For most accountants, the future of work will include an evolution in ‘how we work’ rather than a change in ‘what we do’. Tom Armstrong explains.

The pandemic and working from home have shone a bright light on many aspects of our working and non-working lives and have offered up new choices regarding how we live them. So, how will accountants take advantage of this opportunity?

The pandemic has impacted all our lives, and after the initial shock, most of us simply accepted it and got on with life – working from home, washing our hands, wearing masks, social distancing and so on. ‘How we worked’ changed overnight, but ‘what we do’ mainly remained the same.

While remote, home and workplace merged for many, the lines became blurred. Working from home has thrown up opportunities and pitfalls in equal measure. Unlike the global environment, over which we have little or no control or influence, we have both in our local environment. We may influence the new workplace arrangements, negotiate our future arrangements, or leave. However, and most importantly, we have choices.

This has led to much reflection for many accountants. We can see the possibility of gaining greater control over our lives. Working from home has allowed accountants to see first-hand that work can be done in different ways. It has also allowed us the space to stand back and consider the broader picture, our career, and how we are living our lives.

Values, priorities, and perspective

What is making us consider these changes? It’s primarily about our values, priorities, and stage of life – these vary from person to person. At a recent Zoom breakfast for accountants, someone said they were actively considering whether they would continue to work for their current organisation as their priorities and values had changed over the last 20 months. Some have spoken about leaving the profession altogether. This is a good time for everyone to consider how they work before reconsidering what they do.

Answering the career question

Right now, many accountants are asking themselves a few questions. Am I in the right career? Why do I do what I do? What else could I do with my career? These questions introduce both opportunities and risks.

I spoke with some accountants recently on the question of making a career change. Some felt a little disaffected and stressed out while working from home, yet there wasn’t a large appetite for a career change. Why? Most mentioned broader considerations – impact on family, future opportunities, managing mortgages, and the risks a career change could bring. However, with some “no” responses, there was an “I’d like a career change, but…”

Accountants have invested heavily in time, money, and commitment to get to where they are now. This will not be relinquished easily and applies equally to those without family and debt obligations. At the individual level, “how I work” is easier to tackle than “what I do”. The new workplace will be a hybrid model of remote, hub, and office work for most accountants. We will work in person for brainstorming, creative work, and where ‘on the job’ collaboration is required. Lots of other work will be carried out remotely – the big working from home experiment has already proved that the profession is capable of this. Getting the mix right will pose challenges, require negotiation, and there will be bumps and conflict along the way.