2025 State of Accounting Performance Management
Discover the performance management strategies driving real results across 410+ accounting firms. This comprehensive report reveals industry-specific insights about review completion rates, goal achievement patterns, and employee engagement metrics that distinguish accounting firms from other industries.
Consistent Systems. Focused Questions. Effective Management.
Successful accounting performance management isn't about intuition. It's about evidence. Below are three core data points that show how top-performing accounting firms separate themselves from the rest, revealing exactly what moves the needle on engagement, goal achievement, and manager effectiveness.
Faster Review Completion
Accounting firms experience 68% faster review completion times by their second year with PerformYard.
Employee Engagement Score
Accounting firms using PerformYard have the 4th highest average employee engagement score among all industries.
Goal Completion Rate Improvement
Goal completion rates improve by 60% as accounting firms use PerformYard for multiple years.
The Right Review Format Boosts Participation
Are your accounting staff skipping performance reviews? Short forms can feel pointless and don't get filled out. Our data shows accounting firms with 15-20 questions (including 5-10 open-ended questions) achieve 85.23% completion rates and align better with the complete performance management cycle.
More Goals = More Achievement
Many accounting employees don't reach their full potential when they have too few goals. We found giving team members 10-20 goals each year leads to optimal completion rates. Accounting firms currently average only 3.11 goals per employee annually, presenting significant opportunity for performance improvement.
Performance Management Pays Off Over Time
See what happens when accounting firms commit to improving employee performance. As time goes on, the right systems lead to more goals completed, fewer performance issues, and faster growth. Data from 410+ accounting firms proves that small changes today can lead to big results in the future.
The PerformYard Impact
Some performance systems rely on traditional performance appraisals that fail to show real results over time. This can lead to low engagement, missed goals, and slow growth. But with PerformYard, accounting firms see higher goal completion, better employee satisfaction, and an average of 64% headcount growth by year four.
Key Performance Insights
Our comprehensive research reveals striking patterns in performance management practices and their impact on organizational outcomes.
15-20 questions
Review completion rates peak when reviews contain 15-20 questions.
1-4 direct reports
Firms with 1-4 direct reports per manager have the highest eNPS scores.
5-10 text questions
Review completion rates are highest when accounting firms use 5-10 long-text questions per review form.
10-20 goals
Employees with 10-20 annual goals have higher goal completion rates than those with 5 or fewer goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answer to common questions about our 2025 State of Accounting Performance Management Report.
How was the data for this report collected?
The data in this report comes from 410+ accounting firms using PerformYard. It includes anonymous info on growth, turnover, and performance practices, showing clear patterns based on how long companies have used PerformYard.
How often is this report updated?
The State of Accounting Performance Management report is updated every year to share the latest trends, tools, and ideas. This helps teams stay up to date with innovations from recent years and make better decisions about how they manage performance.
Can I share this report with my team?
Yes! You can share the State of Accounting Performance Management with others. If you download the full report, feel free to share it with your team. We hope you use the ideas in the report to help improve performance management at your accounting firm.
How can I implement these findings in my organization?
You can start by reviewing the key takeaways and seeing which ones match your current challenges. Focus on one or two areas, like improving review formats or setting clearer goals. Then, work with your team to test small changes and track the results. Over time, we believe these updates can lead to better performance and higher engagement.
How do I get started with PerformYard performance management software?
Getting started with PerformYard is easy. The best way to learn how it can work for your team is to see it in action. Sign up for a free demo to explore the platform, ask questions, and see how it can help you simplify reviews, set better goals, and boost employee engagement.