Top Finance and Accounting Candidates – June 2017

Controller

Areas of expertise: Strong Manufacturing Industry background at the plant level
Noteworthy: CPA with a mix of public Accounting/Audit experience and MFG Controllership experienced.
Position Interest: Controller or Plant Accountant
Available for: Direct Hire
Location: Northwest Suburbs, IL

Credit Manager

Areas of expertise: Credit department leadership and development of staff and driving process improvement.
Noteworthy: MBA, strong leadership of credit/collections staff, Credit reviews and financial statement analysis, develops and implements credit policies and procedures.
Position Interest: Credit Manager or Senior Credit Manager
Available for: Direct Hire
Location: West Suburbs, Northwest Suburbs, or Chicago Loop, IL

Corporate Controller/Chief Financial Officer

Areas of expertise: Experience leading Accounting/Finance function for small to mid-size privately held MFG/Distribution companies in the $50-$300M range.
Noteworthy: CPA, Drives cost savings initiatives, implements internal controls and establishing procedures, improving cash-flow
Position Interest: Corporate Controller or Chief Financial Officer
Available for: Contract or Direct Hire
Location: North and NW suburbs, West Suburbs and city of Chicago

Senior Credit Analyst

Areas of expertise: Analysis of financial statements, completing web-based research, determining credit worthiness, assigning, maintaining and monitoring appropriate credit limits, and releasing orders.
Noteworthy: Prior to his current company, stayed at his company for 16 years. Has experience with SAP, Salesforce, and Oracle in recent Manufacturing.
Position Interest: Supervisor role within credit and finance
Available for: Direct Hire
Location: Northwest Suburbs, IL

Senior Accountant

Areas of expertise: Monthly financial analysis, month end close, budgeting, fixed assets, endowments, reconciling investments, journal entries.
Noteworthy: Moved up while she was working for a public accounting firm. At her current role, she purchased two new modules for their accounting software and assisted in its implementation.
Position Interest: Senior Accountant or Accounting Manager
Available for: Direct Hire
Location: Chicago (loop), IL

Senior Accountant

Areas of Expertise: GAAP compliance, month end close, journal entries, Tax Preparation, Auditing, Financial statements, A/P, Corporate tax, Account Reconciliations
Noteworthy: Has worked in both large and small offices. Has a little supervisory experience.
Position Interest: Senior Accountant or Accounting Manager
Available for: Direct Hire
Location: Northwest Suburbs, IL

Staff Accountant

Areas of expertise: Month End Close, Income Statements, Variance Analysis, Budgeting, Financial Statement Review and Preparation, GAAP, Lawson, Crystal Reports, Oracle, Advanced Excel.
Noteworthy: Complete responsibilities for month end close, rolling out all the financial statements for each department and as an organization as a whole. Presentations for upper management and President for explanation of variances and impacts on the bottom line.
Position Interest: Staff Accountant, Sr. Accountant, Financial Analyst, Sr. Financial Analyst
Available for: Direct Hire
Location: Northwest Suburbs, IL

Director of Payroll

Areas of expertise: Employee Relations, Payroll Processing for up to 25,000 employees, ADP newest SaaS product, Review, Audit and correct all tax related issues for 21 subsidiary companies. International Payroll, Multi State Payroll
Noteworthy: Oversees 26 bi-weekly payrolls. Processed payroll for up to 25,000 employees and up to 43 states. Handled 26 FEIN’s. Globally for UK, Asia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada. 7 direct reports. Involved in numerous system upgrades and conversions. Worked with WorkForce Now, ETime, Kronos and HTML
Position Interest: Payroll Manager, Director of Payroll, Payroll Director
Available for: Contract to Hire or Direct Hire
Location: Western Suburbs or Chicago (loop), IL

Accountant

Areas of expertise: Advanced Excel (pivot tables, lookups, formulas), G/L Accounting, MFG Industry experience
Noteworthy: Excellent communication skills. Finishing up a Masters in Accounting with a goal to sit for the CPA exam in 2018.
Position Interest: Staff or Senior Accountant
Available for: Contract or Direct Hire
Location: Northwest and Western Suburbs, IL

Bookkeeper/Accounting Clerk

Areas of expertise: A/P, A/R, Bank Recs, Account Recs, Month-End Close, Billing, Payroll, ERP Systems
Noteworthy: Associates Degree in Accounting with a broad range of bookkeeping experience
Position Interest: Bookkeeper or Accounting Clerk
Available for: Temp to Hire
Location: Western Suburbs, IL

How Can a Staffing Agency or a Recruiter Help Your Workforce Stay Agile?

