By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 16, 2026 | 25-minute read TL;DR — The Short Answer An accounting firm SOP should help a qualified employee perform a defined workflow correctly, securely, and consistently without forcing the person to reconstruct the process from
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By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 16, 2026 | 21-minute read TL;DR — The Short Answer An accounting firm cross-training plan reduces key-person risk by identifying the responsibilities the firm cannot allow to stop, assigning qualified backups, transferring the required process and
By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 16, 2026 | 23-minute read TL;DR — The Short Answer An accounting manager onboarding plan should help a new or promoted manager understand the role, transfer client and team responsibility, establish operating rhythms, assess staff capability,
By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 15, 2026 | 25-minute read TL;DR — The Short Answer First-time manager training for accounting firms should teach technical experts how to create results through other people—not simply how to complete more work personally. New accounting
By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 15, 2026 | 27-minute read TL;DR — The Short Answer A staff accountant is ready for promotion to senior when the person can consistently produce review-ready work, recognize and escalate issues, understand client context, manage assigned
By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 15, 2026 | 24-minute read TL;DR — The Short Answer A new staff accountant is ready for controlled client work when the person can complete a realistic assignment accurately, follow the firm’s workflow, protect client information,
By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 14, 2026 | 24-minute read TL;DR — The Short Answer A CPA firm training needs assessment identifies the specific performance gaps preventing the firm from reaching its goals—and determines whether training is actually the right solution
By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 14, 2026 | 25-minute read TL;DR — The Short Answer An accounting competency matrix defines what people must be able to do at each level of a CPA firm—from new hire to partner—and the evidence that
By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 14, 2026 | 28-minute read TL;DR — Key Takeaway A tax preparer skills assessment should prove that a candidate or seasonal employee can turn source documents and client facts into accurate, supported, review-ready tax work before
By Vincent Howard, CPA | Managing Partner, Howard, Howard and Hodges | SkillAbility for Accounting Firms Last updated: July 13, 2026 | 29-minute read The Short Answer An accounting skills assessment test should show whether a candidate can perform realistic accounting work accurately, document what they did, identify problems, follow instructions, communicate clearly, and recognize
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