What Candidates Are Looking for When Job Hunting in the New Year

Job seekers are expecting a lot from employers in the coming year. You need to begin preparations now, so you offer what candidates are looking for. If not, they will turn to your competition for jobs instead.

Make sure you offer these key things for job seekers in 2022.

Diversity and Inclusion

Job seekers want to work for companies that prioritize hiring and honoring people with different backgrounds and abilities. It is important that candidates see themselves represented within an organization before they decide to apply. They also want to know that their unique talents and strengths will be celebrated and rewarded. If this is not the case, applicants will look elsewhere to find a workplace that values feeling like an important part of the team.

Transparency

Candidates want to see that management and leadership make business decisions in line with the company mission. Applicants want to understand why a company is hiring for a new role, expanding to a new location, or acquiring another business. Because job seekers desire to work for an organization whose vision and values are similar to theirs, candidates want to understand the direction the company is going in. Transparency builds trust, which contributes to high performance. If applicants feel they are not being given enough information about an organization, they will look elsewhere for employment.

A Top Candidate Experience

Job seekers expect ongoing communication throughout the recruitment process. They need to know that their application was received, where they are at in the process, and what the next steps are. Applicants also appreciate guidelines as to what to expect and when they should hear from you by. Otherwise, your star applicants are likely to apply with companies that provide a better candidate experience.

Opportunities for Advancement

Applicants want the ability to move up within an organization. Because career growth is so important, candidates need to work with managers who support their upward mobility. This includes offering training, coaching, mentoring, stretch assignments, cross-training, and other ways to add to skill sets. If you do not clarify career paths within your organization, job seekers will apply with other companies.

Begin Planning Your Accounting and Finance Staffing Needs

Job seekers place a high value on issues like transparency and diversity, and inclusion. They also want a top candidate experience and opportunities for advancement. Providing what applicants desire can mean the difference between hiring the best talent or settling for less.

When planning for your upcoming accounting and finance staffing needs, be sure to include Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. We have vetted professionals ready to help your business move forward in 2022.

The Importance of Flexible Scheduling and How to Make It Work for Your Business

Companies that offer flexible schedules help accommodate their employees’ different lifestyles. This is becoming increasingly important as a method to attract quality accounting and finance candidates. Because more job seekers want control over their work-life integration, your team should be able to set their own work hours. Fortunately, implementation can be accomplished in a few steps.

Discover some benefits of offering a flexible schedule and how to implement it for your accounting and finance team.

Increased Work-Life Integration

Your team members appreciate being able to schedule their work around their personal lives. They can participate in their children’s school activities, run errands, and take care of household responsibilities while fitting in their work. This helps reduce stress and the potential for burnout.

Enhanced Engagement

Employees who work flexible hours remain engaged longer in their work. They feel highly respected and empowered by their manager. As a result, the staff tends to miss fewer days of work, stay focused longer, and accomplish more each day.

Greater Productivity

The ability to set their work hours lets your team members get more done each day. They can work during the times they are most focused and productive. Your employees’ energy levels and concentration levels should be high, allowing more tasks to get finished.

Stronger Employee Retention

Because employees prefer greater control over their time, they appreciate having a flexible schedule. This increases the likelihood of staying with their employer long-term. The longer you keep your staff, the lower your recruitment, onboarding, and training costs.

Additional Top Talent

Offering a flexible schedule encourages the best job seekers to want to work for you. Because many candidates find this perk even more attractive than salary and benefits, you may be able to save money in these areas. You also could attract more applicants than your competitors who do not offer flexible work hours.

Fill Your Team’s Needs

Ask your staff what their interest and needs are for working flexible hours. Find out whether they can effectively function as a team and what would have to happen to make it work. Make sure that your employees would be available when needed for meetings, client discussions, and other responsibilities.

Create a Policy

Develop written rules about flexible scheduling requirements. This may involve having to be at the office or available by phone during certain times. Include how communication with staff will occur when they are not in the office. Make sure the policy is detailed, clear, and non-discriminatory.

Need Top Accounting & Finance Talent?

Implementing a flexible schedule for your accounting and finance team provides many benefits. Productivity, engagement, and work-life integration should increase. This can attract the best candidates and lead to greater employee retention.

When you need to add the best talent to your team, reach out to Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. We have the candidates you need to fulfill your business goals.

