0
The Cost of Losing Talent
Research Study
In collaboration with the Accounting MOVE Project
Accounting firms that invest in their people today will be the ones that thrive tomorrow.
Will your firm be ready to lead the next generation?
Firms are losing talent at an alarming rate, threatening client relationships, team stability, and long-term growth. At the same time, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)—once championed as essential for modern accounting firms—are now being deprioritized due to political pressure and legal uncertainty. Some firms are scaling back or abandoning these initiatives entirely, a short-sighted move that could weaken resilience, profitability, and relevance in an increasingly competitive market.
That’s why the 2025 Accounting MOVE Project (MOVE), in collaboration and partnership with the Center for Accounting Transformation, CPA Trendlines, Moss Adams, and Accounting & Financial Women's Alliance (AFWA), is launching a groundbreaking study to uncover the real cost of losing talent—and why true teamwork and ERGs might be key to team resilience and growth. The Accounting MOVE Project is the only annual benchmarking research and advocacy report that equips accounting and advisory firms to detect, develop and drive competitive advantages from people initiatives and trends.
Data-driven Insights
Practical Playbooks
Benchmarking for Change
The survey is designed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data to measure:
- The cost of losing talent (attrition)...
- Whether DEI-practices are needed for firm resilience and growth...
- Trends in leadership development, mentorship, fair pay, and promotion rates...
Together, we can #EnableTransformation, equip firms to lead the profession forward, and #ImproveTheWorld through meaningful change.
A Two-Tier Program with One Powerful Goal
As the accounting industry continues to evolve, we need research tools that reflect reality. By expanding the language and scope of the Accounting MOVE Project, we’re building a bridge between different viewpoints and offering all firms, regardless of approach, a chance to learn, compare, and grow. To ensure as many firms as possible are able to participate, we have removed any fees for participation in the basic level of this research. Firms interested in custom insights and deeper analysis can upgrade to the Accounting MOVE Project Scorecard.
With over 15 years of research available, the Accounting MOVE Project annual benchmarking initiative pinpoints what works to advance talent and build stronger leadership pipelines through a mix of hard data, cultural insight, and real-world best practices.
The survey will be open May 10 - July 18, 2025 and can be promoted any time during this period.
At the Center for Accounting Transformation, we approach our research with a DEI-neutral lens—grounded in academic rigor, data integrity, and objectivity. While many of our partners bring a values-driven, advocacy-oriented perspective to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, our role is to provide the unbiased insights and evidence that support informed decision-making.
This balance allows us to collaborate across a broad spectrum of organizations—supporting DEI-positive missions with credible, data-driven findings while maintaining the methodological neutrality that academic and professional audiences require. Our goal is to ask the right questions, surface meaningful patterns, and provide a trusted foundation for action—regardless of ideology or politics.
Ongoing research and action are essential to creating workplaces where people can bring their whole self to work and feel valued, engaged, and motivated to stay.
Our work is far from over. We need your help to...
1
Take the survey.
A few minutes is all it takes to provide your valuable insight. Click the link anywhere on this page to get started.
2
Share it.
Share it with your peers. If you work in an accounting firm, association, or finance department of an organization, we need your insights! Share this survey with others after you complete it in order to maximize participation.
3
Own the unknown.
Uncover what’s really driving turnover with data that reveals retention barriers and equips firms with actionable strategies to build sustainable, people-centered cultures. There is hope.
Let's own it.
Thank you to our research allies and sponsoring partners.
This national survey was made possible through the collaborative efforts of organizations nationwide, united in their commitment to advance our shared goals. We extend our appreciation and acknowledge our research allies and sponsoring partners for their support and contributions to this important research:
