Employer Advice Archives - Page 18 of 21

The 12 Joys We are Grateful For!

As the year ends and a new one is on our doorstep, we reflect on how fortunate we are and what we are grateful for in our everyday lives as we work to place people in outstanding job opportunities with great companies!

“I am grateful for the ability to impact someone’s life by finding them a career that has truly made a difference in their life. The best is when they come back to me years later to let me know! I am grateful for my standing desk. It allows me to burn calories while I work away…can’t beat that!” Cheryl

“I am grateful for strong working relationships.” Denise

“I’m grateful for terrific coworkers that know me better than I know myself some days, and for the ability to build new relationships every day. Also, couldn’t be more grateful for a sense of humor that helps me keep everything in perspective.” Rachel

“I am definitely thankful for donuts!” Jake

“I am grateful for the clients and candidates that contact me to assist with staffing and placement when needed, knowing I will do my best to assist!” Linda

“I am grateful for LinkedIn! As a new recruiter, I LOVE IT!” Adam

“I am thankful for great companies that we work with that allow us to place our wonderful candidates. I am thankful for a warm office to come to every day with great team members, wonderful leaders and owner!” Barbara

“I am grateful for the trust that each person places in me during the search process. And a hot cup of coffee each morning!” Pete

“I am grateful for the team I work with. We are a family and work together to help one another succeed.” Jessica

“I am grateful for the office treats!” Erika

“I am grateful for the client and candidate relationships I have developed and maintained over the many years! I am grateful for the technology available to me to make my job easier and accurate. I’m grateful for working with a dynamic and loyal management team.” Eileen

“I am grateful to be able to work with a great group of recruiters and staff who love what they do, for our amazing clients and the ability we have to give back to our community! Every day, we get to improve people’s lives and make an impact on their future. I am grateful to be a part of it all! Best wishes to all in 2016!” Patty

How to Get Responses from Passive Candidates

To a recruiter, passive candidates may seem like a golden opportunity to attract a professional with a strong sense of loyalty and above-board skills. The hardest part is often connecting with the elusive candidate without being too “sales” oriented. While it is possible to accomplish this on social networking sites like LinkedIn, recruiters must still tread carefully so that they do not scare off, intimidate, or – worse yet – annoy a passive candidate.

Many recruiters have equated passive candidate attraction to the dating world. You may like what you see, but taking that first step and talking to the passive candidate is the hardest. Failure to take action could mean losing a valuable person. Coming on too strong could ruin any chance you had to begin with.

Try these suggestions for reaching out to passive candidates and getting them to respond in a positive way.

Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes

What is it that you’re actually sending to passive candidates? If you’re not sure of how your initial messages may appear to a candidate, take the time to send a message to yourself – wait 24 hours, and then read it to get an initial impression. Remember: These are people who are not actively looking for work opportunities, however with the right offer they may consider at least talking with you. Your initial communication with a passive candidate must be respectful of their time, and not overly pushy.

Explain who you are

Getting a message from an unknown source can be creepy to anyone. Be sure to explain in a non-threatening way who you are and why you were contacting a passive candidate. Keep your message warm and friendly. Make sure all of your social profiles are up-to-date, including your cover photo profile information and any open positions you are recruiting for. Remember: A candidate will immediately start searching for you online, so you want to shine in the best light.

Be complementary and specific

When a passive job seeker reviews your message, they will be able to tell immediately if it is a form letter or if you wrote it specifically to them. Review the candidate’s background carefully and compliment specific achievements that they’ve made. Recognize their value to appeal to their ego. If you have a common connection, make sure you indicate this in the message. Keep the message concise and discreet. Include your direct contact information. Let the candidate know you will be checking back with them within a specified amount of time.

Invite the candidate to self-schedule

Thanks to modern scheduling calendar software, it’s possible to invite the candidate to select a time that is convenient for them to talk with you about the career opportunity. This call to action can be very effective in getting a passive candidate to respond to your request. Clearly state that you want to find out what their career goals are and how you can help them accomplish this. This should appeal to any passive candidate who may be thinking about a career change in the near future.

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources, a winner of Inavero’s Best of Staffing® Client Award for the second consecutive year, can help your company meet all of its financial staffing needs. From a recent survey, the feedback we received was: “I am pleased with the professional service provided by Casey Accounting & Finance Resources.” Contact our award-winning team of financial recruiters today to get started!