Handling Year-End Closes for a Busy Market

The end of the year is a busy time for your accounting team. This is why it is important you have a year-end closing checklist to organize how the year gets wrapped up. Then, the books should be updated, accurate, and ready to transition to a new year.

Encourage your accounting team to follow these guidelines to handle year-end closes.

Get the Financial Statements

Gather the income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet. This shows where the business is at financially and provides the information needed for tax filing. The income statement summarizes the money gained and lost during the year. It lists the revenue, tax expenses, operating expenses, cost of goods sold, depreciation, EBIT/EBITDA, and other financial costs and gains. The cash flow statement lists the company’s incoming and outgoing cash. This includes the timing in which the money came in or went out. The balance sheet lists the organization’s assets, liabilities, and equities and tracks its financial progress. The assets should be equal to the liabilities and equity.

Collect on Overdue Invoices

Contact customers who are late in paying company invoices. Be professional, understanding, and patient. If a customer cannot cover their debt, set up a payment plan with due dates. This shows you care about their business and understand their situation. Document each conversation and what the results were so you can refer to them as needed.

Gather Employee Information

Get together the Form W-4 you have on file for each employee. Use the information to complete each staff member’s Form W-2. They will need this information for tax filing.

Verify Payroll

Ensure your payroll records are accurate and current in your books. This includes raises, year-end bonuses, withheld tax amounts, and benefits.

Account for Inventory

Verify accurate counts of the materials and supplies on hand. This shows how much was spent on inventory during the year and its value. Make sure the inventory totals match the balance sheet. If you find discrepancies, make the proper adjustments.

Organize the Business Receipts

There are many ways you can organize receipts. For instance, you can sort them by the type of expense or in chronological order. You also can use folders and labels to keep the receipts separated or store them digitally on a mobile device.

Reconcile the Bank Accounts

Bank account reconciliation verifies that your accounting records match your bank accounts. The process involves comparing your bank statements to your accounting records. Your statements should match the balance stated in your books. If they do not, you need to uncover the discrepancy. This may involve adjusting a record for the balance to be equal.

Need Help with Your Year-End Close?

Handling year-end accounting procedures is a challenging process. Each step needs to be completed on time to transition into the new year. Having a checklist on hand can ensure everything gets done and the records are accurate and organized.

If you need help with your year-end close, get in touch with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. We can provide temporary accounting professionals to help you close out the books and get ready for 2022.

Bring Your Staff Together This Holiday Season! 5 Ways to Boost Employee Morale

Bringing together your accounting and finance team during the holidays is a great way to elevate morale. Setting up activities for your staff to participate in helps them interact and get to know each other better. This can increase engagement, collaboration, and productivity both now and in the future.

Choose among these ideas to unite your accounting and finance team and elevate morale this holiday season.

1. Play Holiday Music in the Office

Play your team members’ favorite holiday songs throughout the workday. Music has been shown to enhance productivity and spread positive feelings. Diversify the playlists, artists, and songs to include Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other religious holidays. Additionally, include lyric-free seasonal songs for a more neutral holiday environment.

2. Encourage Desk Decorations

Let your employees express their holiday cheer by decorating their workspaces. This has been shown to increase motivation, engagement, and productivity. It also elevates energy levels and makes staff happier. Suggest neutral decorations for the rest of the office. This may include dressing up the refrigerator in the office kitchen as a snowman or wrapping an office door like a present. You may want to hang stockings with small gifts for your employees as well.

3. Promote a Wellness Activity

Set up an activity in the office to increase relaxation and reduce stress. This is especially important if your team is working extended hours during the holiday season. For instance, hire an instructor to come in for an hour of meditation or a yoga session. Your staff should return to work refreshed, invigorated, and feeling appreciated. Or, bring in a lunchtime fitness instructor to provide walking tips while your team members walk outside and breathe in the fresh air. They can enjoy a bag lunch before returning to work.

4. Provide Monetary Gifts

Surprise your staff with additional vacation days, a year-end bonus, or another monetary gift. Your team will appreciate the extra time off to unwind with family and friends. They also would enjoy treating themselves to a holiday gift from the company.

5. Offer Additional Flexibility

Because employees tend to be busier than ever during the holidays, allow more flexibility in their work schedule. Your staff may need additional time for shopping, decorating, baking, attending school events, and visiting with family and friends. Loosening up their schedules encourages your employees to participate in the activities that mean the most to them. Letting them fit their work around their personal lives as much as possible shows you care about their happiness and well-being.

