6 Effective Ways to Build Trust with Your Employees

As a manager, building trust with your employees is essential for success. You need your employees to carry out daily tasks related to their jobs. Your employees need you for guidance, support, and leadership.

Effective ways to build trust with your employees must be worked on daily. This is especially true if your employees work remotely or hybrid.

The more your employees trust you, the more engaged and productive they will be. This elevates job satisfaction, employee morale, and retention. It also increases your bottom line.

Choose among these six effective ways to build trust with your employees.

1. Openly Communicate

Build trust with your employees by initiating or joining in conversations. This may involve sharing company news and insights or answering questions. Also, be attentive to your employees’ concerns. Ongoing communication with your employees builds confidence in your leadership abilities.

2. Provide Flexibility

Although you want your employees to work full days, situations will arise when they must take care of their personal needs. Show compassion by letting your employees take care of family issues or other priorities that come up.

Your employees are likely to go above and beyond when you need them to. Being there for your employees shows they are trusted and valued team members.

3. Be Direct

Communicate with your employees in a clear, honest manner. This is especially important if you have bad news to deliver.

Calm, direct engagement in conversations lets participants be heard and understood. This supports respect and trust with your employees.

4. Delegate Responsibilities

Ask your employees to take on high-priority tasks and duties. Show that you trust them to follow through and reach deadlines with little oversight.

5. Offer Guidance

Reassure, support, or lead your employees when needed. Show that they can depend on you in good and bad times.

Help your employees move through challenges and come out stronger than before. Being there for your employees helps build trust.

6. Lead by Example

Model the behavior you want your employees to follow. This includes being authentic and vulnerable. Your employees are likely to trust you enough to be authentic and vulnerable in return.

Add Employees to Your Team

Openly communicating in a direct manner and providing flexibility help build trust with your employees. Delegating responsibilities, offering guidance, and leading by example show that your employees are valued and respected members of your team.

When you need to add employees to your team, get help from Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Learn more today.

Struggling to Get Applicants? Why You Need to Examine Your Hiring Process and How Long It Takes to Hear Back

Like many employers, you may be having difficulty filling your job openings. One of the reasons may be that you take too long to respond to candidates.

Regular follow-up throughout your hiring process is important. This may include letting candidates know you received their application, would like to schedule an interview or are considering offering them a job. It also involves what the next steps in the process are and when the candidate should expect to hear from you.

Discover why regular communication throughout your hiring process is an effective way to hire the best applicants.

Respect

Responding to each candidate shows you respect their time. Applying for a job takes a significant amount of research and decision-making. Expressing interest in working for your company says a great deal about your organization. Showing appreciation is important.

Realistically, you may be unable to personally respond to each candidate. As a result, you might want to automate your responses with your applicant tracking system (ATS). This helps provide a positive candidate experience.

Candidate Engagement

Top candidates have many employment options. Following up with them throughout your hiring process helps keep them engaged. This increases the odds that your best candidates will accept potential job offers from you.

Be sure to let each candidate know when they should expect to hear from you. Also, fulfill these expectations as much as possible. If you need to extend a timeframe, let each candidate know as soon as possible.

Candidate Experience

Effectively following up throughout your hiring process improves the candidate experience. This helps set your company apart from the competition. It also helps you hire more high-quality candidates.

Even if you’re not ready to provide a job offer, share with your most desirable candidates feedback on their interviews. This encourages them to want to work for your organization.

Talent Pipelines

The more you keep in contact with candidates, the more your talent pipelines remain filled. A candidate who has a positive experience with your company but isn’t offered a job may apply for a role in the future. They also might refer other candidates to your organization.

Employer Brand

Regular follow-up with each candidate enhances your employer brand. The more you communicate with candidates, the more positive your company’s reputation remains.

Many candidates post reviews on Glassdoor and other employer review sites. They’re likely to share positive reviews when you follow up on an ongoing basis. This encourages other candidates to apply to your organization.

Want Help Hiring?

