CLA named Best Place to Work

The thought of working for a large CPA firm once crossed Brittany Wencl’s mind, but she settled for working at a smaller firm in her hometown of Owatonna six years ago. And it’s a decision she has never looked back on, especially in light of a recent honor for her firm.
Clifton Larson Allen (CLA) has been named one of the 2021 Best Places to Work and an Employment Equity Leader in southeast Minnesota by Workforce Development Inc. CLA employs 74 people at offices in Owatonna, Austin and Rochester. There are 30 employees in Owatonna.
“I could work for a larger CPA firm, but I prefer the hometown feel and get to know everyone really well,” said Wencl, a senior associate CPA with CLA.
The “Big Four” is the nickname used to refer to the four largest accounting firms in the U.S. Wencl said CLA offers her more opportunities than the Big Four would be able to.
Wencl said CLA is a perfect fit for her. “I see this as my long-term career path. I want to keep serving the clients I serve and keep growing,” she said, adding she would like to become a managing principal, the company’s top position, someday.
Asked what attracts her to CLA, Wencl said: “The people. There is something about the genuine people that work here. They are a magnet”
Tori Gaedtke, who began as an intern last year and was just recently hired full time, concurs with Wencl’s assessment of CLA. “I interviewed with quite a few accounting firms after college,” Gaedtke said. “Something with CLA stuck out. The people make it.”
CLA, Wencl said, offers great flexibility to its workers.
For Gaedtke, it’s all about the opportunities CLA offers. She said accounting professionals are often stuck doing the same thing with many companies, but CLA allows workers to handle different aspects of accounting.
Wencl said she credits CLA’s management for making the firm such a great place to work. She pointed out how even though CLA has 120 locations all over the U.S.; there is no company headquarters and managers are spread out at various locations.
“We act like a family at the office and it starts with management,” Wencl said, adding managers always make time for their employees no matter what they have going on.
Dale Buytaert, who works out of Owatonna, is a managing principal and oversees the southern Minnesota region for CLA. He has been with CLA for 26 years.
In his role, Buytaert focuses on the workplace atmosphere. “We try to make it fun and flexible for them,” he said.
During the middle of the day recently, Buytaert allowed his workers to take a fun break. They responded by breaking out a small basketball and began throwing it around to each other while standing at the end of their workstations.
“We need to outdo ourselves on the fun and flexibility,” Buytaert said.
He acknowledged how work habits have changed with the younger generation from when he originally got into the business. And it has caused him to alter his expectations. “Let’s let the younger kids work the way they want and trust they will get the work done,” Buytaert said. “They are free to be what they want to do as long as the work gets done.”
While many have worked remotely during the pandemic, CLA is mostly back in the office. And Buytaert likes having everyone back. “We just work better together,” he said. “We feed off each other’s energy.”
Buytaert said CLA’s recent honor as being the best workplace is representative of the people. “We have Brittanys (pointing to Wencl) that drive our culture,” he said. “Having the best place to work is what we want.”
The Best Places to Work awards program was a commissioned study by Workforce Development, Inc. The purpose of the program is to recognize the best employers and provide vital information to companies about the practices they use to attract and retain employees.
Each company participating was required to complete a 40-question survey that allowed their employment practices to be analyzed by a Florida consulting firm.
Data was measured on such parameters as turnover, rate of growth, promotion rates, employee evaluations and feedback, employee injuries, diversity of management, training and benefits.
“It’s nice to have our name out there and be recognized,” Wencl said. “This is a good career for a young person,” she added.
Asked if she’s ready to head for the Big Four, Wencl smiled and said, “Not even if you paid me.”