There are many benefits to having a flexible workforce. Having someone else screen, interview, hire, pay and let employees move to other opportunities frees up time and money that may be invested in other areas of your business. Fortunately, a staffing agency or recruiter may help with hiring and managing your workers. Here are four ways a staffing agency or recruiter can help your workforce stay agile.

Bring in Talent When Needed

You specify the number of workers needed, the timeframe and hourly rate target, and the agency or recruiter handles the rest. If the agency or recruiter doesn’t have the best candidate for the position, they’ll recruit for the role, review applications, conduct interviews and background checks, and hire the best person. The temporary worker becomes an employee of the staffing agency or recruiter, completes their job duties for your company and receives a paycheck and benefits from the agency or recruiter until the worker is no longer needed at your company.

Quickly Fill Roles

The agency or recruiter uses various sourcing techniques to prescreen and qualify candidates. An agency representative or recruiter will learn all they can about your company’s industry, daily operations, physical workspace and equipment for the open position, responsibilities and expectations for the role, potential career paths within the organization, and other pertinent information that candidates will want to know. Likewise, the agency representative or recruiter will tell you what skills and experience each candidate possesses so you know how they may benefit your company.

Develop a Relationship With Hiring Managers

Developing a relationship with your hiring managers will expedite future hiring needs. When meeting with an agency representative or recruiter, your hiring manager should let them know what skills, experience and qualities they’re looking for in a candidate; what the salary range is; whether anything went wrong with the last hire for the role; and how the new worker may perform better than the last. The agency representative or recruiter will discuss whether the manager’s expectations are in line with the current market or how they may be altered to become more achievable.

Increase Business Without Hiring Full Time

Because expanding your company costs money, and labor is one of your greatest expenses, hiring temporary workers will control your labor costs and free up funds for growing your company. Also, when a temporary worker is no longer needed, you may either let them move on to their next opportunity, or if the staffing agency or recruiter agrees, hire them on full time for your organization.

Partner With a Top Financial Staffing Agency

These are four ways a staffing agency or recruiter can help your workforce stay agile. For assistance with your accounting and finance staffing needs, contact Casey Accounting & Finance Resources to work with a leading financial recruiter in Chicago!

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Arlington/Casey Resources Named on Forbes 2017 Lists of America’s Best Recruitment Firms

Chicago-land staffing firm, Arlington Resources, ranked No. 120 on America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms

Rolling Meadows, Illinois (May 12, 2017) — Award-winning staffing firm Arlington Resources has been ranked No. 120 on Forbes 2017 list of America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms.

Patricia Casey, Arlington Resources President and CEO, stated, “We are honored and proud to be recognized on Forbes 2017 list of Best Professional Recruitment Firms.  We are inspired to do our part in making the world a better place, and we continue to make a difference in the lives of our candidates and clients every day.  This recognition is very uplifting to our team as we continue to be dedicated to maximizing the potential of our greatest asset:  our employees.  By doing so, we are focused on delivering quality customer service and committed to recruiting an outstanding workforce for our clients.”

Methodology

For the top lists of “America’s Best Recruiting Firms” Statista and Forbes divided the broad field of recruitment firms into two main categories:

Executive Search (specialized on permanent placement of executive positions with at least USD 100,000 income per year)

  • Professional Search (specialized on permanent placement of professional and specialist positions up to USD 100,000 income per year).

