in Professional Firms”, key highlights included:

• What actually happened to professional firms and their clients during the pandemic and what gives them hope for the future
• How many professional firms have adapted to change and adversity, whilst others have been slow to react and complacent in their outlook
• Why professional firms will NEVER be going back to the way things were. ‘Working Remotely’ is now an established practice
• The challenges for professional firms as the future office has changed forever, including recruiting young talent and shaping culture
• What office spaces might look like in in the future workplace with hybrid working practices
• The $64k question: how firms will get people together once restrictions are all lifted and new ways of working are the norm
• The dilemma of driving culture collaboration and intimacy when professional firms have a proportion of their people working remotely
• What really reveals the culture of a professional firm, and how it becomes more difficult in a socially distanced working environment
• Whether clients actually care about being face to face with their trusted advisors
• The biggest reason why it’s so difficult to build trust and intimacy in virtual meetings versus face to face
• What might change in the way professional firms choose and develop their future partners
• What qualities professional firm leadership should be looking for in hiring and promoting their talent
• What the learning and development function may look like in professional firms of the future, with virtual learning being here to stay!
• Advice for accounting and legal professionals at all levels to come out of the pandemic bigger, faster and stronger.

Take a listen to the podcast here.

Please email paul@thegrogroup.com if you would like to discuss any challenges around people development or creating a connection between the firm and your people, we would be delighted to chat!