Happy Holidays from Casey Accounting & Finance Resources!

Bringing your accounting and finance team together during the holiday season is a great way to build morale. The excitement of celebrations with family and friends and the anticipation of beginning a new year make this the perfect time to build memories.

When you are in need of professionals to add to your team, reach out to us. We look forward to helping you attain your business goals in 2022.

Give Thanks to Your Team! 5 Ways to Show Employee Appreciation

Expressing gratitude to your accounting and finance team should be an everyday occurrence. Letting them know how much you value their contributions and results promotes feelings of respect and loyalty. This results in increased engagement, productivity, and retention.

Choose among these five ways to show you are grateful for your accounting and finance team.

1.     Thank Your Team Members

Always express appreciation for the work your staff put in each day. They likely are doing their best to finish tasks and reach objectives. Knowing your team members’ efforts are noticed provides encouragement to continue to perform at top levels.

2.     Encourage Professional Growth

Opportunities for learning, coaching, and cross-training help your team reach their career goals. This may involve participation in an industry-related seminar, conference, or networking event. Or, it could include membership in a professional organization, a role on a special committee, or job shadowing for additional career opportunities. Any chance to grow professionally likely is welcome.

3.     Share Your Team Members’ Accomplishments

Let everyone in the organization know when your employees attain something big. This may include sharing their successes with the rest of your team, senior leaders, and the rest of the company. Or, it could include mentioning the accomplishments during team meetings, in the company newsletter, and on social media platforms. Your employees should appreciate the public recognition and continue to give their all going forward.

4.     Write a LinkedIn Recommendation

Share each employee’s successes by writing recommendations on their LinkedIn page. This shows you care about your team members’ career development and want to help them grow professionally. Endorsing their skills also can lead to a greater impact on your organization down the road.

5.     Give Praise for Attaining a Goal

Whether big or small, let your employees know you appreciate their hard work and dedication to accomplishing business goals. This may involve completing a project, working for a new client, or reaching a long-awaited milestone. Be sure to point out specifically what the staff member did that you admire. Give sincere praise for taking action to attain what they set out to do.

Do You Need Accounting and Finance Talent?   

Expressing appreciation for your accounting and finance team every day leads to increased engagement, productivity, and retention. This encourages your staff to work hard, stay connected, and perform their best.

When you are looking to add skilled members to your team, turn to Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. We match you with the accounting and finance professionals who can help achieve your business goals.

Top Talent Aren’t Getting Just One Offer! Here Is How You Should Approach a Counteroffer

When hiring accounting and finance professionals, your choice candidates likely will receive counteroffers from their current managers. Because employers do not want to lose their best talent, many will provide incentives for their staff to stay with their team. This is why you need to proactively address the issue with your shortlisted candidates. Providing reasons why applicants should turn down counteroffers increases the odds of having your top candidate decide to join your team.

Follow these guidelines to encourage your top accounting and finance applicants not to accept a counteroffer from their current employer.

Reinforce Each Candidate’s Reasons for Leaving

Remind your top applicants why they decided to look for a new job in the first place. Most of the time, it has nothing to do with making more money. This is why accepting a pay increase through a counteroffer likely will not retain the employee long-term. If the staff member does not get along well with their manager, they are not being challenged in their work, or there is no room for advancement, the issue is likely to remain.

Question Whether Staying Would Make Things Change

Ask each of your shortlisted candidates whether anything would improve long-term if they remained with their current employer. In most cases, the applicants began seeking new jobs because they felt restricted or unappreciated. They may have been passed over for a promotion or not given other opportunities to grow. Although the candidates may have expressed their concerns to their manager, the issues likely went unaddressed. Odds are these problems will remain even if the applicants decide to accept a counteroffer.

Point Out the Job Insecurity of Staying

Remind your best talent that once they submit their resignation, they damage the relationship with their employer. Even if your candidates accept a counteroffer, things will remain tense at work. Their manager may wonder how loyal they really are and whether they would accept an even better offer if it came along. Their employer also may begin making plans to replace the employee as soon as possible. Or, if the company wants to eliminate positions, the team member who tried to resign likely will be let go first.

Are You Looking for Top Accounting and Finance Professionals?

When adding skilled accounting and finance professionals to your team, they are likely to receive counteroffers from their current employers. One of the best ways to discourage your potential team members from accepting these offers is by pointing out why they decided to leave their jobs in the first place. You also can ask whether things truly will change by staying. Plus, you can point out how insecure the potential hires’ jobs may be once their managers know they want to leave.