If you’re not regularly following up with candidates, you may be having trouble filling your jobs. Ongoing communication with candidates promotes respect for their time, engagement in the hiring process, and a positive candidate experience. It also helps keep your talent pipeline full and your employer brand positive.

If you need help hiring, Casey Accounting & Finance Resources can match you with qualified candidates to fill your business needs. Learn more today.

How Setting Short and Long-Term Goals Can Improve Employee Experience

Employee experience involves how and why things get done at work. This includes every touchpoint your employees have throughout their time working for your company.

A positive work environment, meaningful work, and supportive management contribute to a great employee experience. Trust in leadership and growth opportunities are important as well.

One way to elevate employee experience is through collaborative goal-setting. This provides your employees a say in what they work toward and the targets they aim for.

Collaborative goal setting encompasses the aspects mentioned above that contribute to an attractive employee experience. These are reasons why you should begin setting goals with your employees today.

Discover how collaborative goal-setting helps improve the employee experience.

Goal Setting Impacts Career Success

Helping your employees understand what they are working toward and why it matters impacts job satisfaction.

Having clear reasons to reach their goals gives your employees motivation, especially during difficult times.
Establishing the steps needed to reach their goals maps out which actions employees should take and when.
Setting milestones lets your employees know how successful they are in making progress toward their goals.
Celebrating your employees’ successes provides encouragement to continue moving forward.

Achievement of Short- and Long-Term Goals Improves Retention

Employees usually need to achieve a series of short-term goals in order to reach their long-term goals.

Short-term goals typically take 6 months to 3 years to attain.
Long-term goals typically take 3 to 5 years to achieve.
The more short-term goals your employees reach, the more encouraged they are to build on their successes.
The more long-term goals your employees reach, the more likely they are to remain with your organization.

Creation of SMART Goals Impacts Accomplishments

Work with your employees to develop specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound (SMART) goals.

Clarify exactly what each employee is working toward, so they know when they successfully reach it.
Include numbers or other hard data to measure success.
Make sure each goal can be obtained through the steps created and within the given timeframe.
Tie each goal to your company goals.
Ensure each goal can be achieved in the established time period.
Schedule regular check-ins with your employees to determine their progress. Talk about where they are at and where they should be.
Give praise when appropriate. Provide guidance to get back on track when necessary.

Looking for Accounting and Finance Talent?

Helping your employees set and attain short- and long-term goals enhances employee experience. When your employees understand the reasoning behind the targets they are working to reach, your employees are more likely to continue making progress toward their objectives. This helps increase engagement and retention rates.

If you are looking for accounting and finance talent, talk with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Reach out to find out more today.

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.

Are You Staying Ahead of the Game? 5 Best Accounting Trends to Get Ready for in 2020

The accounting industry continues to evolve along with clients’ changing needs. Improvements in technology mean automating many accounting tasks and altering job duties. As a leader in the accounting field, you need to stay informed about developments affecting your industry in the coming year. Here are five accounting trends to prepare for in 2020.

Machine Learning Will Increase Automation

With the rise of machine learning, accounting tasks increasingly will become automated. For instance, vendor bill data entry, general ledger coding and expense reporting are being done by machine learning. Some corporate accounting firms use a machine learning platform to review sales documents, leasing and derivatives contracts, invoices and financial statements for key accounting information. Corporate accounting firms also may use machine learning to maintain compliance with accounting standards.

Digital Content Consumption Will Be Constant

Because of growing access to video, social, meme and other formats, people’s consumption of online content continues to increase. To compete for people’s attention, corporate accounting firms need a dynamic online presence. In addition to a website, corporate accounting firms need extras such as a library of how-to videos and frequently asked questions that address common issues. Articles and posts that are easy to read and share are valuable as well.

Most Clients Will Be Mobile-First

The majority of accounting clients will be mobile-first, if not mobile-only. To provide the best user experience, corporate accounting firms’ websites must include quick load times, thumb-friendly buttons, and easy–to-read text. Branded mobile apps make it easy to send individual messages tailored to each client’s needs. Information from smartphone cameras can be integrated and processed within a native app and used to record copies of receipts and invoices to send to an accountant.

