Path to Partner
Message From Your Managing Partner
Welcome to Sassetti – where your development is our priority. At Sassetti, we all take pride in our reputation with our clients and our standing in the community. Our goal of investing in you and your development creates a win-win solution for you and the firm. The development plan that the firm has put in place has your growth in mind. Our goal is to create a culture of continual learning to enable you to continue to expand your knowledge and to ensure that you are an intricate part of the success of our firm.
The success you find at Sassetti and your continued development should be a priority to you. While we can provide the resources for your expanded knowledge, you must take the initiative and time to drive your development.
The firm expects every client-facing professional to focus on both technical CPE training and professional skills training. This combination will help develop the “whole you” and allow for your continued advancement with the firm.
Client Service
Basic
- Consults with manager or partner on how to handle client issues
- Maintains strict confidentiality of all client business
- Is courteous, friendly and professional during client interactions
- Handles client complaints and communicates issues with possible solutions to firm management
Senior
- Interacts successfully with clients
- Follow‐up with clients to ensure expectations were met
- Begins to demonstrate ability to strengthen relationships with clients
Manager
- Cultivates role as primary contact for client
- Provides timely response to all client inquiries
- Provides staff with industry specific information to increase client service quality
- Demonstrates the ability to strengthen relationships with clients
- Demonstrates the ability to engage client in a discussion about the strategic and operational effectiveness of their organization
Sr. Manager
- Anticipates client needs and proactively proposes solutions
- Demonstrates responsibility for overall client satisfaction
- Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the market, industry and challenges for clients
- Demonstrates the ability to help clients assess their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in their strategic and operational effectiveness
Partner
- Identifies ways to provide additional and superior service to clients
Business Development
Basic
- Builds external relationships and a network of peers
- Actively observes seniors interacting with clients to learn how to establish strong rapport and trust
- Understands: the proposal process; firm’s competitors; firm’s products and services; and the types of clients serviced by the firm
- Understands how Sassetti promotes business opportunities and networking ability
Senior
- Joins external networking groups
- Relates firm service offerings to current clients; communicates identified opportunities to supervisor
- Assists with proposals for new clients
- Develops a knowledge of competitors’ positions in industry
- Understands firm’s services and potential for cross‐selling opportunities
- Participates in firm recruiting events as requested to introduce and sell the firm to students and faculty
- Understands the Alliance firms’ capabilities and how they can support the growth of business, (this would include BRN capabilities)
Manager
- Develops new client contacts and relationships that are beneficial to the firm
- Develops leads and networking opportunities
- Recognizes opportunities to provide additional services to current clients
- Demonstrates ability to initiate, nurture and develop relationships with prospective clients
- Understands firm’s competitive position in its market
- Demonstrates ability to cross‐sell firm’s services
- Actively engages other Alliance firms to further business development opportunities
Sr. Manager
- Actively solicits new client relationships
- Participates in client / potential client seminars to expand networking opportunities
- Holds themselves and others accountable for achieving business development and growth goals
- Mentors staff and managers on how to succeed in the marketplace; includes staff in proposal / business development opportunities
- Provides guidance to staff in understanding the firm’s competitive advantages and differentiators
- Actively participates with the Alliance to enhance business opportunities
Partner
- Meets periodically with all partners and leaders in office / region / Alliance to develop shared vision and growth / business development ideas
- Demonstrates the ability to negotiate and close opportunities that are beneficial to the firm
Communication
Basic
- Uses effective communication skills with clients and staff; active listening and inquires to understand
- Converses intelligently with clients and presents self in a professional manner
- Interacts with others in a manner that cultivates an environment of trust, respect and fairness
- Maintains communication with supervisors, managers and partners
- Provides clear written communication in both internal and external correspondence
Senior
- Demonstrates ability to correspond and communicate professionally
- Develops communication skills that ensure all firm communications are of a quality expected from a premier accounting firm
Manager
- Communicates confidently and persuasively with team members, clients and contacts
