WATCH: EY global head of assurance talent on the firm's impending split

In September, Big Four giant EY annouced that it will move forward with plans to separate its two main practices. Though a radical and unprecedented move, the firm argued in a statement that it will “create exciting new opportunities and deliver greater long-term value for EY people, clients and communities”.

That being said, the bureaucratic burden of such a shift is bound to be great, and could potentially foster disastisfaction among the ranks. With the accounting talent market already proving tricky to navigate, this could be the receipe for a perfect storm.

But Dilek Cilingir, global head of assurance talent at EY, is optimistic. During a conversation with Accountancy Age, she outlines the firm’s plans to foster purpose and belonging during the prospective transition, in addition to how it harnesses technology, safeguards against poaching, and much more.

Timestamps

00:04 Intro

01:06 EY’s prospective business split and how this poses a challenge to talent efforts

04:19 Strategically planning for a major structural shift

06:26 How is EY contending with the other forces at play in the talent market?

10:15 How does the negative stigma around audit impact talent efforts?

14:23 Sustainability and the link between purpose and work

16:17 Preventing key talent from being poached by rivals

18:24 How technology is playing a role in EY’s talent efforts

Highlights

You mentioned that negative perception of audit and how EY has been working to change that. What has that process looked like, and what kind of impact do you think it has on retention efforts?

Cilingir: What’s being expected from auditors is changing as well. The increased use of some complex technologies and sustainability – those sorts of things are really increasing the expectations that society has of auditors.

So not forgetting about that, we shifted our messaging to make sure that our people understand that and that what they’re doing has a lot of purpose.

If they connect the purpose with their work, we all know that increases motivation.

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