Rea’s internship program highlights real-world experience
As time goes on, the path to business success doesn’t get easier – particularly when it comes to identifying and retaining top talent. So, in an effort to preserve the competitive edge in their marketplace while battling high turnover, low revenue, lack-luster employee morale and dissatisfied customers, businesses continue to look for ways to stand out from the crowd. One way to invest in your company’s ongoing success is to focus your attention on employee development.
Here at Rea & Associates, we’ve gone to great lengths to improve our own employee development programs at all levels. In doing so, we’ve noted incredible success with our improved internship program. And now that there is a continual stream of motivated young professionals coming through the door, the firm’s management team can further develop a strategy to continue to raise up these promising young leaders.
Emerging Talent Fuels The Firm’s Future
“Over the last few years, our internship program has become a point of pride,” said Renee West, SHRM-CP, PHR, Rea’s human resources manager. “Rea interns will never find themselves fetching our coffee. We’re committed to identifying talented individuals and providing them with in-depth training and real-world experience.”
The firm’s program is set up so that every intern works one-on-one with a “buddy.” An up-and-coming team member who is responsible for helping structure the intern’s workload in an effort to provide them with a unique hands-on curriculum. This specialized internship experience takes the physical form of an Internship Action Plan. Each action plan indicates how much time each intern will receive on various real-world career immersion opportunities, such as sitting in on a client visit or attending a networking function.
“The goal of the program,” according to West, “is to provide a glimpse into what it’s really like to work at a regional CPA firm. At the end, we hope to make job offers to as many qualified interns as possible so that they can join us full-time after graduation.”
The View From Inside
Rea’s internship program begins with a two-day orientation program. Prior to arriving, all interns receive a copy of The Rea Advantage, the firm’s strategic plan, to gain a better sense of Rea’s culture, objectives and initiatives. In addition to receiving an introduction to the firm, interns are trained on a variety of soft skills as well as general insight to various technical disciplines practiced throughout the firm to give them a leg up on their first day. From there, interns report to their respective offices and embark on a customized internship experience to help them dive into relevant real-world experiences.
“The experience has been everything I could have hoped for and more,” said Brock Ritter, an intern in the firm’s Dublin office. “I’ve been filing taxes, doing fieldwork, and auditing companies. … Its way beyond what we learn in the classroom.”
In an effort to keep everybody on the same page, monthly meetings with each intern are held to identify his or her progress and to address any questions or concerns. Office managers and buddies touch base with HR regularly to ensure ongoing communication while promoting continued improvement of the program.
“Developing and investing in young professionals is vital to any business,” said West. “Through this program our interns receive the tools necessary to be successful in their careers and in life.”
To learn more about our internship program, visit www.reacpa.com/interns.