Employment

OUR EMPHASIS ON CONTINUING EDUCATION

At CLARK, SCHAEFER, HACKETT & CO. innovation is viewed as one of our eight core values.  We encourage and support innovation that will improve our processes that deliver effectiveness and efficiency.  In order for our professionals to be innovative and provide proactive services, our professional staff must possess sound business and technical skills.  Providing education and training programs are key ingredients to developing these professional skills.

In an environment that is highly technical, always changing and governed by rules and regulations, we must provide our staff with quality education and training programs on an annual basis so our staff will have the tools and opportunities to grow as business professionals.  This in turn will allow them to better meet our client's needs.

In order to assure that our professional staff is receiving sufficient training annually, each Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. office will assess their office's continuing professional education (CPE) needs and work with the firm's CPE coordinator to plan the programs that will satisfy the individual needs of each professional in that office.

Careful consideration is given to CPE activities that interest each professional along with the types of training needed by each professional to comply with CPE requirements that govern our firm and each professional's level of experience and client responsibilities.

Generally, only educational training programs that qualify for credit under the CPE rules that govern our firm will be considered when planning an individual's professional development program.  Such programs normally include Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. and Accountants Global Network (AGN) sponsored programs, and seminars and conferences sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), state CPA societies and other professional organizations.  However, industry specific courses that do not qualify for CPE may be considered if the course will enhance an individual's area of specialization.

To insure that each person meets the firm's CPE requirements, Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. tracks and monitors each employee's CPE.  The firm's CPE coordinator will assist with locating the appropriate CPE when necessary.

OUR PRIMARY CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

YEAR 1: 
A new accountant's first year at Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. has many education opportunities.  Following are some of the in-house courses offered.

CSH University - Fall Session - 24 Hours:
This 3-day session focuses on auditing the asset side of the balance sheet.  It includes auditing fixed assets, cash, accounts receivable, and inventory, and proofing procedures.  Firm history, personnel matters, independence and communication styles are also addressed.  A corporate tax return is prepared in a hands on exercise, starting with a trial balance and working through to a finished tax return, dealing with M-1 adjustments.

CSH University - Spring Session - 16 Hours:
This 2-day session focuses on auditing the liability side of the balance sheet.  It includes a hands on exercise preparing a cash flow worksheet & statement, planning the audit, auditing accounts payable, deferred tax, accrued expenses & debt, wrapping up the audit.  Business etiquette, stress management & introduction to marketing are also covered.

Individual Tax Training - 8 Hours:
An overview of the various line items on the Form 1040 are covered in one hour segments.  The concept and tax law behind each item is addressed. 

ProSystem fx New User Training - 8 Hours:
This full day session is a hands on exercise in preparing a Form 1040.  We start with the tax source documents (W-2, 1099's, client notes, etc) and walk through organizing, inputting and summarizing the tax return data.

YEARS 2 - 5: 
After the first year's in-house courses, accountants will attend AGN Audit Staff Training - Levels 2 - 5.  For those specializing in taxation, they will attend the AICPA's National Tax Education Program - Weeks 1 - 4. 

CSH Manager's Retreat:
Every 2 years, all of the CSH managers attend an off-site 3-day retreat.  This retreat covers different topics at each retreat, such as leadership, mentoring and public speaking.

Individual Income Tax Training - 16 hours:
Each new staff will attend 2 days of individual income tax training in January.  The more common line items on a Form 1040 are explained.  Then, in a concurrent hands-on exercise, each item is input into the tax preparation software.  An explanation is then provided as to how this data should flow through to the tax forms.  This hands-on exercise walks through organizing, inputting and summarizing the tax return n documents. 

YEARS 2 - 5: 
After the first year's in-house courses, accountants will attend AGN Audit Staff Training - Levels 2 - 5.  For those specializing in taxation, they will attend the AICPA's National Tax Education Program - Weeks 1 - 4. 

CSH Managers' Retreat:
Every 2 years, CSH managers attend an off-site retreat.  This retreat covers different topics at each retreat, such as leadership, mentoring and public speaking.