By Ashley Mercado,
PBN Researcher
The success of a business truly depends on customer satisfaction. And according to managers at Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co., treating employees with as much importance and investment as their clients ensures that they will deliver the best service.
“There is no question that there is a connection,” says Alan Litwin, managing director. “Happy employees mean happy clients.”
Over the course of three decades, the Providence-based CPA and business consulting firm has expanded from two employees and two principals to 110 employees, six principals and nine shareholders.
“What we have tried to do as we have grown is to keep up the personal relationships that you can have when there are only four people,” Litwin said. Open communication at all levels, he believes, has set Kahn, Litwin & Renza apart from other firms.
Norman LeBlanc, technical tax manager at the firm for six years, agrees. “There is a lot of feedback on all aspects of the firm,” he said, “and because of it, nobody ever feels that what they say doesn’t impact the performance of the company.”
As a part of an effort to be a transparent organization, the company holds an annual retreat. “Everybody, from the receptionist to the principals, goes off site for one day to discuss where we are now, where we are going and what our strategic plan is,” said Litwin. “We have the yearly event so that people get a sense they are a part of the growth of the firm and that the growth is attributable to their contribution.”
This year marks a physical growth as well; the firm will be increasing its office space by 8,000 square feet, with more conference areas, upgraded technology and more common areas. The entire team will get improved work spaces, and there will be more private offices, windows and upgrades to the furniture and phone system.
“The success of the firm is really shared with all of the staff,” said LeBlanc. “The partners could have tried to jam more desk space into the square footage – but instead they decided to give everybody better quality work space.”
Also this year, the firm created a “KLR University,” with classes by college professors and instructors from the business and nonprofit worlds. “We rolled out the program with 36 different courses and have had 100-percent employee participation,” said Litwin.
The firm also makes a point of offering top-of-the-market pay, strong benefits and flex time.
“When you are treated well,” said LeBlanc, “you want to do your best, and that is the goal of the partners: Treat the staff well and they will stay.”
Having the firm named one of Rhode Island’s Best Places To Work for two years in a row, LeBlanc said, is also exciting for the staff. It gives him something to be proud of when speaking to clients or other people he happens to meet. And the two consecutive wins show “that we’re not just making a splash – the qualifications for the award are ingrained in the culture of the firm,” he said.
For Litwin, the award signifies an important recognition for the employees and how they have helped create a successful work environment to be proud of.
“Our staff is very proud when peers at other CPA firms ask them, ‘Gee, what’s going on over there?’ ” he said. But his firm doesn’t have the same kind of curiosity about other CPA company practices – Kahn, Litwin & Renza is setting the standard for itself.