The top lists in these two categories are based on three online surveys among:

  • 18,000 external recruiters (peer review)
  • 3,000 candidates/employees (with experience with recruitment firms within the last three years)
  • 500 HR-managers (as clients of recruitment firms within the last three years)

The surveys took place between 6th December 2016 and the 7th February 2017 with invitations sent by e-mail including a personalized link. Each interviewee could name up to ten recruitment firms per category, either with the help of a long list with more than 4,000 recruitment firms (auto-fill option) or as a free nomination.

To learn more about the Forbes Lists of America’s Best Recruiting Firms 2017, click here.

To learn more about Arlington Resources, click here.

About Arlington Resources:

Arlington Resources specializes in the placement of Human Resources Professionals for direct placement, temporary services and human resources consulting.  Since 1997, Arlington Resources, Inc. has successfully partnered with companies of all sizes from start-up to Fortune 100.   With our specialization of filling Human Resources Jobs in Chicago IL, the Arlington Resources team has established relationships with the highest caliber of professionals in the field.

Arlington Resources will recruit and provide the HR staff you need today. As a trusted staffing firm, we reduce your time spent on recruiting, evaluating, screening and interviewing employees. Our staffing consultants provide innovative and creative solutions, so we can exceed our clients’ expectations to help achieve their talent management goals and objectives. All of our consultants abide by high ethical standards, and our goal is to provide exceptional value while easing your workload, saving you time and increasing profitability.

Media Contact:

Jake Joyce, Arlington Resources, Inc.

224-232-5883

jacobjoyce@arlingtonresources.com

Why You Should Treat the Interviewer Like a Client in Your Next Job Search

During your next job search, you’ll want to do all you can to increase your chances of being hired. Part of your plan should include personally and professionally impressing the interviewer. For this reason, it’s important you find ways to treat the interviewer like you would a client.

The Interviewer Will Admire Your Knowledge

Researching the company before your interview will help you discuss why you want to work there. Peruse the website to determine the company’s history, location, size, mission and values. Read the annual report and listen to the most recent quarterly earnings conference call to find out about new products, company risks and current revenue status. Check out blog posts to see what topics the company is interested in. Also, visit LinkedIn to determine what type of news the company finds important. Check out Facebook and Twitter to find out the tone of the company, how engaged it is with its customers and how it responds to complaints. In addition, Google the organization and read what news comes up. You’ll be able to speak factually about the company and show you’re the best candidate for the position.

The Interviewer Will Be Engaged in Your Conversation

The more you engage the interviewer in conversation, the greater the potential they’ll want to work with you. If you go on LinkedIn and check out each interviewer’s profile, you can determine their background, position within the company and what personal and professional interests you have in common. Ensure each interviewer can see you viewed their profile so they know you’re proactively doing research. During your interview, use the interviewer’s name whenever possible. Maintain eye contact. Be alert and smile when appropriate. Let the interviewer lead. Ensure you listen more than you speak. Provide well-thought-out answers. Subtly mirror the interviewer’s posture, speech pattern or tone of voice to show you’re engaged in what they’re saying.

Your Follow Up Will Be Appreciated

Following up with the interviewer shows you appreciate their time and are interested in the position. Before leaving your interview, ask when you should expect to hear back about the role. Within 24 hours, send an email or handwritten card thanking each interviewer for meeting with you. Bring up a few topics that were discussed. Show your excitement about the position and how the company may benefit from hiring you. Be sure you check your spelling, grammar and punctuation to show you communicate clearly and pay attention to detail.

If you haven’t heard anything within the stated timeline, follow up with the interviewer by phone or email. If you don’t hear back within a few days, follow up again. If you still don’t hear anything, move to your next opportunity.

Work With a Top Financial Recruiter in Chicago

Treating the interviewer like a client builds rapport and shows you’re genuinely interested in working for their company. For help securing your next accounting or finance role, reach out to Casey Accounting & Finance Resources to work with an award-winning financial recruiter in Chicago!

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Why We Love Millennials in the Workplace!

Millennial are often associated with negative terms including entitlement, poor communicators and technology reliant!  But, we have found that it is actually a joy to work with millennials!  Some of the attributes we enjoy about working with millennials include:

Focuses on Collaboration

Millennials are very collaborative to work with.  They are very communicative, which is great when you work in an environment that has a lot of moving parts.