When you need to add top talent to your team, get in touch with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. We have the skilled professionals you need to reach your business goals.

Tips for Creating a More Inclusive Work Environment

Inclusion focuses on embracing and celebrating the differences and similarities between people. In the workforce, acknowledging these differences helps staff feel accepted and valued for who they are. This helps increase innovation, improve decision-making, and elevate revenue.

Implement these tips to promote inclusion in your work environment.

Connect with Employees at All Levels

Form personal relationships with staff throughout the organization. Getting to know who they are and what matters to them encourages them to open up. Your coworkers should feel they can talk with you and not be judged. Forming authentic relationships is one way to lead by example.

Celebrate Coworkers’ Traditions

Ask staff throughout the company to share their traditions with everyone. Request that they provide some background on the tradition and why it is so special. Include small holiday celebrations at the appropriate time of year as well. You may want to create a shared calendar for everyone to add festivities too. You might wish the staff a good Hanukkah, Chinese New Year, Kwanzaa, or Cinco de Mayo.

Talk with Your Team

Ask your team members about their experiences with inclusion. Find out what they feel is working within your organization and specific changes they would like to see. Make this part of ongoing public or private conversations that can take place at any time. Request that every team has similar conversations as well. Regularly share your findings with leadership to improve inclusion throughout the organization.

Hold Bias Training

Train employees at all levels to gain awareness and understanding of unconscious biases and the effect they can have on decision-making. Everyone has preferences in favor of or against certain individuals, groups, or things. This can result in assumptions or judgments about others that we are unaware of making. As a result, we may not consider the experiences, perspectives, and ideas that differ from ours. This affects who we choose to work with, ask for advice, and are involved in making decisions. Being consciously aware of our own biases and patterns of thinking helps us overcome them.

Create an Inclusive Work Environment

Creating a more inclusive workplace is beneficial for everyone. Staff at all levels tend to be more engaged, productive, and collaborative. This results in greater innovation, retention, and revenue.

When you need to add top talent to your accounting and finance team, reach out to Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Find out more today.

Communication Skills You Should Have to Help Improve Company Culture

Strengthening communication skills in your organization provides a wealth of benefits. Among them are improved performance, stronger engagement, more cohesive teams, and innovative ideas. Because active listening and sharing are vital parts of your company’s success, they need to be embedded in your culture.

Promote these communication skills throughout your organization to enhance your culture.  

Inform Employees of Company News

Ensure that employees at every level find out company news at the same time. This shows that staff at all levels are valued and respected members of the organization. Include what the next steps are and how the news may impact specific departments or employees. Allow time to answer questions and provide support during transitions.

Clarify Expectations

Share with team members what your standards and expectations are. This is especially important if your staff is working remotely. For instance, let them know which individual and team projects should be worked on at a given time. Also, regularly check in to discuss timelines, issues, feedback, next steps, and questions. This helps keep everyone on the same page.

Recognize Employee Accomplishments

Publicly and privately, thank team members for their efforts and achievements. For instance, mention during individual and team meetings specific examples of how they positively impacted the company. Also, give your staff hand-written thank-you notes expressing appreciation for their hard work and results.

Check for Non-Verbal Cues

In addition to body language, look for non-verbal cues that may signal miscommunication, defensiveness, or conflict. This is especially important for remote employees who do not benefit from the in-person interactions of working onsite. For instance, check employee emails and messages for signs of distress, frustration, or burnout. Red flags include messages sent late at night, frequent errors, and a curt tone. Also, speak privately with employees who exhibit excessive absenteeism, non-participation in meetings, and other signs of disengagement. Work to better understand the situation and offer support.

Maintain Personal Connections

Stay in regular contact with employees, colleagues, and coworkers. For instance, have conversations about personal news and outside stressors that may be affecting their work. Also, check to see how your team is doing with their well-being and job satisfaction. Additionally, celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and special life events.

Make Open Communication Part of Your Culture

Open communication needs to be prioritized in your company culture to maximize business success. The more staff members at all levels actively listen, share ideas, and provide support for each other, the more cohesive your workforce will be. This results in greater goal attainment long into the future.

When you are in the market to add skilled accounting and finance professionals to your organization, get in touch with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Find out more today.

