Registrations are now open for the 2023 Accounting MOVE Project, with a 2023 focus on career sustainability.
The Accounting MOVE Project is an annual survey of accounting and financial firms that gathers data and guidance on the state of women in the profession, from which it creates annual lists of the best firms for women and for equity leadership.
The results will be released on Oct. 24, during the opening day of the annual Women Who Count Conference in Reno, Nevada. The event is organized by MOVE Project partner the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance, a national organization of female finance and accounting professionals who seek to advance the interests of women in the field.
“Women want to work for firms where they can contribute and advance but with leadership that understands that being a successful professional is just part of who they are,” said Cindy Stanley, executive director for the AFWA, in a statement. “That is why it is important for firms to participate in programs like the Accounting MOVE Project. It helps identify firms that have cultures where women can thrive and succeed on their own terms.”
The event is a response to a perceived lack of sustainability in the pace of career advancement at accounting and advisory firms. As professionals have different expectations post-COVID in terms of work-life balance, they also expressed a longing for enduring development opportunities and career responsibilities, especially for women.
So this year, the MOVE team decided to research new customized or scaled partnership models, which half of MOVE firms reported adopting in 2022. The goal is to provide women the opportunity to advance into equity partnerships while lessening the weight of their caregiving burden. As a result, the 2023 MOVE report will look at the deliberate design of customized partnership tracks, differentiate them from remote partnerships, and examine models that work in the long term.
“To reach true career sustainability, we must understand that individual priorities shifted during the pandemic,” said Tricia Bench, inclusion and social responsibility associate director at Top 25 Firm Moss Adams, in a statement. “Most women are now pursuing personal goals as well as career advancement, and firms that create a culture that embraces this holistic approach will be an employer of choice for the current — and next — generation.”
Key dates and deadlines for the 2023 Accounting MOVE Project include:
- March 8: Registration opened.
- March 16: New biweekly podcast, “MOVE Like This,” launched.
- March 22: “Ask Me Anything” webinar with past and current MOVE leaders Joanne Cleaver and Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk.
- April 20: MOVE Project survey opens.
- June 6-9: Virtual mini-summit hosted by CPA Academy.
- July 15: MOVE Project survey closes.
- Oct. 15: Best Firms for Women and Best Firms for Equity Leadership winners informed.
- Oct. 24: MOVE Project results and report released.
“I am honored and excited to take the torch Joanne Cleaver has carried since 2010. I look forward to continuing the in-depth research and publishing best practices that firms are implementing to recruit, retain, and advance women in the accounting profession,” said Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk, owner and project manager.
Firms can register for the Accounting MOVE Project by visiting its website.