Increase in Millennials as Clients and Employees

An increasing number of Millennials will be corporate accounting firms’ clients and employees. To attract Millennials, corporate accounting firms need to increase flexibility, convenience and brand image. They also need to offer meaningful work opportunities, foster connections, and show how each role impacts the company and society. Plus, corporate accounting firms should provide opportunities for development in the form of special projects, exposure to other departments, or classes and trainings outside the office.

Breakthroughs in Blockchain

Blockchain will be used for significantly more accounting functions. The single-ledger technology is a delivery method allowing users from multiple sources access to the same information in near-real–time. When one user makes a change, everyone with access can see it once it is validated. Transactions take minutes or seconds and include greater security and transparency. Auditing, compliance and reconciliation are faster and more accurate.

Prepare for Your Accounting Future

Prepare for your accounting future with Casey Finance & Accounting Resources. In addition to one-on-one assistance with finding accounting jobs in Chicago, IL, our Career Tools Portal provides free access to top job search tools, an article and video library, professional resume review, career assessment programs and more. Reach out to us today!

4 Ways to Build a Culture of Accountability

Having a culture of accountability means that results are communicated and understood by everyone. When mistakes are made, employees work to solve the problem and learn how to do better. They feel a sense of ownership in company results and do what it takes to attain their goals. Because top professionals want themselves, and others, to be held accountable, here are four ways to build a culture of accountability.

Hire Accountable People

How individuals perform affects how the team performs. Because accountability comes from the top, you want solid, consistent leaders who demonstrate and reward accountable behaviors in themselves and others. When interviewing, look for candidates who take responsibility. Because past behavior is the greatest predictor of future behavior, look for each candidate’s previous actions and their results to determine how they may perform under similar circumstances. For instance, which types of roles did the candidate hold in the past? Did they seek out leadership positions in school, personal pursuits or previous jobs? Ask for specific situations where the candidate showed accountable behaviors, such as when they failed at something despite careful planning. Find out what they learned, how they resolved the situation, and what they would do differently in a similar situation. Or, ask about a time when the candidate honored a commitment or did the right thing despite the fact that the action resulted in personal hardship. Listen to determine whether the candidate blamed someone else, made excuses, or took responsibility for the outcome.

Set Clear Expectations and Goals

Clarify your company’s expectations and goals so employees know exactly what they are working toward. Include measurable milestones to determine whether those expectations are being met. Let employees have a say in goal-setting to provide a sense of buy-in for the results. Ensure the goals are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-constrained. Make sure progress and results are regularly measured, tracked and reviewed with employees, such as at weekly or monthly meetings, to determine whether each employee and the team are on track or changes need to be implemented. Delegate a proper amount of authority to employees whose key decisions will affect team results.

Fix Issues Rather Than People

When issues arise, focus on resolving them rather than placing blame. People initially may feel vulnerable and become defensive knowing they’re being held accountable for their results. Help them feel safe by addressing the issue rather than who caused it. If an expectation isn’t met, talk with employees about how they can perform better. Help them create an action plan to address the deficiency. Provide coaching as needed.

Find Accountable Professionals With a Top Chicago Employment Agency

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources has the professionals you need when you need them. Get in touch with us today to fill your staffing needs!

Where Are All the Candidates? 4 Ways to Attract Passive Accounting Job Seekers

Because passive candidates are well-compensated and passionate about what they do, they have no desire to look for a job. Since they are always adding to their skill set, experience level, and accomplishments, passive candidates have employers and recruiters actively pursuing them. To stand out among all the others, you need to show passive candidates what you have to offer that others do not and how working for you will benefit them. Here are four ways to attract passive candidates.