Reclaim Your Time: Ways to a More Productive Life Balancing Hybrid Work, Hybrid Schooling and Other Activities

Attempting to integrate your hybrid work and your kids’ hybrid schooling with your personal interests is challenging. There likely isn’t enough time in the day to accomplish everything. Fortunately, making simple changes to your routine can significantly improve your results. You should gain a greater sense of control over things and the direction they move in.

Implement these simple ideas to increase your productivity while managing hybrid work, hybrid schooling, and personal activities.

Organize Your Tasks

Decide which activities are better suited for the office and which should be done at home. In most cases, collaborative tasks involving projects, colleagues’ and managers’ input, in-person meetings, and casual discussions should be done onsite. Administrative tasks like checking email, scheduling meetings, and planning for upcoming work should be done remotely.

Focus on What Is Important

When you are busy, you may want to finish seemingly urgent tasks, like checking email, to feel a sense of accomplishment. However, this often means that important tasks go undone. At the end of the day, you might feel disappointed that you did not achieve more of what mattered. Instead, focus on finishing your urgent and important activities first. Then, you can attend to your less important tasks later. You should feel a greater sense of productivity throughout the day.

Reduce Your Time Confetti

Time confetti is the concept of your mind being pulled in different directions while you try to focus on work or enjoy your leisure time. Much of the problem is due to technology distracting you from the present. This creates tension between what you are doing and what you could or should be doing. Without the ability to live in the moment, you tend to feel stressed and overwhelmed. You can combat this issue by taking time each day for mindfulness, mediation, yoga, or any other activity that trains your brain to live in the moment. This helps you focus on what you are doing, finish it, and move on to your next activity. As you accomplish more work each day, you feel better about your achievements. You also have more time for your family and outside interests.

Add Accounting and Finance Professionals to Your Team

Trying to manage hybrid work, hybrid schooling, and personal activities is difficult. It takes time to develop a flexible strategy that fits your needs. By experimenting with where you complete your tasks, what you spend your time on, and how you maintain focus, you can better attain the results you want.

When you need additional staff to increase your accounting and finance team’s productivity, turn to Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Learn more today.

4 Tips for Adopting a Hybrid Work Model

With coronavirus numbers continuing to change, more employers are looking for ways to bring staff back to the office while maintaining their safety. Although many employees look forward to being back at their desks and interacting with coworkers, others are not ready to return to the office. This is why many employers are creating a hybrid work model. This requires staff to work onsite at certain times while having the option to work remotely otherwise. If your organization is adopting this work style, you may need help getting started.

Use these four tips to implement a hybrid work model for your company.

1. Prioritize Mental Health

Ensure your team members stay connected while working remotely. For instance, schedule regular check-ins to see how your employees are doing and whether they have any questions or concerns. Be sure to address any issues as they come up. Also, encourage everyone to use messaging platforms to stay connected throughout the day. This promotes team cohesion and company culture. Additionally, encourage your staff members to reach out to you when they are struggling. Listen to their concerns and provide support. Refer them to the appropriate resources when needed.

2. Provide Structure with Flexibility

Determine which days of the week your team needs to be in the office. The other days can be onsite or remote. This way, you can schedule meetings when everyone is in the office. Also, your team can receive company information and be included in in-person discussions. Additionally, your employees will benefit from socialization during their breaks and lunch hour.

3. Clarify Your Expectations

Let your team know exactly what your performance standards are and how success will be measured. This includes the days and hours they are expected to be in the office and the hours during which they should be available when working remotely. Also, clarify the key performance indicators (KPIs) you will use to determine whether your employees are staying productive when not at the office. For instance, communication may be measured by response time. Learning might be measured by the number of completed e-learning courses.

4. Gather Employee Feedback

Regularly check in with your team to see how they feel about the hybrid work model. You may want to do this through casual in-person conversations or a virtual coffee meeting. Find out what your employees like and dislike and specific ways to improve. Then, discuss your findings with leadership. Determine which ideas can be developed and implemented. Keep your team informed about the process.

Hire Hybrid Employees

Moving to a hybrid work model can be an effective solution for bringing your employees back to the office. Be sure to emphasize the importance of mental health, structure, and flexibility when creating your setup. Also, share your individual and team expectations for work performance. Additionally, find out how your team members feel about the work model. Make improvements when possible.

When you need to add hybrid employees to your team, involve Casey Accounting & Finance Resources in the process. Get more information today.