Long before I chose to major in accounting, I was made aware of a very concerning stigma. Women in the corporate world don’t make it to the top and IF you do, you have to be a special kind of women to break the ominous glass ceiling. The kind with no family obligations, limited personal life and widely disliked. And, if you can’t relate to that, then be prepared to earn half the salary of your male coworkers and have little chance at promotion.
What a discouraging stereotype to hear for an ambitious 18-year-old girl choosing her future! But I have never been one to take no for an answer, so I was determined to stay optimistic. And I’m glad I did, because HORNE is proving to be a welcoming environment for a female accountant to grow and develop her career.
This past January, I began an internship with the HORNE accounting firm while also working on an undergraduate thesis for my Honors College requirements. Through my research I came across an article published by McKinsey&Company’s Lean In initiative that completely blew me away with the statistics surrounding the lack of females in leadership roles. It also provides a “road map to gender equality” describing sponsorship programs, flexibility and openly addressing underlying bias. During my internship, I quickly learned that HORNE is a firm set out to tackle these issues. As a young woman beginning her professional career, I must say it’s a relief to see a firm willing to put so much effort into their culture that has direct impact on my personal career path. Here are the top three experiences that have impacted me most.
HORNE’s culture emphasizes flexibility, results and empowered people in the daily decisions of team members. I have seen and heard numerous stories of both women and men who needed special consideration for their life situations—starting families, unexpected accidents, illness, the need to relocate—and rather than adhering to a strict, outdated rule book, they focused on the contributions that each individual makes to the team rather than when and where they make those contributions. This shows me that HORNE is on the right track to level the playing field by accommodating the needs of both female and male employees.
HORNE’s sponsorship and advocacy programs also aligned with the Lean In initiative’s equality road map. Research over the years has repeatedly found that a huge handicap for women in public accounting is the lack of role models and connection with senior management. Because of the imbalance in male to female partners, young women in accounting might find it hard to connect with the partners based on similar backgrounds or demographics. Therefore, a sponsorship program such as the one at HORNE is crucial to increase the visibility and connection of diverse team members as they rise in the company. A fellow female team member shared her story of how this program was invaluable to her career success because it helped her stay in front of upper management. As a result, when new projects arose her sponsor was able to speak up and suggest that she be a part of the team. Without the sponsorship program, she may have been overlooked, keeping her from reaching her full potential and the firm from utilizing her knowledge.
According to my research, another key to the success of women in the corporate world is the defeat of underlying bias. But how can you defeat bias that you aren’t even allowed to talk about or acknowledge? In the past, discussing the effects of gender or race on professional outlook in the office has been frowned upon and seen as stirring conflict. However, since I’ve been at HORNE, I’ve noticed they do not shy away from these conversations and better yet, they encourage these conversations because leadership recognizes this is how the firm learns and grows. Addressing these issues rather than giving into conflict avoidance can result in solutions rather than continued bias. Knowing how your colleagues feel provides you a platform to address and potentially repair underlying bias, leaving everyone better equipped to help create a sense of belonging for every team member.
The way that public accounting firms have operated in the past, and the way many continue to operate, simply does not translate to the needs and the desires of the individuals now entering the work force, both male and female. Challenging the status quo can only create more room for growth, and I feel that HORNE has wholeheartedly started adapting to maximize this opportunity with the changes already implemented and those to come.