Graduation Day
Volume 12, Number 24
Issue 572
Today is a big day at our little accounting firm. Two of our employees graduate from James River High School. Actually, that’s 40% of my staff! To mark the occasion, I wanted to write a TaxFaxTM that will, hopefully, inspire businesses to remember that one of my top recommendations to attain entrepreneurial success is to hire students as part-time workers and embrace them as a cornerstone of your company’s organization. Give them as much responsibility of anyone in your company and you will be rewarded, both personally and professionally.
The first of James River’s finest, in order of their seniority as my employee, Devan Hannah Barber, has graced my office for close to two years, even though I had decided to hire her when she was only nine; it was a long wait until 2002, but one that was well-worth it. Over the years, Devan became the central telephone voice that greeted callers, my staff graphic artist, resident proofreader and our office’s political and ethical adviser and counselor. I am completely convinced that Devan will be a Congressional aide by about 2008.
Rita Marie Cook came along last fall. She’s brought a critical, ground-up approach to a re-examination of a lot of the things that I do and how I do them. Rita constantly asks questions in a pleasing way that makes me think about how I approach things. Rita draws her strength from being around people. Her pleasing demeanor lets visitors to our office during busy season feel very much at-ease. Rita filled a critical need to keep my office open on Friday evenings, Saturdays and, for the first time this past year, Sundays, during the 2004 busy season. And, yep, you guessed it, she wants to become an accounting major.
I’ve written a lot about scholarship and internship programs, but how about the old-fashioned, “hire a student worker?” I’ve found that the money that I’ve paid Devan and Rita has gone a long way because they have made me think about trends in the way that today’s youth is re-examining things, especially the business world. Recycling, becoming more involved in politics and outreaching to younger clients are just three of the things that I’ve learned from the current “crop,” Devan and Rita.
Businesses that surround themselves with a workforce of only older, established workers are ignoring important trends in how our society is evolving. If a business only has a workforce of college graduates who are well-established in their careers and families, they will have “blinders” on to the importance of 16-24 year olds‘ purchasing power and their impact on society. After all, if a 16-24 year old doesn‘t buy themselves, they influence their parents.
Rita and Devan have made me think about important social, economic and political trends. Their constant questioning, when combined with an extreme work ethic and loyalty, has made me remember that the only thing certain about the business world and customer buying trends is change itself. The important and up-in-coming stories that affect the business world are not necessarily in the newspaper--they are often observed by just talking to a young person that you trust and value.
Devan and Rita are the best of the class. I, with the help of trusted people, seek out their type and embrace them for as long as they will allow me the honor to do so. Student workers have an extreme amount of loyalty and ethics when it comes to employment. They often want the odd-hours and stressful work situations that other workers don’t. In fact, if someone doesn’t have preconceived opinions about “difficult” or “stressful,“ that usually means it isn’t.
Because of their age and the fact that 1,000 hours are not worked in a year, student workers are not required to be a part of my retirement plan. Student workers are often still covered under their parents’ medical insurance plan. Student workers are also a financial bargain (in that they don’t require that much in salary to be at the top of their peer group) because of the fact that available choices (to them) of what jobs may be out their for them are limited.
Student workers usually have their parents and teachers indirectly regulating their job performance. Student workers rarely--if ever--call in sick or are late to work. Devan and Rita have made it a point to include working for me as part of their life experiences. I’m proud that I think I’ve nudged each of them in career directions that interest them and that later I will be able to feel that their ultimate careers were the result of some experiences or mentoring that I was able to give them.
It’s been a lot of fun watching Devan and Rita make mistakes on the job, as it was with the ones that came before them (starting in 1994) and as it will be with the ones that will follow them. I love mistakes. Mistakes are the by-product of moving forward because without mistakes you aren’t learning how you can better perform. You have to learn by doing.
Student workers are like sponges in that they absorb everything that you tell them and that you rarely have to re-train them from bad experiences elsewhere. Rita and Devan are exceptional students in their class at James River and I’m proud that they have allowed me to journey with them on their way to Old Dominion University and William and Mary. I (and my clients and associates) have been blessed to have them while at the same time, I look forward to the next “crop” that will come along behind them.
Often, student workers from prior cycles have come back into my life. I’m proud that I’ve grown four CPAs thus far. I know that I have them as allies in the community and that they are a great source of goodwill.
I urge each company to outreach to create a student worker position with their firm. The financial investment is miniscule compared to the benefit that will be received. I’d love to talk more about hiring students and making them important components of companies.
I won’t be able to do that this afternoon, though, as I’ll be back at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center watching the current crop of the best of the class receive their diplomas.
David B. Robinson, CPA
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