1. What is the background of the firm?
Although we can trace our roots back to the 1940s, Bergan Paulsen as we know it today was formed by the 1987 merger of two Waterloo CPA firms: Murley, Bergan & Company and Smith, Paulsen & Evans. Since this merger, Bergan Paulsen has grown into one of the most trusted and respected CPA firms in Eastern Iowa. Our team provides tax, assurance, accounting & payroll, technology and advisory services to businesses all across Eastern Iowa.
We opened our Cedar Falls office in 1992 and added an office in Cedar Rapids in 1996. In 1999, we joined with the Cedar Rapids firm of Laird & Heiple, LLP. Our newest location in Coralville opened in February 2007. (View office locations here.)
2. What is the BDO Seidman Alliance?
The BDO Seidman Alliance is a nationwide association of independently owned local and regional accounting and consulting firms that are aligned with BDO, one of the largest accounting and consulting organizations in the world. Our firm has access to BDO and BDO International, which gives us resources, services and technical knowledge of the fifth largest accounting and consulting organization in the world. It's the best of both worlds, really: the expertise of an international accounting firm with the values and service-focus of a local firm. It's why you GET MORE with Bergan Paulsen
3. What sets BP apart from other firms?
Bergan Paulsen is committed to offering the best possible client service there is. We focus on getting to know our clients on a personal level and learning what things that keep them up at night and how can we help to alleviate them.
We put that same effort into our team. Without our team members, Bergan Paulsen wouldn’t be the firm we are today. Our management team takes the time and effort to get to know each of our staff on an individual level in terms of what their short and long term goals are, what they love (and don’t love) to do, what their strengths are and how they fit into our team, how they like and need to be guided and most of all, what Bergan Paulsen can do to realize their goals of career growth and development.
4. What does “GET MORE” mean?
GET MORE means so many different things. When it comes to our client getting more, Bergan Paulsen really strives to exceed our clients’ expectations by giving them more personalized service, more practical business advice, more strategic insight, more expertise and overall more of anything else that will help them become a successful business.
When it comes to our employees getting MORE, Bergan Paulsen understands that a happy team is a better team. We're committed to hiring and developing talented, motivated individuals and offering them a flexible work environment, a supportive management team and a culture that emphasizes teamwork. As stated in Q#3 – we get to know our staff on a deeper level than “what are your title and years of service.” We want to know what makes them tick and how we can provide that for them.
5. What is the firm culture at BP?
We're not your stereotypical stuffy accounting firm. We're down-to-earth people with outside interests, hobbies, families and lives. And, believe it or not, we also have a lot of fun. We believe that in order for you to be productive at work, you have to be happy outside the office. So sometimes, we'll make you go home. Even if you don't want to.
6. What does Bergan Paulsen look for in a potential hire?
There are many things that Bergan Paulsen looks for in a potential team member. We want someone with the knowledge and ability to do the technical parts of the job, that’s a given. But what really sets one 4.0 student apart from another is their ability to communicate with others. CPAs need to have some technical ability in order to be a good CPA, but what makes a CPA great is their ability to build trust and rapport with their clients and other professionals in their network. Some other characteristics we look for in a team member are focus, ambition, integrity, responsibility and the abilities to think strategically and outside the box. Individuals with these qualities are what we call “partner material.”
7. What is the interview process?
For most candidates, Bergan Paulsen has a two-part interview. Generally, the first interview is conducted with our HR Director, Cori Power. This interview may be held on-campus or in one of our four office locations. The second interview will be held in the office the candidate is interviewing for. That in-office interview will be much more extensive and the candidate will meet with at least three partners/managers. We also try to fit in lunch with additional staff members so the candidate can get a good feel for our people and culture. After those two interviews, if the candidate is a great fit, we will offer them a position. The entire process can take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks.
8. What type of training does BP offer their new hires?
Once our new hires come onboard, their first week is spent training on the Bergan Paulsen brand, policies and procedures, tax software and other important items. Later in the year, our new hires will go through two more separate three-day trainings on individual tax returns (ITRs), and our assurance and audit polices and procedures.
In addition to the formalized training, our new hires will get their fill of on-the-job training as well as get the opportunity to participate in our Mentor Program. Each new hire will be assigned a mentor that will guide them through their first year. Bergan Paulsen is a team environment and we expect and welcome questions from our newly hired team members.
9. What are the comp and benefits offered through BP?
Bergan Paulsen offers compensation and benefit packages that are competitive with the markets in which we operate. We understand that this is important to any candidate and we want them to feel financially comfortable and stable in accepting our employment offer so they can focus on their career and professional growth.
10. What type of projects will I be working on when I come onboard?
Bergan Paulsen believes that variety is the spice of life. We also believe that while earning a degree is extremely beneficial in learning the basics of accounting, it simply cannot give students a well-rounded perspective on both the tax and A&A arena. As such, we do not ask new hires to specialize in tax or audit until they’ve gained good experience in both fields. Our newer team members will get to work on a wide variety of tax returns and audit fieldwork for clients in many industries. This is generally a two to three year timeframe.
We emphasize the importance of gaining experience in both fields before specializing, but we understand that sometimes one field is a much better fit than the other well before two to three years into their career. When this happens, we are more than willing to start a professional down the path of tax or audit sooner.
Cori handles all matters related to human resources including recruiting, on-boarding, benefit enrollment, performance/salary reviews, policy implementation, and MORE for Bergan Paulsen. For Cori, the highlight of her role is the opportunity to help individuals grow into the professional they want to be. Read more about Cori on our website.
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