Employee retention and attrition management for Tax consultants: keeping preparers who know your clients
A preparer who knows your clients saves hours every season. Losing that person to a competitor or a different line of work costs more than most practices count.
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Share your requirementsWhy employee retention and attrition management matters in tax consultants
In tax practices, people leave when the peak ends. Some move to a bigger firm, some take a job with fixed hours elsewhere, and some set up as freelancers using the knowledge they gained. The practice then trains new people again, with the same errors repeated.
Retention is about giving people a reason to remain for the quiet months and return for the next peak. That means useful work in the off season, a clear path from preparer to reviewer, fair terms for returning seasonal staff and honest talk about where each person is heading.
How to set it up
1. Review last year's leavers
List who left, when, to what and what was said. Separate seasonal staff from core staff.
2. Plan quiet-month work
Review of old files, advisory prep, training sessions and cleanup of client records for the core team.
3. Invite the best seasonal staff back
Keep a list, stay in touch and make an early offer for next year, with clear terms agreed with a qualified professional.
4. Show a growth path
Preparer to reviewer to team lead, with what each needs to show. Share it and revisit it twice a year.
5. Talk to people before the peak ends
Short conversations with core staff to hear plans and worries. The competency and talent management work can support this.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- Count the preparers who stayed for two seasons or more.
- Ask two good seasonal staff what would bring them back.
- Check what core staff did in the last quiet month.
- Find out where leavers went and what they were offered.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach employee retention and attrition management in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
Often because the quiet months bring less work, less learning and a fear of being let go. A planned off-season role and a stated growth path address both.
Maybe, but it works best alongside clear growth and fair pay. Discuss the structure with a qualified professional and make the conditions simple.
Not entirely. You can reduce the chance by offering growth and client responsibility. Agreements about client dealings should be reviewed by a qualified professional.