How the Best Firms are Winning
Tech, Talent and Automation
It’s time to ditch old-school thinking and embrace a whole new way of doing business. Seriously, if you’re still running your firm like it’s 1999, you’re missing out. The New Firm is here, and it’s changing the game.
So, What’s a New Firm?
It’s simple. The New Firm embraces change, leverages technology (hello, cloud and automation!) and isn’t afraid to shake things up. It’s run by leaders who get that efficiency matters, and that means automating what can be automated and using tech to make workflows seamless.
But it’s not just about the tech. The New Firm is also rethinking staffing in a big way. It’s about breaking free from old hiring constraints and building teams that actually work whether that talent is down the street or across the globe. Because guess what? The accounting talent shortage isn’t going away anytime soon.
The Rise of Insourcing (And Why You Should Care)
The best firms aren’t just outsourcing anymore — they’re insourcing. That means working with staffing partners who don’t just fill seats but actually embed qualified, overseas team members right into your firm. These aren’t “temporary fixes.” These are real team members, vetted, trained and ready to roll.
The best staffing vendors today aren’t just recruiters. They’re partners. They help match firms with the right people — not based on skills alone but on culture, workflow and long-term fit. They offer coaching, support and ongoing training. That’s a game-changer.
Why You Need to Rethink Staffing Now
The world has changed. Business has changed. And firms that don’t adapt? Well, they get left behind.
My friend Bill Keller recently introduced me to The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman, and, wow, it really drives the point home. The book talks about how technology and global connectivity have totally transformed the way business works. And when it comes to staffing, that means:
A global talent pool. The best people aren’t always in your backyard. But now, you can hire the best talent from anywhere.
A cost-effective workforce. Smart firms use global hiring strategies to get top-tier talent at competitive rates.
Tech-enabled collaboration. Cloud platforms make it easier than ever to work with a global team in real time.
A smarter outsourcing model. It’s not about “cheap labor.” It’s about putting the right worker in the right place for maximum efficiency and profitability.
Building a global staffing team doesn’t have to be complicated, but it must be intentional. Once you decide you’re ready to utilize overseas talent, experiment with it. Establish an R&D budget for HR and a pilot project timeline to see if you can boost capacity while lowering costs. Be clear about the metrics you’ll use to measure success, like billable hours gained, improvements in turnaround time or savings.
Before selecting a staffing partner, talk to different providers to understand their hiring practices, training and integration as well as the ongoing support they offer the employees. The right remote team will work with technology to help you build a more resilient firm.
Automation is Your New Best Friend
If you’re still drowning in manual processes, you’re doing it wrong.
Automation is a must for the New Firm. Why? Because it eliminates the repetitive, soul-sucking tasks that nobody wants to do (and honestly, nobody should be doing). Data entry? Manual reconciliations? Endless spreadsheets? No thanks.
Instead, let automation handle the grunt work so your team can focus on higher-value work. Identify those daily tasks that are often rules-based and identify an automation solution for them. Even something that takes five minutes can add up to a lot of time wasted. If you do that 5-minute task three times a day, that’s more than 62 hours a year that could be spent on advisory, strategy and actually helping clients.
When you pair automation with smart staffing, you’re not just streamlining workflows, you’re building a firm that runs smarter, faster and better.
It’s Time to Find a New Way
The firms that win in this industry are the ones willing to break out of the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset. They’re leveraging tech, rethinking staffing and adopting automation to stay ahead.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. The best firms are partnering with staffing providers that offer automated, custom staffing solutions — helping you build a global team that integrates seamlessly with your tech stack. These partners don’t just place talent; they provide ongoing training, advanced technology and real-time support to ensure your firm gets the most out of both your people and your processes.
So, the real question is: Are you ready to be a New Firm? Or are you going to watch from the sidelines while everyone else moves forward?
How Insourcing Solves Staffing Challenges
If you missed my post on how one firm uses insourcing to solve staffing challenges, listen to my interview with Ryan Moore of RKL Virtual Management Solutions. He’s creating a more seamless, consistent team for the firm’s outsourced accounting and financial management solution.