A Firm Commitment to Women
J.H. Cohn realizes the positive impact a diverse workforce has on both employees and clients, and it’s one of the reasons the Firm is committed to fostering an environment that educates employees, advances their careers, and offers them a work-life balance that will enable them to succeed both in and out of the office.
As a progressive employer, J.H. Cohn understands the unique challenges faced by women in the workplace. The J.H. Cohn Professional Women’s Program, a multifaceted, internal women’s initiative that addresses women’s personal and career objectives with diverse learning and development opportunities, is a testament to this commitment.
The mission of the J.H. Cohn Professional Women’s Program—which is one of the first of its kind for a major regional accounting firm—is to help recruit, retain, and advance women in the Firm. The emphasis of the program is on core skills, including leadership, building relationships, and networking. These skills help employees become well rounded and in turn enhance client service. Each component of the program is designed to empower women, ultimately improving the quality of the Firm, and the value professionals bring to clients.
The program also provides women with a support network to discuss issues impacting their careers and personal lives. Program offerings include learning and development sessions, newsletters, and a book club. In addition, each year, the Firm hosts a Professional Women’s Program conference, an all-day event held outside of the office. Last year, the topic of the conference for the Firm’s East Coast offices was “Defining Moments: A Bridge to Your Success,” and the West Coast offices heard “Emotional Intelligence: Key to Business and Personal Success.”
While J.H. Cohn has always embraced its employees’ need for a balance between work and their personal lives, the development of the women’s program showcased the Firm’s support of this balance. Demonstrating the program’s impact on everyone Firm-wide, today, more women—and men—take advantage of flexible schedules. More importantly, they realize that they can have a balance between their work and home lives while still advancing their careers. This is a crucial realization for the next generation of J.H. Cohn leadership.
The women’s program is one of the ways that J.H. Cohn supports its most important resource: its people. Since the program’s inception, the Firm has realized an increase in new women joining the Firm, turnover has decreased, and more women have advanced to senior positions. Women have expressed satisfaction in the opportunities afforded through the program, and to the Firm’s support of work-life balance.
J.H. Cohn is committed to being an employer of choice and that commitment is validated through several honors. In 2008, the J.H. Cohn Professional Women’s Program was named “Women’s Initiative of the Year” by the Garden State Woman Education Foundation. The award honors a New Jersey-based organization with a clearly established and successful women’s initiative program designed to empower women to succeed in their organizations while achieving balance in their professional and personal lives.
In addition, J.H. Cohn is:
- Among the “Best Places to Work in New Jersey” (large company category) in 2008, 2009, and 2010
- Among the “Best Places to Work in New York” (large company category) in 2010
- “The Best Place to Work in Connecticut” (small/medium company category) in 2009
- Among the “Best Places to Work in Los Angeles” (medium company size category) in 2008 and 2009
- Among the top three “Best Places to Work in the San Fernando Valley” (medium company size category) in 2008 and 2009
Now in its fifth year, the J.H. Cohn Professional Women’s Program continues to evolve. Recognizing that the professional staff’s needs vary by their level of professional experience, the Program is embracing customized career development and networking opportunities. Its programs are tailored to attendee needs and interests while they maintain a focus on initiatives that empower women to grow as professionals and, as a result, build even stronger relationships with clients.
J.H. Cohn is committed to investing in the Firm’s greatest asset—its people—through an environment that encourages and nurtures success and recognizes that its employees are the future of this Firm.
J.H. Cohn is an Equal Opportunity Employer.