Rachel Harris, Founder of @accountant_she and striveX, shares how measuring the “S” in ESG can drive business growth through fairer hiring, flexible roles and transparent progression.
Accountancy Age spoke with Rachel Harris, Founder of @accountant_she and striveX, ahead of her upcoming ICAEW Annual Conference session with Julia Penny, to unpack what the “S” in ESG really means for accounting firms. In the conversation, Harris explained why social impact should be treated as a business structure rather than a soft add-on, how flexible role design and transparent progression can strengthen retention, and what metrics truly capture progress in people-focused firms.
Harris: For me, the shift is about seeing “S” not as a soft, nice-to-have layer, but as the structure that makes a business scalable and resilient. Social impact isn’t only external, it’s how you treat your team, design roles people can thrive in, and build businesses that reflect real human lives. When leaders start measuring the “S” with the same seriousness as profit or carbon, they realise it’s not a cost centre, it’s a growth driver.
Harris: Training came first. We built in-house training pathways so new hires had the tools to succeed without ever needing to work with overseas resource. Quality naturally followed, error rates dropped, rework times shortened, and client satisfaction scores rose. From there, progression became tangible because people could see clear ladders. We measure it through internal quality reviews, client retention rates, and the proportion of our team promoted internally.
Harris:
Real progress is movement in those percentages over time, backed up by employee surveys showing people feel seen, supported, and promoted fairly.
Harris: I believe that attracting the right people does involve investment. We need to be paying people fairly, have transparent pay and a benefits scheme that attracts incredible talent. However, if I wanted some low cost options, I’d definitely be considering personal development as a benefit of employment. This is completely free to provide internally, gives your team super valuable mentorship and growth pathways and helps you to better understand their long term goals.
Harris: Making progression about outcomes, not hours is incredibly important which is why we use KPI’s hand in hand with flexible working opportunities. We attract and retain parents into our firm by promoting flexible working, hosting bring your kids to work day, flexi time and outcome based working.
Join Rachel Harris at the ICAEW Annual Conference 2025 at 15.45 for a session that brings these ideas to life. Expect practical insight and a fresh perspective on how the “S” in ESG can shape the future of accounting.
