What to Wear and Where to Work are up to You at Crowe Horwath LLP

CHICAGO (January 25, 2016) - Personnel nationwide at public accounting, consulting and technology firm Crowe Horwath LLP no longer have to suit up for the office—in fact, they don’t have to go into the office at all. 

The firm’s new mobility strategy, which was rolled out in December, includes two policies integral to the firm’s approach to attracting and retaining the profession’s best talent. The first initiative, “What to Wear,” dictates that if you’re in the office and aren’t meeting with clients, you can keep it casual and wear jeans any day of the week. The second, “Where to Work,” allows personnel to work wherever it’s convenient and they’re most productive, with support from their performance manager.

Both initiatives are significant departures for most professional services firms, many of which find it difficult to change workplace environment despite a modernizing workplace culture brought on by shifting demographics and technological advances. Crowe is the first top 10 public accounting, consulting and technology firm to foster casual dress in the workplace with jeans being part of the everyday experience and a flexible work location policy for all employees.

Jim Powers, Crowe CEO, said the new permanent policies come down to trust. "I'm a firm believer that people are more motivated and productive when you trust them to do what you’ve hired them to do, and you let them do it their own way. Rather than focus our energies on an outdated dress code or making people travel to the office, we’re going to concentrate on measuring what matters and allowing our professionals to deliver the best possible client experience. If our people are engaged and productive, it's an even bigger win for our clients."

This trust extends to managers who, under the new mobility strategy, are encouraged and trained to manage virtual teams through learning courses, webinars and other resources at Crowe Horwath University, the firm's virtual learning community. The firm’s technology investments allow professionals to use integrated internet voice, video conferencing and desktop sharing from their laptops wherever they may be while keeping client data secure.

Because of these new polices, Crowe personnel won’t have to be located near a physical office. In tandem with an increased focus on diversity and inclusion, Crowe aims to be a destination for the next generation of talent.

"Younger people have grown up doing homework online, working on tablets, holding meetings in coffee shops and fielding job interviews via Skype, so these moves just make sense," said Julie Wood, Crowe Chief People Officer. "We're relaxed, but that doesn’t mean we’re not engaged. We expect the best from our people and understand they can deliver quality work no matter the location. Open and continuous communication between team members and managers is key to the success of this strategy."

With U.S. offices ranging from New York to Chicago to San Francisco, the firmwide mobility strategy provides personnel with added flexibility for work-related trips and day-to-day operations. Cost-savings are expected for those who choose to eschew the daily commute in favor of something more attuned to their given lifestyle.

The firm will measure the success of the new policies in its annual people engagement survey and client engagement surveys. Also, and notably, due to expected purging of individual wardrobes, the firm is holding a clothing drive where professional attire is being donated to Goodwill Industries. For each social media photo of a donation posted with the hashtag, #CroweGivesBack, the firm is donating $5 to the charity, with a maximum firm donation of $5,000.

For more information on these policies, please visit Crowe Careers.

About Crowe Horwath
Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting, consulting and technology firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building Value with Values^®," Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities while also helping clients reach their goals with tax, advisory, risk and performance services. With offices coast to coast and 3,000 personnel, Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the country's best places to work. Crowe serves clients worldwide as an independent member of Crowe Horwath International, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world. The network consists of more than 200 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 120 countries around the world.

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