10 Tips for End of the Year Hiring

Is your website mobile-friendly? Can candidates find the jobs you are recruiting for while they are on their personal phones? With the smart phone, many people do not even use a laptop anymore, so a responsive website is required when advertising jobs on your website.
Once the candidates can find the jobs, how easy is it for them to apply? Too many pages and forms to fill out and candidates will move on to a more user-friendly job opening!
Have you spruced up your employee referral program? Do your employees know what it is? Share this information with your employees regularly.
Often, interviewing slows down at the end of the year, so it is a perfect time to pick up your interviewing while more candidates are available. This way you can have them on track to start working for you at the first of the year!
Scheduling hassles for interviews when hiring managers are traveling? Thanks to the accessibility of high-speed Internet and video conferencing capabilities, many resources are available to conduct the interviews online, so you don’t miss a beat.
How are your job postings on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter? Post openings daily to your company’s LinkedIn and Facebook pages, and Tweet 10-12 times a day on Twitter. Ask people to follow you and like you! Have the posts link back to your website to increase your SEO.
Who does the hiring for your company? Are they engaged? Are they excited about working for your company and can share that excitement with potential new hires? Having an employee who is not engaged or excited about the company interview new hires can quickly turn off a potential great hire!
Timing? Don’t let a lot of time go by from the first time you interview the candidate to the second interview. If you like the candidate, move quickly in the interview process. Chances are that you are not the only company who is interested in hiring this person! Make sure the interview process is clearly defined and progresses at a steady pace. Candidates have multiple opportunities under consideration now and an interview process that lags is one that loses top talent to others that expedite the interview process.
Have a hiring manager who “collects” resumes? Explain the job market and low unemployment rate to this hiring manager. It should be a priority to interview candidates as soon as possible or risk losing the great candidates to proactive hiring managers!
Flexible contract workers help to fill in the gaps during the hiring process. Often, these candidates are hired on at the company on a temporary-to-hire basis – once the company and the candidate both see how they can each contribute to each other’s success!

10 Items to Evaluate on LinkedIn Recommendations for Financial Candidates

LinkedIn recommendations are a nice way to learn more about financial candidates before you bring them in for an interview. On top of the resume and cover letter, a LinkedIn profile is increasing in importance during the job selection process. More quality feedback that you can acquire will provide you with a better chance of hiring the best fit for your company.

However, they can also be a little misleading because they are generated by individuals who may not have a lot of direct interaction with these candidates. How can you evaluate LinkedIn recommendations left by people on a financial candidate’s profile? Here are the top 10 items to critique.

What is the top-rated recommendation?
Are the LinkedIn recommendations relevant to the industry?
Who submitted the recommendations?
Do the recommendations appear to be real? (This is very important. Be aware of generic recommendations that appear fluffy and have no substance)
Is the candidate writing recommendations for others?
How many recommendations are recent?
Do the recommendations relate to the job itself?
Has the candidate proven the skills stated?
Are there recommendations that the candidate is lacking?
How closely do the LinkedIn recommendations match the candidate’s achievements? (Seeing actual numbers in the recommendation that show the impact made by the candidate are a great sign.)

When evaluating a candidate for a financial position within your company, it’s important that the recommendations are relevant for the job itself. For example, does the candidate have recommendations that indicate they have specific financial software skills? Or does the candidate’s recommendations show that there is an understanding of the industry, such as legal and ethical considerations? These are all things you will want to consider.

A good financial candidate will have strong recommendations, both in their skills section and the written testimonials left by others. Look for past employers who have taken the time to write positive reviews of a candidate’s performance. Also learn what you can about the candidate’s career direction, which should be evident from any work history provided. See a progression of added responsibilities and projects? These are good signs.

What really takes a LinkedIn recommendation to the next level is confirmation of accomplishments by the job candidates – the more details the recommendations provide, the better. If it’s a generic assessment, then it provides no real context. A job candidate that has a number of recommendations from different employers or varying perspectives is another great sign.

If you need support with finding a strong financial candidate to hire for your company, Casey Accounting and Finance Resources has the recruitment solutions for your organization. We have access to the best financial candidates in the greater Chicago area. Contact us today!

Six Keys to Being Happy

According to the Topgrading Professionals, the keys to being happy have been summarized below after asking executives: “How would you live your life or manage your career differently, if you could start over?” This question answers the question, “What might you have done differently in order to become a happier person?

They have heard similar responses over and over again, so here is a summary of the six keys to becoming a success in your career and life, a truly HAPPY “A” Player.

