5 Tactics for Hiring Remote Employees

The number of employees working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic has been increasing. Odds are your accounting and finance team is included in this group. If so, you must know what to look for when hiring remote employees. Because you cannot oversee a staff member’s work in person, the criteria for hiring are different than when hiring for on-site roles.

Implement these five tips when hiring remote accounting and finance employees.

Understand the Motivation for Remote Work

Find out the reasons for each candidate wanting to work remotely. For instance, they may need flexibility to care for their children or an aging parent. Also, candidates might desire to work for an employer that’s geographically distant without having to relocate. Gaining greater insight into the desire for remote work can help you make more informed hiring decisions.

Emphasize Soft Skills

Focus on the interpersonal skills needed for remote work. For instance, time management, tech knowledge, and communication are important. Self-motivation, organization, and self-sufficiency are important as well. Candidates need to show they can work independently while meeting deadlines.

Set Up Remote Testing

Provide remote testing for the skills needed to complete the work. For instance, assign a short project related to the type of work the candidate would do if hired. Set a deadline to submit their work. See how well each candidate handles potential tech issues, asks questions about the assignment, and produces a finished product. Or, use a web-based platform that lets you customize tests in aptitudes such as auditing or financial analysis.

Provide Flexibility

Provide as much flexibility as possible in your remote work arrangements. For instance, let employees set their own work hours. Completing tasks during peak performance hours keeps them engaged and productive. Also, emphasize the importance of measuring results more than hours worked. When employees finish their tasks on time, they can move on to other projects. This lets them accomplish more throughout the week, resulting in greater achievements, job satisfaction, and employee retention.

Offer Perks

Emphasize the attractive perks your company has to make remote work even more fulfilling. For instance, provide wellness programs that enhance physical, emotional, mental, financial, and professional well-being. Also, offer virtual team-building events such as a happy hour or movie night. Additionally, provide reimbursement for job-related books, seminars, and other professional development. Plus, offer subscriptions for home delivery of meal kits to prepare healthy dinners. Desirable perks can enhance your remote work culture, employee happiness, and productivity.

Partner with a Recruiter

Hiring remote workers involves finding out why candidates want to work from home and whether they have the technical and interpersonal skills required for success. Pointing out the flexibility and perks your company provides for remote workers helps to attract top talent.

When you need to hire remote accounting and finance professionals, talk with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Discover firsthand why we were named on the inaugural Forbes List of America’s Best Recruitment Firms in 2020. Find out more today.

5 Things You Need to Know About Unemployment Claims

With the recession going on because of the coronavirus pandemic, many companies are reducing their workforce in response to changes in operations. As a result, your organization’s unemployment claims may be increasing. If so, your experience ratings are being reevaluated, which can cause your state unemployment tax rates to increase. Therefore, you need to know how you can minimize the impact of unemployment claims on your business.

Discover five ways unemployment claims impact your company and what you can do about it.

Minimize Your Terminations and Reductions in Force

Reduce your number of terminations and reductions in force as much as possible. Some employees who lost a job could claim unemployment benefits if they were terminated due to financial cutbacks, because they weren’t a good fit for the job, or because of a minor incident. These numbers affect your state unemployment tax rates. To avoid termination or reduction, consider a furlough or temporary reduction in hours or pay.

Check Your Base Year Employer Forms

Pay close attention to the Notice to Base Year Employer forms you receive. These come when a former employee becomes separated from their next employer and files for unemployment benefits. The forms show the percentage of their unemployment you’ll be charged unless you respond within 30 days. Your response can limit the number of benefits your company ends up paying.

Your Account May Be Charged for an Employee Who Quits

Be aware that your state unemployment insurance account can be charged for an employee who quits because of reasons attributable to your company. For instance, a change in the worksite may increase the employee’s commute or difficulty of travel. Because the amount of money you pay in unemployment benefits is related to the number of former employees who collect payments after leaving your company, you want to keep this number to a minimum.

Protect Your Company with Documentation

Maintain detailed records on each employee. Clear documentation can prove the validity of your response to an unemployment benefits claim. Your records should include employment policies, job descriptions, contracts, offers, and other job-related information. Have the employee sign every document to show they reviewed and understood the information.

Manage Your Workforce with a Staffing Agency

One of the best ways to manage your fluctuating workforce needs is to partner with a staffing agency. Because the agency bears the liability for temporary and contract employees, it also is responsible for their unemployment benefits. You can blend temporary or contract employees with your full-time staff with no financial impact on your company when they leave.

Hire Accounting and Finance Professionals

Unemployment claims have a significant impact on your company’s bottom line. Implementing the above tips to reduce the expenses related to your unemployment insurance can help your company save money long-term.

