We recently got a great question on our Facebook page about turnover at tax offices.
“Many of the tax offices seems to have to recruit and train preparers every season, why the turnover?”
This person is correct in thinking that tax offices have a high turnover because frankly, most of them do! The reason for turnover is because tax preparation is a seasonal career for many people with most tax returns being completed during tax season, January – April. For many, it is sometimes a stopgap between jobs/careers because it doesn’t take that long to learn the basics of tax preparation.
So as a tax business owner, how to you reduce turnover?
You Need to Hire Smarter
That seems to be just a general rule of thumb as an employer – you always want to ensure you recruit the right people so that you have the best staff and thus reduce turnover. Turnover is costly for any employer. It takes time and money to train someone, and more time for them to get acclimated to their new environment.
To avoid this issue, we recommend hiring people that will be satisfied with a seasonal career. These types of people are great because they are ok with the seasonality and will return to work for you year after year.
Who Fits the Seasonal Profile?
Retirees
Early retirees who want to travel other times of the year, spend time with family, or are on a fixed income.
Parents
Parents with small children that need or want their holidays and summers free.
Professionals with Complimentary Careers
Professionals with complimentary careers like financial services, insurance sales, or accounting professionals.
People with Other Seasonal Careers
People with complimentary seasonal careers such as lawn care and retail also work well. These people may not have much work in the first quarter of the year, making tax preparation ideal for them.
Finding these types of people will definitely reduce your turnover – which will earn you more loyal customers in the long run. People like coming back to the same tax preparer year after year. The more of a relationship your preparers develop with a client, the less likely they will leave you for another firm. How can you build relationships when your staff changes every season?
If you’re a tax business owner, what’s your turnover like? Who do you look for when hiring for the upcoming season?
More articles on hiring and training:
Recruit and Train Your Own Preparers