- Provides open communication to all staff to promote a positive learning environment
- Effectively communicates all aspects of work performed to clients, partners, managers and staff
Sr. Manager
- Serves as model for effective communication, both verbal and written
- Teaches communication skills that ensure all firm communications are of a quality expected from a premier accounting firm
Partner
- Effectively communicates change management issues to others
- Communicates effectively and assertively in high risk situations to resolve complex and/or sensitive issues
- Creates an environment where open communication is welcome
Leadership
Basic
- Seeks opportunities to share knowledge with others
- Takes ownership of his/her own actions and sets an example for others
Senior
- Takes the initiative to develop and grow subordinate staff
- Contributes to staff performance evaluations
- Delegates effectively to staff, and takes responsibility for them completing work
Manager
- Develops knowledge personally as well as the skills of subordinate staff
- Supervises staff and seniors, provides feedback to them and evaluates their progress, and offers guidance and direction
- Identifies staff qualifications and reviews staff assignments, making sure they align with qualifications
Sr. Manager
- Pursues, volunteers for, or seizes appropriate opportunities to take lead roles within and outside the firm
- Motivates individuals and teams to reach common goals
- Empowers others to work productively and to be individual leaders in their own right
Partner
- Actively promotes and complies with firm‐wide strategy and initiatives
- Continues to mentor the firm’s next generation of dynamic and diverse leaders
- Acknowledges and rewards employee contributions and achievements
- Creates an environment of inclusion within the firm
- Creates goals and a climate that allows all employees to feel part of the success of the firm
Operational Excellence
(Effective, Efficient, Productive)
Basic
- Seeks opportunities to be chargeable
- Strives to complete assignments within timeline and budget
- Maintains accurate time records with descriptions of work for client billing
Senior
- Identifies engagement issues that cause inefficiencies or risks to engagement quality, and effectively works with firm personnel to effect positive change
- Demonstrates consistent ability to bring jobs to conclusion effectively and in a timely manner
- Takes time to share time‐ saving efficiencies with others to help improve their efficiency while maintaining quality
Manager
- Develops and understands the concepts of engagement / project profitability and budget monitoring to ensure that jobs are concluded timely and profitably
- Demonstrates complete knowledge of the firm’s philosophy, reports, policies and opinions on financial matters
- Manages staff workloads to minimize non‐productive time and mitigate excessive overtime
- Shows responsibility for all phases of multiple engagements; demonstrates exceptional time management / multi‐ tasking skills on multiple engagements; and follows engagement planning and staff assignments to stay familiar with staff skills
Sr. Manager
- Remains up‐to‐date with new technologies and leverages firm technology to maximize team productivity and efficiency
- Understands and educates others in the economics and business of public accounting
Partner
- Consistently orients self and others, including support professionals, towards the firm’s financial goals and expectations
- Develops strategies to improve the operational effectiveness of the firm
Personal Development
Basic
- Takes the initiative to increase knowledge and skills through self
- – study and personal development
- Identifies opportunities to try new tasks to expand personal knowledge
- Completes training requirements
- Studies for and completes several sections of the CPA exam
- Takes corrective action on identified areas for improvement listed on review notes
Senior
- Identifies engagement issues that cause inefficiencies or risks to engagement quality, and effectively works with firm personnel to effect positive change
- Demonstrates consistent ability to bring jobs to conclusion effectively and in a timely manner
- Takes time to share time‐ saving efficiencies with others to help improve their efficiency while maintaining quality
Manager
- Continually expends his or her talents and gifts to the fullest; participates in a variety of events and pursuits designed to build on strengths
- Actively seeks feedback for self‐improvement opportunities
Sr. Manager
- Serves as a role model for those who strive for personal excellence
- Continually looks for ways or training to strengthen technical industry knowledge and leaderships skills
Partner
- Demonstrates mastery of agility in meeting changing conditions
Accounting & Auditing
Basic
- Demonstrates the ability to tie out basic balance sheet, and performs client write‐ups
- Understands and applies generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted auditing standards, and principles of internal accounting control
- Performs audit procedures on foundational, less complex engagements (Cash, Prepaid Expenses, PP&E, AP, etc.), preparing appropriate audit conclusions
- Demonstrates the ability to determine sample selection
- Demonstrates a general understanding of audit skepticism
- Demonstrates ability to provide neat, complete and organized workpapers using the firm’s technology