Purpose

Millennials share a sense of purpose with their teammates and work together on meaningful projects.   They bring a creative spirit to new initiatives introduced within the workforce.  Start an internal social group in your company and see what amazing benefits arise from it!

Technology

Millennials are tech-savvy and like to help others by offering solutions that support innovation.  They are very good at leveraging technology!  They want information fast since they often will be on their smart phone and working on their tablet/computer while viewing a program – and can switch easily between devices.  Make sure you have multiple monitors for their desks!

Want to Make a Difference and Contribution to Society

Millennials are always looking for ways to better themselves and the community.  Having a community spirit helps companies develop programs for the good of others.  What better way to bring meaning to work!

Tolerance

Millennials are by far the most accepting of gender equality and LGBTQ rights.  They are a generation of change and progression.  They care about the issues and will help to make changes.  They accept and celebrate their differences including breaking the stigma around mental illness.  Having a tolerant workforce helps to lift everyone up!

Highly educated and they love to learn and be developed

Millennials are on track to become the most highly educated generation in the history of the United States.  They want to be mentored and coached, and be the best employee they can be!

As you can see, there are many reasons that millennials are an asset to the workforce.  From collaboration, purpose, technology, making a difference, tolerance and education, companies will have a new set of challenges that will bring meaningful change and growth to their organization.

Source:  http://www.smartceo.com/zimmerman-millennials-in-the-workforce-what-they-want-and-how-to-manage-them/https://www.theodysseyonline.com/6-reasons-millennials-awesome

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4 Ways to Cut Down on Internal Employee Data Breaches

Data breaches may adversely affect a substantial part of your customer base and result in large financial losses. Although most people believe cyberattacks are initiated by individuals or groups outside the company, the majority of data breaches result from unintentional or malicious acts by internal employees. Fortunately, you can help reduce the threat of internal employee data breaches by taking action in these four areas.

1. Provide Ongoing Training

Provide ongoing employee training on cyber security. For example, develop policies and procedures for handling confidential information. Train your employees on their responsibilities for enforcing those policies and procedures. Also, discuss ways data breaches may occur if your employees don’t uphold their responsibilities. Have your employees sign a document stating they understand and will fulfill their duties. In addition, remind your employees to not open suspicious emails that may contain malware or view websites that may be used to phish for information. Furthermore, stress the importance of your employees choosing passwords with more than six characters, including symbols and upper- and lowercase letters, changing passwords every 30 days, and not sharing passwords. Additionally, ensure your employees use secure Wi-Fi networks to reduce the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks.

2. Allow Limited Access to Information

Provide your employees with the minimum amount of access to information needed to perform their duties. Because the majority of insider attacks happen 30 days before or after an employee’s last day, your employees may use their email account or VPN login to access your company’s servers. This may open up your company to all kinds of data breaches. Therefore, you should monitor each employee’s email account and VPN login leading up to their last day, if possible, and terminate access once the worker is no longer with your company.

3. Monitor Online Behavior

Monitor your employees’ online activities to uncover unusual activity. For example, review usage reports to proactively identify potential issues and resolve them before they become bigger. Also, communicate with and provide consistent sanctions for employees involved in activities that don’t comply with your company’s policies and procedures. Show your employees why their actions are noncompliant, what potentially harmful consequences could result, and which sanctions will occur if the employees are involved in another potential data breach.

4. Model Company Culture of Cyber Security

Because employees typically follow the behavior of colleagues and executives, every employee at every level needs to model a culture of cyber security. For example, your managers should consistently talk with their teams about how data security requirements align with team members’ work responsibilities to ensure teammates understand the importance of compliance with company policies and procedures. Also, your leaders should request real-time feedback on how effective your information controls are on completing work in a reasonable amount of time to reduce inefficiency.

Work with a Top Accounting Staffing Agency in Chicago

To work with an award-winning financial staffing agency in Chicago, get in touch with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources!

