Implementing new overtime rules. Managing a mobile workforce. Adjusting to the requirements of health care reform. You name it. Small business owners are dealing with more HR challenges than ever before.
In a recent survey, conducted by Paychex, some 44 percent of small business owners agreed it was increasingly difficult to manage HR – twice as many as those who said it was not. Their top concern: managing regulatory compliance (73 percent). Benefits management (65 percent) and payroll and tax administration (65 percent) tied for the next biggest worry. Rounding out the list were performance management (53 percent) and recruitment and retention (44 percent).
So, who should small business owners turn to for help? Sixty-one percent of survey respondents said they would find it valuable if their existing trusted advisor – accountant, attorney or other consultant – offered additional guidance on HR and regulatory compliance.
CPA firms, meanwhile, are eager to broaden their role with clients, according to research from CPA.com. Developing new offerings that expand the value CPAs provide to existing clients was the top priority for firms in last year’s CPA.com Innovation in Public Accounting Survey.
With these trends in mind, this fall, Paychex and CPA.com announced the launch of an expanded partner program, designed to help CPAs broaden their advisory role in human resources. The program designates Paychex the preferred provider of HR services for AICPA members and their clients.
Through the program, CPAs refer clients to partner with Paychex, one of the country’s leading providers of HR and human capital management solutions, solidifying the accountants’ role as expert advisor and creating more strategic, higher-revenue consultation opportunities for CPAs.
From health care reform to new overtime rules to changes in the minimum wage, the HR landscape is evolving at a rapid pace. Keeping up with regulations requires expert guidance, and the Paychex Partner Program puts one of the most trusted advisors – CPAs – in the best position to serve clients.
For more information about the Paychex Partner Program, including access to: Paychex’s cloud-based platform, employee time and attendance, HR applications, and benefits administration.
Visit www.cpa.com/paychex
Andy Childs is the vice president of Marketing at Paychex, a leading provider of human capital management solutions for payroll, HR, retirement, and insurance services.