- Accurately prepares a draft final financial statement
- Identifies and notifies Senior of potential matters for inclusion within the highlights memorandum or communication to management and prepares initial draft
Senior
- Successfully deals with more complex accounting issues (e.g., consolidations, process cost accounting, complicated deferred tax calculations)
- Demonstrates a thorough and updated knowledge and application of generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted auditing standards, and principles of internal accounting control
- Analyzes audit procedures on general and more complex engagements
- Ensures all issues identified in planning and programs have been addressed
- Runs larger, more complex engagement, supervising staff – or runs 4‐5 smaller engagements simultaneously, managing workloads effectively
- Identifies and assesses the risk of material misstatement of the financial statements and customizes the audit strategy accordingly
- Analyzes financial statements and disclosures to identify any errors or omissions
Manager
- Evaluates internal controls and revises programs if necessary before discussing work program and budget with partner to obtain approval
- Applies knowledge of client industries when evaluating industry risks
- Advises staff to use additional resources when indicators of fraud have been identified
- Evaluates and assesses all findings of the audit to insure conclusions and disclosures are accurate
Sr. Manager
- Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the collective effect of various factors on establishing or enhancing effectiveness, or mitigating the risks, of specific policies and procedures. Factors may include: 1) Management philosophy and operating style, 2) Organizational structure, 3) Methods of assigning authority and responsibility, 4) Management control methods, 5) The internal audit function, 6) Personnel policies and practices, and 7) Function of the board of directors and its committees
- Provides client feedback to improve client’s internal controls
Partner
- Develops strategies for engagements to reduce engagement risk
- Provides guidance on complex issues to reduce client’s risk
- Evaluates and approves processes for information validation
- Is responsible for and trains others on how to use data or information collected to support conclusions or recommendations reached in an engagement
- Anticipates the impact of various government requirements and professional standards on client engagements and plans accordingly
- Participates in firm’s decisions related to engagement methodology, audit tools and planning
Tax
Basic
- Demonstrates the ability to efficiently and effectively use firm software appropriate to responsibilities
- Displays a good knowledge of tax concepts
- Demonstrates ability to complete individual, corporate tax and partnership returns and simple business tax returns
- Demonstrates logical thinking when recording tax information
- Ensures all data needed to comply with filing requirements are collected; identifies and properly communicates missing items to prepare return
- Demonstrates an understanding of basic state taxation issues
- Accurately prepares quarterly and annual estimated tax liability calculations
- Seeks out opportunities to assist with prep and/or review of income tax provision
- Proactively takes part in tax planning for clients
- Demonstrates an understanding of tax needs of client, including review of organizational structure and any/all other entities held by the organization which could be impacted by this work
Senior
- Fully researches issues and presents pertinent guidance in support of suggested alternatives
- Seeks to provide “champion” knowledge of either technology or specialized technical knowledge
- Displays ability to consolidate returns, and do more complex tax returns without supervision
- Assists others in resolving problems related to systems or software
- Researches, develops and documents complicated taxation issues
- Conducts detailed reviews on all returns and appropriate review notes for preparers; raises potential tax issues
- Provides accurate calculations on complex book-to-tax differences
Manager
- Demonstrates expertise in specialized knowledge
- Demonstrates the expertise to supervise the preparation of management letters and tax returns to be signed by partners
- Conducts second review of T/R and identifies basic, complex and advanced issues throughout the engagement
- Demonstrates the ability to provide quality tax planning to clients that encompasses the clients’ full business needs
Sr. Manager
- Thoroughly researches and analyzes issues before reaching conclusions
- Appropriately deals directly with client’s attorney or broker, taxing authority agents, and other third parties
- Displays responsibility for overall client service by encouraging team’s adherence to policies (including engagement letters, documentation, etc.)
Partner
- Maintains and further develops technical expertise pertinent to practice and/or specialty with continued expansion of knowledge beyond areas of expertise
- Provides a high‐level oversight of the work performed for clients
- Provides advice and solutions for non- routine tax issues
- Interprets new legislation and evaluates its implications on clients
- Provides expert advice on tax policies, strategies and guidelines for clients