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How Can You Find a Job As an Unemployed but Qualified Worker?

Even though you’re a qualified worker, you may be unemployed due to circumstances beyond your control. Perhaps you were downsized or let go for having a difference of opinion with a supervisor about a new product or service being offered. Even though finding a job may be difficult, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of being called in for an interview. Follow these guidelines for finding a job when you’re unemployed but qualified.

Use Social Media

Because networking is one of the most effective ways to find a job, use social media to discover opportunities. For example, reach out to your Facebook friends and let them know you’re seeking a position. On your profile, specify what role you’re looking for and what your skills and experience are. People are typically open to helping others, so odds are you’ll find job leads. Also, use LinkedIn to connect with colleagues, supervisor, and executives you’ve worked with, as well as hiring managers at companies you’d like to work for. Join professional groups in your industry, as well. You’ll most likely get in touch with someone who can alert you to a job opening and potentially help you secure an interview. In addition, follow companies you want to work for on LinkedIn and Twitter. You’ll be notified when those companies have openings.

Showcase Your Skills

During your job search, continue showcasing and building your skills. For example, you may work with an interview coach to enhance your techniques. Also, you may volunteer with a nonprofit organization whose mission you’re passionate about. Be sure to list on your resume the experiences and skills you picked up, such as fundraising, email marketing or managing events. Potential employers want to know what you were participating in while searching for your next job.

Enlist a Recruiter

Consider working with a recruiter who specializes in your field. Determine what preferences they have for submitting your cover letter and resume. Most recruiters prefer a specific format submitted through email. If you update your resume, let the recruiter know. Follow through by doing what you say you’ll do to enhance your search process. Stay in touch weekly with the recruiter, but don’t become bothersome. Show gratitude for the recruiter’s role in your job search. Remain connected for the next time you need help securing a role.

Continue Developing

Continue personal and professional development when securing your next job. For example, take on temporary assignments or consulting work to show employers what skills you possess and how employers may benefit. Those assignments may lead to permanent work. Consider attending a class related to your industry. Participate in professional associations. If you want to change careers, volunteer in your desired field so you gain insight into whether it truly fits your interests and needs.

Work with a Top Accounting Recruiter in Chicago

If you are struggling to find a job, work with an award-winning accounting staffing agency in Chicago and contact Casey Accounting & Finance Resources today!

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Leading a Meaningful Life

What are your proudest accomplishments?  What deep failure, fear or frustration do you have to overcome?  According to Derek Deprey, these initial questions will help you to begin your journey on leading a meaningful life!

To get started on your journey, you will need to form your CORE VALUES.  Define what your idea of success looks like, and develop this into your core values.  These core values with guide your decision making and your actions.

MOVE TO GROWTH.  What is your plan for personal development?  Identify the goals you have for your personal growth and pursue them.

VISION.  What gives you direction and purpose?  What do you want your future to look like?

FLOW:  On this journey, develop an APE attitude!

A:  Attitude.  Adapt a positive mindset:  Everyone is a TEN!  Give loyalty first, then you will get it back!  Realize that YOU have the ability to be more positive.

P:  Passion.  How do your passions drive your life?  What do you enjoy most and what skills do you need to get there? What do you have a strong desire to do or to achieve, that will typically require determination and hard work.  Identify these ambitions.

E:  Execution.  “Do it Afraid!”  Commit time to yourself to work on your goals.

Ask yourself, on a scale of 1 – 10, how was your last 3 months?  What would you need to do to increase your happiness score!!

FUSION.  You can lead a fulfilled life when personal values tie in with work values.  Think about what’s been bothering you.  Schedule the time to do what you would like to do and “Jump in the Pool!”  At this level work and play can become synonymous!

IMPACT!  Care about the dreams of others, and inspire fellow travelers along the way!

Source:  2017 Midwest Staffing Conference, Derek Deprey, www.derekdeprey.com

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Using Big Data to Make Employee Decisions

Big data may be helpful in making decisions about your employees. However, predictive analytics shouldn’t be the only foundation on which you base your judgments. Here are three mistakes to avoid when using big data to make decisions about your employees.

