Co-workers who advocate for each other build long-term loyalty that supports firm stability. Cultivating mutual allyship among team members is an essential early leadership skill. Rehmann, a perennial on the Accounting MOVE Project Best CPA Firms lists, integrates strong peer relationships within practices with career pathing and succession planning, ensuring a reliable roster of diverse talent. Leaders from the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance offer enhanced peer context for small firms and solo practitioners, opening new venues for growth.
 
Academic, industry, and prior Accounting MOVE Project analysis all agree: Peer relationships are among the most important and most overlooked dynamics for retaining employees at every level. Now, peer support must adapt in several directions to strengthen retention. Senior women, who were essential for pulling organizations through the early chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, are the most stressed of all employees. Meanwhile, peer context is invaluable for helping younger professionals envision advancement at their current employers. This session outlines practices and case studies that show how to accelerate the power of peer relationships, through both structured programs and through team culture.
 
Learning Objectives:

• Recognize how Rehmann fosters lasting peer relationships that grow along with rising professionals—a dynamic especially critical for retaining high-potential women


• Define how Rehmann integrates peer allyship with employee resource groups and formal leadership development programs


• Identify how AFWA chapters create opportunities for peer relationships that complement and extend relationships at work