The silver lining to the recession: Stretch opportunities for staff. The economic downturn has brought a lot of negatives, it's true. However, there is one strong positive: an opportunity for staff to stretch beyond their typical job constraints, according to a survey by Accountemps. More than three-quarters of 457 surveyed workers (77 percent) cited at least one opportunity the recession has provided them. These include tackling new projects (53 percent), assuming additional responsibilities (52 percent), and taking on more challenging work (52 percent).

Unfortunately, in most cases, these "stretch" workers have yet to receive formal rewards for the extra work. Just 1 2 percent of respondents said they have received promotions during the recession, and 23 percent said they had seen no increase in opportunity during the recession.

"Because of the realities of today's business environment, firms are working with leaner teams, which has, out of necessity, given many professionals the opportunity to take on greater challenges and expand their skill sets," said Max Messmer, chair and CEO of Robert Half International, Accountemps' parent company. "But some employees may be struggling to keep up, and employers need to ensure they provide the resources staff need to be successful and avoid becoming overburdened."

Companies "must be prepared to reward those who have taken on added responsibilities as soon as business conditions improve or they risk losing valued staff," Messmer said.

Source: Accountemps (www.accountemps .com)

Copyright Institute of Management & Administration Jul 2009

(c) 2009 Partner's Report; The Monthly Update for CPA Firm Owners. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

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