Being Secretive with Healthcare Data  

If your company uses healthcare data to make better healthcare decisions, be transparent about it with all of your employees. Because many companies use outside firms to predict health risks in their employees, your workers may be concerned that you’re using the data to predict which employees may become sick or pregnant or develop serious health conditions, then terminate those workers to save on healthcare costs. Therefore, it’s important you show your employees that you respectfully use HR analytics in ways that comply with HIPPA and all privacy and HR laws. For example, you may point out that HR analytics help evaluate your healthcare costs and wellness programs to determine their effectiveness, find out whether there are gaps in healthcare coverage or employee benefits, and uncover ways to improve your programs. You may also compare employee and company data to industry data to offer the best, most cost-effective healthcare coverage and benefits to your employees.

Using Predictive Performance Analytics to Make All Decisions   

You may use predictive performance analytics to help make decisions about employees, but you should incorporate human input as well. For example, you may use predictive analytics to help manage and train employees, assess future hiring needs and create a pipeline of talent, yet you should still gain supervisors’ and HR’s input on exactly how to proceed with each employee. Also, you may use predictive analytics to determine which employees get promoted or fired, yet you should gather input on individual performance from supervisors and HR before making a final decision. This will help you avoid wrongful termination lawsuits and other issues.

Focusing on Details Rather Than the Big Picture   

Use big data as a guide for making decisions about your employees while focusing on the big picture. Ensure you don’t use only one piece of data for hiring or firing and that your actions are honest and legal. For example, if your analytics show that employees who live closer to the office are more likely to work for the company longer, avoid using that information to terminate employment for workers who live farther away. Rather, form your hiring and firing decisions based on individual performance and what’s best for your company.

Work with a Top Financial Recruiter in Chicago

Use big data along with supervisors’ and HR’s input to help make better decisions about your employees. For help filling your accounting and finance roles, contact the financial staffing experts at Casey Accounting & Finance Resources!

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Applying Through a Job Post on Facebook? Be Careful!

In February 2017, Facebook launched a new jobs feature on its website. Employers may post jobs for free on their Facebook pages, and candidates may apply using Facebook’s interface. Employers may view candidates’ profiles and communicate with them through Messenger. Although this sounds like an excellent setup, there are drawbacks to consider.

Is Your Profile Public?

If you apply for a job through Facebook, your profile must be made public for employers to view your information. This poses serious privacy issues, especially if you wish to keep your personal information and pictures hidden from employers. You most likely don’t want to be judged for what you do in your off hours, which is exactly what may happen if you make your profile public. You most likely want to reveal a little bit about yourself at a time, rather than have everything out in the open all at once.

A related issue is that the more information you share about your education and work experience through a job application, the more details Facebook will add to your profile. This provides Facebook additional information about you that you may not want to disclose to the company.

Do You Want Your Information Private?

Applying for a job through Facebook may give employers even more access to your profile, letting them perform a deeper background check on you. This may be of concern if you don’t maintain the level of professionalism on your Facebook page that you would in front of an employer. Like most people, you probably post stories and pictures about topics and experiences that interest you the most. These may be appropriate for family and friends to know about, but not necessarily for employers. For example, posting inappropriate words, information, or pictures; speaking poorly about former employers, coworkers, or clients; and lying about qualifications are typical reasons employers don’t hire candidates based on their social media profiles. You may not want to go back and erase your favorite memories from your profile to avoid having employers discover them and potentially not hire you.

Are You Comfortable Drawing Attention to Your Profile?

Job applications through Facebook may raise legal and ethical concerns. For example, when Facebook draws information from your profile to fill out your application, it includes your profile picture. This increases your chances of being illegally discriminated against based on your race. Also, if your profile shows you’re involved with a religious organization or a specific political cause, employers may decide not to hire you based on that information as well.

Work with an Award-Winning Financial Recruiter in Chicago

If you’re uncomfortable applying for jobs through Facebook, you do have other options. Reach out to Casey Accounting & Finance Resources today and work with a top financial recruiter in Chicago!

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