M assage therapist? Check. Flexible hours? Check. Parking allowance? Check. With perks like these, it’s no wonder employees at N&K CPAs, Inc. love their jobs. The

accounting fi rm employs 60 people, and a great deal of them have been around for quite some time. “Thirty-fi ve percent of our people have been with us for at least 10 years,” says managing principal Alton Miyashiro, who has been with the company since 1989.

Why do they choose to stay? They are nurtured from the time they walk in the door to reach their full potential. N & K CPAs offers the perfect ratio of help when needed and fl exibility to promote independence and professional development. “Dennis [Higashiguchi, senior manager ] has designed a great coaching and mentoring program for us,” Miyashiro says. “Everyone has a coach, and the more senior people have mentors. We also have a buddy system. When a new hire comes on board, we have someone who will help teach them the ropes.”

Once employees are on board, N & K CPAs offers many opportunities to participate with the company beyond their formal positions. They have input in almost everything, from recruiting, culture and training to niche marketing and client servicing. “We base all of our activities on four core values that form the acronym BEST. They include Be a Team Player, Excel in Servicing, Success for our Clients and Treat

Others the Way You Would Like To Be Treated. Everybody is actively involved in something related to BEST. We empower our team members to help us get to where we want to be,” Miyashiro says.

And when employees perform well, they can reap the rewards through the N&K Bucks Program. The fi rm awards ‘bucks’ to team members for exemplary behavior, whether it’s helping a client or helping one another. They accumulate these bucks and redeem them for items like gift certifi cates.

The company also holds an annual Employee Appreciation Week to show team members they are appreciated. During this week, the company will host various activities such as ice cream parties, games, or bringing in lunch. The week ends with an

all day retreat outside of the offi ce. The company also sends letters home to the families of their employees, showing their appreciation for them as well.

In the end, it’s not the perks, but the people that makes the company one of the best places to work. “The most important thing for us is the people we work with,” Miyashiro says. “The people within the fi rm are really great people. We look for people that have integrity, are trustworthy and share our core values.”

L-R, Back Row (standing) Kristina Andrade, Chad Naganuma, Desiree Andam, Terence Mott, Noah Luis, Belinda Mercado

L-R, Front RowGenesis Roberto, Brent Asato, Kelli Makino, Carlene Rafael, Darnell Mitamura, Zara Nguyen, Jordan Okimura, Yuki Gao, Deanna Chan.

N&K CPAs, Inc.Best Places to Work Winner:

CONTACT Ph: (808) 524-2255 Fax: (808) 523-2090 American Savings Bank Tower, Suite 1700 1001 Bishop Street Honolulu, HI 96813 www.nkcpa.com www.twitter.com/nkcpa

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