1. Fix broken pieces in your life now, or they will get worse.

Life components include the following: Relationship with Spouse/Significant Other, Relationships with My Children, Wellness, Career Success, Financial Well Being, Giving Back, Being Creative, Fun Hobbies, and Spiritual Satisfaction. Look at any that you would rate Fair or Poor since these items are detracting from your happiness and fix them!

2. Invest time, energy, and love in your family.

You can’t go back in time. Spend the time with your family and loved ones now.

3. Pay attention to wellness.

Half the people, particularly during their 30s and 40s, said their exercise, eating, sleeping and stress-relief habits could be improved.

4. Live within your means.

If you are financially living out of your means, then poor choices happen especially when considering job changes. Save and invest, so you have the money you need during the down times.

5. Plan your career early.

85% of the high achievers were self-made, so get mentors early who can help you think long term for your career plans. Get needed training early on in your career.

6. Topgrade.

“A” players work 50 rather than 70 hours, and get a lot more done in the process. Having these additional hours each week give them time to devote to family, exercise, or anything else that is important to them. High achievers achieve balance through Topgrading.

For additional information www.topgrading.com/

Employee Retention: Best Practices to Keep Your Employees Engaged

Employee retention is a big talking point at companies in every industry, with HR managers and other department heads trying to find new ways to keep employees – especially their most talented ones – from jumping ship. Part of employee retention is keeping employees engaged in what they are doing. If you are perplexed by poor employee retention and grumbling unhappy workers, your organization could be in trouble without prompt action.

Here, we will discuss the best practices to keep your employees engaged so they stick with your company and stay productive.

Commit to Open Communication

Let employees know what their jobs require and why their jobs are important to the success of the company. Make sure employees know that collaboration is welcome, especially when it comes to completing projects. Your company’s leaders must also encourage employee feedback and listen to it. Treat your temporary employees the same way and respect their ideas and contribution to the company goals.

Take Advantage of Social Media

Your company can create a safe place for employees to discuss issues within the industry with their co-workers by taking part in debates and other discussions. You could also create a Facebook page for new additions to your company where they can interact with each other prior to their first day on the job. They can also use the group to discuss how their first couple of months have gone at the company.

Create a Culture That’s Intentional

Creating an intentional culture is actually a good way to make sure that employees know how they are expected to act at the office and how the company wants them to fit in with others when it comes to their values. There is no reason to hide the corporate culture from employees. Hang posters, send newsletters, discuss it in meetings and write emails that explain the culture and the company’s values.

Support Employee Career Development

Employees want to know that they can climb the corporate ladder without having to switch employers multiple times. They do not want to get stuck in a dead-end job. If you want to keep your employees engaged, and in-house, make sure they have a defined career development path. Create learning opportunities and have a mentoring system in place for skills transfer.

Take one or two of the tips outlined above and put them to work for your company so you can keep employees engaged. The effort will be well worth it because of higher productivity and employees who will be more loyal to your company.

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources is a trusted staffing firm that provides innovative and creative solutions. Contact us today and see how we will exceed your expectations as one of the top finance recruiters in Chicago.

Prevent Hiring Mistakes by Recognizing these Resume Red Flags

The resume is the first thing you will see when a candidate submits a job application to your company. Because of this, you can use the resume as a way to determine if the candidate should even be contacted for an interview. Some glaring problems on any resume can jump right off the page. On the other hand, some mistakes might not be as obvious, leading you to look a little harder to uncover them.

Here, we will discuss five red flags to look for, in order to prevent hiring mistakes.

Large Gaps in Employment

A large gap in employment is any period beyond two years. Candidates try to hide this by listing jobs using just years – rather than months and years – hoping they will get the resume in front of the recruiters and hiring managers. There could be a reasonable explanation for the large gaps. Take a deeper look at the candidate if the rest of the resume is impressive.

Using an Unprofessional Email

Email addresses are more important than people realize, because they say a lot about the person using them. Unprofessional email addresses might get a resume tossed in the trash before it is even read in full by the hiring manager. Unprofessional email addresses, such as ones that mention nicknames or sports teams, destroy the candidate’s credibility as a legitimate option for the company.

Resume Does Not Match the Job

Hiring managers do not have time to interpret what is written in a candidate’s resume. They also do not have time to figure out if the candidate meant to write one thing, but wrote another instead. Because of this, any resume that does not match the job for which it was submitted, will be put to the side. This means that the candidate does not have experience matching the job or did not take the time to tailor the resume to that specific job.