When you need help reducing the amount of money your organization spends, get in touch with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Our staffing consultants can provide innovative and creative solutions that exceed your expectations. Get more information today.

How Soon Can You Expect the COVID Vaccine to Be Available to Your Employees?

With two COVID vaccines available in the U.S. as of February 2021, healthcare workers, nursing home residents, and other vulnerable people are already receiving them. Once these people are vaccinated, frontline essential workers, people over 65, and other select groups should be next in line. As an accounting & finance manager, you may be wondering what this could mean for your team. If you are still working remotely, odds are you want to get back to the office at least partially and resume some normalcy.

Here’s how soon your team members may be able to receive the COVID vaccine.

The Public Might Get Vaccines in Spring

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, if an estimated quarter of US residents is fully vaccinated by late Spring or early Summer 2021, then healthy members of the general public may be able to get vaccinated more quickly than originally thought. The distribution would still take place over several months.

Employer Guidance May Increase Vaccination Efforts

Employers have the right to require employees to get vaccinated as a condition of returning to the office. This may help staff overcome their reluctance to get the vaccine as soon as possible. However, making something in the workplace mandatory typically leads to less desirable results than keeping it voluntary. Employees may object for reasons related to religion, ethics, disability, pregnancy, allergic reactions to previous vaccinations, or other issues. Instead, weekly COVID testing may become common for those returning to the office.

Continue to Wear a Mask

The process of vaccinating hundreds of millions of people to develop herd immunity is expected to take months. In fact, Fauci believes that 75-85% of the U.S. would need to be vaccinated by Fall 2021 to get back to some degree of normalcy. Ideally, the majority of people would need to get vaccinated to stunt or completely stop the outbreak. With the recent reports of new COVID-19 strains occurring throughout the world, social distancing, wearing masks, and vaccinations may remain the norm for some time.

Recommendations for Your Accounting and Finance Team

Although the COVID vaccine may be available to the general public in Spring 2021, there is no guarantee that everyone will want it. Also, even though employers can make vaccination a requirement to return to the office, staff members may object for religious, ethical, or other reasons. A better solution may require regularly scheduled COVID testing along with mask-wearing, social distancing, and other health standards to stop the spread.

Whether working remotely or on-site, enhance your accounting & finance team with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources help. Our in-depth understanding of the industry’s necessary functions and competencies and a role ensures that only highly qualified candidates are presented for your review. Contact us today.

Management Tips to Ensure Your Team is Actively Engaged

The level of engagement an employee has demonstrated how committed they are to your company and its success. It also shows how motivated and emotionally invested they are in their work. An employee must be motivated to work toward a goal in line with its vision and committed to the same values as the organization to remain engaged. As a result, the higher employee engagement is, the greater your company’s success. This is why you must work to maintain engagement among your team members.

Implement these tips to ensure your accounting and finance team remains engaged in their work.

Get to Know Your Employees

Learn all you can about your team members. For instance, find out about their families, hobbies, and interests. Also, discover what motivates them to perform their best. Additionally, ask what keeps them invested in the company’s future. Plus, uncover how they’d like to expand the business and increase its success. Use this knowledge to create a positive, productive work environment.

Set Goals

Create individual and team goals that are both challenging and realistic. This provides a sense of direction for what needs to be done and where your team members should focus their energy. Be sure to include milestones along the way to measure both progress and success.

Offer Growth Opportunities

Provide opportunities for professional growth. For instance, create stretch assignments that increase team members’ skill sets. Also, encourage your staff to develop and implement ideas to increase efficiency within the department. Plus, offer additional training and coaching in line with promotions.

Maintain Communication

Keep the lines of communication open with your team. For instance, encourage open discussion about problems as they come up. Work together to find solutions. Also, ask for employee feedback to improve your performance. Additionally, keep your staff updated on company news and developments.

Promote Autonomy

Let your teamwork as independently as possible. This shows you trust them to complete their tasks without being watched over. Ensure you clearly communicate what needs to be done and make yourself available to answer questions. Also, regularly check in on your team’s progress to see how they’re doing and provide feedback. Plus, encourage them to learn from their mistakes and do better next time.

Recognize Achievements

Acknowledge individual and team accomplishments. For instance, thank your team members for their efforts. Also, point out how individual contributions led up to a finished product. Provide monetary rewards for major achievements.

Hire Engaged Accounting & Finance Professionals

The promotion of employee engagement is one key to your accounting and finance team’s success. Engaged team members produce at higher levels and remain with your company longer. Setting goals, maintaining communication, and promoting autonomy are three ways to encourage engagement.

When you need to add engaged professionals to your team, partner with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources, we provide high-performance candidates who will make strong contributions to your company. Find out more today.