Diversity, equity & inclusion articles

For Immediate Release
 
 Tina Bates, VSCPA
 (804) 612 -9416
 [email protected]
 X: @vscpanews
 
 Richmond (Oct. 1, 2024) — In recognition of her contributions to advancing diversity in the business and accounting community, VSCPA President...

The events over the last few months related to race have reminded us all: Diversity matters. What we say and do at work matters. So how do we change? How do we become the leaders and co-workers we want to be? How can we shape our firms and companies so they reflect a diverse and tolerant society?

A quarter of LGBTQ+ young adults go back into the closet after starting work, according to Positive Futures, a report from charity Just Like Us. Sponsored by Deloitte, the report reveals the reality many LGBTQ+ people face in their careers: 49% ‘rarely or never’ feel close to other people and 48% are not confident they’ll have a career they enjoy. 

Across the country, dedicated accountants who have devoted their lives to the CPA profession are asking themselves an unwelcome question: Where are the next generation of talented accountants? The answer: They are there, but the number is dwindling. 

Like many other industries, the accounting profession has had to navigate a lot of challenges in recent years. The most obvious being the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting hiring and retention difficulties. Though, in my opinion, maybe one...

The CPA talent pipeline and diversity in the profession are two massive, yet critical, issues. They’re also tightly interwoven, with diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) emerging as one of the top issues for attracting and...

Three years ago, Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, PC (CBM), created a plan to address what former managing partner Pete Reilly, CPA, CVA, called “pale, male, and stale” — a makeup of firm leadership that he felt needed to change. Pete was a visionary, and he began having conversations as early as 2010 with Dan Weaver, CPA, our new managing partner, to institute dramatic change. Those conversations ultimately became D-PATH, CBM’s diversity initiative founded by now-retired partner Patricia Drolet, CPA.

When it comes to disability, at an 80% rate of unemployment/underemployment (the highest rate of all disabilities), those on the autism spectrum are underrepresented in the workplace as a whole — although they may have the skills, talents and education to be high-performing employees.

For some organizations, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts often translate to little more than annual training. However, truly engaging journeys involving all team members could yield increased productivity, higher revenue, and lower attrition rates.

Learning how to say and pronounce an individual’s name is a small, yet intentional act of inclusion you can engage in today! Making the effort to correctly pronounce someone’s name is a small act that conveys respect and understanding, and can go a long way in helping people feel valued. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want?

The VSCPA Educational Foundation has hit its $100,000 goal to launch a new scholarship encouraging and supporting underrepresented students in the pursuit of the CPA profession. The Curtis C. Duke and Dr. Ruth Coles Harris Scholarship honors the first Black male and female CPAs in the state of Virginia.

Very few VSCPA members have the longevity in the profession of Dr. Ruth Coles Harris, CPA. None can claim to have witnessed the same kind of history. Harris is the inaugural recipient of the VSCPA’s new Ruth Coles Harris Advancing Diversity & Inclusion Award, and you couldn’t dream up a more deserving candidate if you tried. Harris, 90, spent her formative years under the yoke of Jim Crow, then stood up to ensure her students had the opportunities she didn’t.

In an organization filled with high-achieving professionals, Powhatan native Lynne Doughtie, CPA, manages to stand out. In 2015, she was named chairman and CEO of Big Four firm KPMG, becoming the first woman to hold both roles simultaneously in the Big Four. 

Within the CPA profession, women are still widely underrepresented, especially in leadership roles both in firms and the corporate finance sector. But when most think about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming, women do not always come to mind as a group needing attention. This is a shortsighted omission.

Often the concepts of equity and equality are used interchangeably. Recently, there has been a shift towards distinguishing between the two. Understanding the differences between equity and equality can lead to transformational change in the workplace.

The conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) should be at the forefront of all discussions within organizations to align with and create an innovative and sustainable future. In professional service organizations, specifically accounting, defining and crafting DEI goals and initiatives is critical to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture. 

In this time of uncertainty, we are certain about one thing – the impact of transparency in an organization. Research overwhelmingly suggests that transparency is a low impact way for leaders to make a significant impression on employees.