1. Focus on Company Branding

Cultivate a brand that markets your company as a choice employer. For instance, focus on what makes employees choose your business over all others. Point out your flexible schedule, extensive employee benefits, stock options and competitive compensation. Mention remote work options, bonuses, professional development, and opportunities for advancement. Ask current and former employees to write company reviews on websites such as Glassdoor. Work toward being placed on top lists and other independent review articles that show your business in a positive light.

2. Engage on Social Media

Use social media to engage with followers. For instance, search for and qualify passive candidates on LinkedIn. Use their profile information to determine whether they possess the skills, experience, and qualifications you are looking for. You may even come across links to candidates’ websites or online portfolios. You also can participate in LinkedIn Groups in your industry to engage with potential candidates and introduce them to opportunities. Additionally, you can use LinkedIn Recruiter to target your search and reach out to passive candidates. Along with LinkedIn, you can create and share content, including job openings and company information, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Your followers can share content with their networks, promote your information, and encourage others to work for you. You may respond to comments and interact with potential candidates to build relationships and encourage interest in employment.

3. Ask for Employee Referrals

Encourage your employees to provide referrals. Because people typically associate with like-minded individuals, your best workers should be able to recommend other top performers. Also, since people enjoy working with others they know, referrals are more likely to accept an interview. They have greater access to insider information about company culture, job responsibilities, and other pertinent details that may help them during the interview. You may even create an employee referral program that rewards both parties when a successful hire has been employed for a specific length of time.

4. Search Your Database

Use your database to search for past candidates who may be interested in a job change. If they interviewed with you before, they should know about the company, department and culture. Candidates also may have gained skills and experience that can benefit your business. Those who were treated well and impressed with your company will be more open to working with you.

Find Passive Candidates Through Casey Accounting & Finance Resources

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Are Your Job Descriptions Attracting the Right Accounting Talent? Let’s Review.

When was the last time you looked over your job descriptions? The best ones combine required skills and experience, company culture and other pertinent details. Ask yourself whether you have the right combination of the following elements to attract the right accounting talent.

Is the Job Title Clear?

Although unique titles such as “Financial Guru” may indicate a laid-back culture, they probably will not attract the type of professionals you are looking for. Because most candidates search for roles that match their skills and experience, using terms such as “guru” may cause your description to not show up or turn off candidates from applying. Instead, use industry-standard language that candidates search under to achieve more favorable results.

What Are the Duties?

You can determine the top five to seven requirements by interviewing employees and their supervisors, observing employees as they perform their work or referencing outside sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. Make sure you focus on how those requirements promote growth and development within the company and how an employee’s achievements can contribute to career progression.

What Are the Relevant Details?

Be sure you mention whether the position is exempt or nonexempt, how much travel is required, what the work environment is like, and whether the employee may telecommute. Candidates need enough information to determine whether they may excel in a role and want to apply.

Did You Mention Company Culture?

Candidates need to know whether they agree with your mission, values and beliefs and will enjoy working for your organization. For instance, along with mentioning benefits, perks, and bonuses, share whether you have an on-site gym, free food, flexible schedules, remote work opportunities or other unique offerings. When possible, include photos, graphics, videos or other multimedia that shows a diverse range of employees in your company.

Did an Employee Review the Job Description?

The employee can clarify the duties and responsibilities. The supervisor can ensure the description contains accurate information about the skills and qualifications.

When Was the Job Description Reviewed?

Read the description over annually to accurately describe the job as it is being performed. Duties and responsibilities may change, along with the skills and experience required to fulfill them. The best time to update a job description is when requirements change.

Attract Top Accounting Talent With a Leading Chicago Recruitment Firm

Are you looking for top accounting professionals? Partner with the expert recruiters at Casey Accounting & Finance Resources!

5 Influential Technologies Affecting Recruiting This Year

Like most industries, recruiting is constantly changing. As new technology is introduced, the field continues to become more efficient and effective. Watch for these five influential technologies affecting recruiting in 2019.