Failure to Use Keywords

Keywords help a resume stand out for any specific job, and also show hiring managers the skills required to work the job. When keywords are missing from a resume, hiring managers can deduce that the candidate did not take the time to properly write the resume. Often resumes are electronically searched based on keywords for the position.

Spelling Errors and Other Typos

Since avoiding spelling errors and other typos seem like they are common sense, we can’t totally ignore them. A resume with even the slightest mistake has grounds for being eliminated for consideration. It gives the impression that the candidate could not take the time to proofread their document before hitting the send button.
As a hiring manager or recruiter, it can be difficult to whittle down a pile of resumes. Do so by looking for the mistakes outlined above. Work with a recruiter at Casey Accounting and Finance Resources to provide you with pre-screened resumes that weed out problematic candidates before you invest time in interviewing.

2015 Mid-Year Salary Survey

With 2015 more than half over, Casey Accounting & Finance Resources has acquired updated salary data in finance and accounting. The compensation trends change throughout the year and with the fluctuating economy, you need to be on top of your game when negotiating salary numbers.

Looking to learn more about what salary expectations should be? Casey Accounting & Finance Resources can help! We have compiled our salary survey list with updated facts and figures including job descriptions for finance and accounting positions for the Chicago metropolitan area.

Contact us today and we will be happy to share this with you. In the “YOUR MESSAGE” section, please enter “2015 Finance Salary Survey”. Enjoy the rest of 2015!

Diversity and Inclusion Will Help Curb Employee Turnover

Employee turnover is a problem that all companies face, some more than others, but it is also something that can be corrected. Depending on the turnover issues at your company, the fix can range from easy to incredibly difficult. Companies looking to curb employee turnover should fix the diversity and inclusion issues that plague their organizations.

Read on as we discuss how these two items, once improved, will help reduce employee turnover at your company.

Lack of Attention Causing Turnover

According to the results of a 2015 survey conducted by Korn Ferry, companies blame employee turnover on the lack of attention to inclusion and diversity within the workplace. Of the close to 700 companies that responded to the online survey from January 27 to February 2, 84 percent of them said that, “lack of attention to these two items are causing employee turnover issues at their organizations.” Some 70 percent of the survey’s respondents noted that they, “have inclusion and diversity programs in place and active for employees.” Close to 72 percent of respondents said that there is, “a conscious effort in place at their companies to create a diverse culture of inclusion.”

Do Programs Enhance Employee Retention?

The same survey found something very interesting when it asked participants if their programs actually enhance employee retention. Of the close to 700 respondents, only 56 percent of them believe that the programs they have in place actually enhance employee retention. To go even further into the responses of the participants, the survey found that 42 percent of companies feel that there is an unconscious bias present within their employee ranks when it comes to diverse backgrounds regarding sexual orientation, religion, gender and race.

Does Your Company Have Diversity and Inclusion Issues?

It is a good idea to find out what diversity and inclusion issues might be present. Ask yourself the question “Does Your Company Have Diversity and Inclusion Issues?” to to begin a very important discussion among leadership. Even though the survey period is complete, you could still take the survey to determine what your company’s answers would be as this would help you evaluate the situation at hand.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line here is that diversity and inclusion both play a major factor in the employee turnover rate at your company, no matter the industry in which it operates. High employee turnover means that your company is spending extra resources to find, interview, hire and onboard new employees only for them to leave after a short period. The more your company promotes a diverse workplace and is inclusive to all employees, the better your employee turnover rate will be, with it bordering on very low.
To improve your recruitment for diversity and inclusion, partner with a great finance staffing agency in Chicago like Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. We have candidates from all types of backgrounds ready to go to work for you, and improve your retention rates.

Rethink Your Recruitment and Retention Strategies

According to The ASA Workforce Monitor^TM , six out of 10 employed adults will not be looking for a new job opportunity this year. So what do you do to keep your employees and find new employees?

The survey showed that work-life balance and schedule flexibility were more important than pay for many employees. As far as recruiting new employees, pay and benefits are the most important considerations when a person is deciding to change jobs.

“The ASA Workforce Monitor results underscore the fact that employers need to rethink their recruitment and retention strategies,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA President and Chief Executive Oofficer. “Quality of life matters in retaining current employees. Compensation matters most in recruiting employees to change jobs.”

For the complete article: https://americanstaffing.net/posts/2015/06/30/few-adults-on-the-job-hunt/