“We don’t lose our people to other firms. We lose them to frustration.”
The accounting profession faces not just a talent shortage, but a retention challenge. While it’s common for professionals to prioritize more money, they’re also craving less friction, more purpose, and tools that support their work instead of getting in the way.
One powerful lever firms often overlook? Digital client experience.
How digital client experience impacts your team
Firms tend to think of digital experience as a client benefit – and it is. But your team lives in these systems too. And when those systems are outdated, disconnected, or overly manual, the impact shows up in morale, productivity, and retention.
On the flip side, when digital experiences are streamlined:
- Staff don’t waste hours chasing missing documents
- Invoices don’t result in fire drills or client confusion
- Teams can focus on advisory work, not administrative cleanup
3 ways digital experience supports talent strategy
Whether you’re hiring Gen Z accountants or trying to retain seasoned professionals, modern systems matter more than ever. Manual processes are inherently a workflow issue, but as we heard at PrimeGlobal MegaWeek, they’re also a staffing issue. Leaner teams and rising expectations have exposed how much time firms spend on workaround-heavy processes, especially in billing, collections, and document requests.
And it’s not just about hiring more people. It’s about removing the friction that slows your team down. Smarter systems reduce operational strain and open up capacity without growing headcount.
Here are three ways digital experience directly supports your firm’s talent strategy:
- Retention: Reducing friction makes jobs more enjoyable. The small things, like clear invoicing or fewer status emails, add up fast.
- Recruitment: Younger professionals expect firms to reflect the digital ease they experience in the rest of their lives.
- Engagement: Staff feel valued when leadership invests in tools that reduce manual work and increase impact.
Where to start: 3 practical steps any firm can take
Working with hundreds of accounting firms to modernize workflows, we’ve learned one thing: You don’t need a full digital transformation overnight. In fact, we don’t recommend it. The most successful firms start small, with targeted moves that reduce friction fast:
1. Identify team bottlenecks
Ask your staff: “Where do you lose time each week?” Their answers will point you directly to systems or processes that need attention.
2. Prioritize quick wins
Look for areas with immediate payoff, like:
- Digital invoicing and payment links
- Secure, searchable client document portals
- Automated email reminders for engagement letters
Want to see how this relates to a real-world example? A top-100 firm aligned leadership, workflows, and data from the start rather than treating change as a one-off project when it came to digital payment adoption. They achieved remarkable results: a 90% reduction in 91-plus day aged receivables, over 240 hours saved per month, and a 30% increase in cash flow.
3. Communicate the “why”
Frame system changes as team wins, not just client experience upgrades. When employees understand that the goal is to make their day better, they’re more likely to embrace the change.
The takeaway
Technology sets the tone for both your client experience and your team’s daily reality.
In fact, in a tight talent market, your digital experience is your culture. It tells people whether you value their time, whether you support their success, and whether this is a place they want to stay. It’s one of the best investments you can make!