1. Marketplaces

Marketplaces serve as a platform for employers to connect with recruiters. Due to reduced administrative requirements, vendor management and competitive placement fees, marketplaces are cost-effective. Also, having a centralized platform increases recruiter productivity and reach. Since marketplaces collect and store information on candidates’ resumes, skills, websites, LinkedIn profiles and more, hiring is more transparent and efficient. Plus, recruiters see candidates’ goals and learn more about them and what they want in their next role, which facilitates conversation and aids in proper placement.

2. Gig Economy

Recruiters face an even greater need to adopt new mobile and socially integrated communication technologies and platforms, such as Skype interviews or virtual reality video conferencing, to attract and place gig workers. Also, more HR technologies focused on worker onboarding, engagement, learning and career planning will develop.

3. Social Recruitment

Social recruitment involves clearly defined objectives and a target audience to determine which platforms are most effective in sharing a company’s job openings. For instance, visual platforms like Instagram are more suited for graphic designers and other creatives, whereas Twitter is more populated by IT and tech professionals. Also, social recruitment lets a company leverage social data to determine a candidate’s fit. For instance, Google Alerts and Radian6 let employers monitor candidates to see whether they fit with an opportunity. Additionally, many professionals engage on sites that fill both social and professional needs. For instance, Dribble is a community for designers, whereas GitHub is a platform for software developers.

4. Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics uses historical data to make predictions about the future. For instance, predictive analytics can consider industry, location, occupation and other elements to provide customized recommendations and get better responses to job postings. Also, predictive analytics can automate resume ranking, and shortlist and prescreen candidates, which increases the quality and diversity of new hires.

5. Artificial Intelligence

AI software programs and tools lower costs, reduce inherent biases and improve the quality of hires. Recruiters have more time to invest in fostering relationships with talent. For instance, chatbots can speed up the hiring process and enhance the candidate experience by assessing a candidate’s resume, online presence and fit with the role. Also, AI recruiting video interview platforms can evaluate the quality of a candidate’s voice, voice energy, pace of speech, use of fillers, answers, facial micro-expressions and body language. Plus, AI can determine whether a remote worker will be honest and ethical and appropriately represent the company if hired.

Contact the Seasoned Recruiters at a Leading Chicago Employment Agency

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Increase Your Salary This Year With These Simple Tips!

Although most employees deserve a raise at various times, few actually ask for one. Employees may feel intimidated by their manager or uncomfortable talking about money. However, asking for a salary increase is an essential skill that increases your financial wellness and career success. Therefore, now is the time to learn about asking for a raise.

Understand Your Worth

For instance, focus on your responsibilities. Perhaps you lead projects or took on special initiatives that your colleagues would not. Make a list of your top accomplishments and specific ways they impacted your department and the company. Perhaps you participated in training programs to gain additional skills, brought in a significant amount of new business or became certified in your field.

Research Your Salary Range

Use market data sites such as Salary.com, PayScale and Glassdoor to determine the market average of similar job listings with companies of comparable size in your geographic area that offer similar benefits. Create a spreadsheet of your findings to see how your current salary compares. If you have connections with local hiring managers or recruiters, ask them to look at your resume and provide you a realistic salary request for your position and experience. Use the numbers to justify your request.

Consider How Your Manager Will Benefit

Share your goals to enhance business and what steps you will take to achieve them. Also, ask your manager what goals they would like to see you achieve and determine how you can attain them. Finding out how you can fill their needs will place you in a more advantageous position for getting what you desire.

Prepare for Potential Outcomes

If your request is declined, ask for specific ways you can improve your performance and potentially earn more compensation. Set a time to resume the conversation in a few months. Also, if your manager cannot give you a raise due to budget restrictions, negotiate for more paid time off or other increase in benefits.

Ask at an Appropriate Time

If you ask for a raise after achieving a substantial accomplishment, during a positive performance review or before the fiscal year ends, your manager may be more inclined to grant your request. Other good times include when you take on a new project or assume a new leadership role.

Let Our Expert Recruiters Negotiate a New Job and Salary for You

When you are ready for a new job and salary, contact the professional recruiters at Casey Accounting and Finance Resources, a leading Chicago employment agency!

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