How to Utilize Automation to Better Your Hiring Process

The implementation of automation helps streamline your hiring process. The benefits include:

  • Time savings: You can automate tasks such as sharing job postings, sourcing candidates, scheduling interviews, and generating job offer letters. These actions free up time to build candidate relationships, conduct interviews, and fulfill other core activities.
  • Reduced biases: Automation in your screening process focuses on a candidate’s credentials rather than ethnicity, gender, age, and other personal identifiers. This process helps reduce unconscious biases that can influence hiring decisions.
  • Shorter time to hire: Automation of repetitive tasks helps speed up your hiring process. Filling jobs with the right candidates in less time helps save time and money.
  • Better candidate experience: Maintaining communication throughout your hiring process encourages candidate engagement. This process increases the odds of hiring the best candidates and receiving positive employer reviews.

As a result, you should start implementing automation in your hiring process today.

Discover how to utilize automation to better your hiring process.

Share Job Postings

You can use automation to share job postings with both the public and your employees. Letting your employees know which openings you are hiring for encourages them to provide referrals.

Employee referrals typically fit the job requirements and blend with your culture. As a result, you can fast-track referrals through your hiring process.

The sooner you begin onboarding and training employee referrals, the quicker they can begin producing. Even better, referrals are likely to remain long-term because they already know employees within your organization.

Streamline Your Resume Screening Process

A chatbot can evaluate resumes based on the criteria you set. Then, the bot can post on your chat platform the resumes of qualified candidates and mark them in your applicant tracking system (ATS) the rejected resumes. This process significantly reduces the time needed to screen resumes.

Schedule Interviews

Automation of the interview scheduling process lets qualified candidates decide when to meet for job interviews. The interviews get scheduled both in your ATS and on your scheduling platform.

The chatbot sends the interviewers and candidates reminders of the dates and times of the interviews. The bot also sends interviewers a link to each candidate’s profile in your ATS to prepare for the interview.

Sharing the interviewers’ availability lets candidates schedule or reschedule the times that work best for everyone. This process simplifies the ability to coordinate interviewer and candidate schedules.

Support Candidate Evaluations

Evaluating candidates soon after interviews helps provide performance feedback:

  • When a candidate moves to the interview stage in your ATS, a channel on your communication platform is created for the interviewers.
  • After the discussion, the interviewers receive a scorecard to fill out.
  • The responses populate the candidate’s ATS profile.
  • An HR chatbot schedules an interviewer videoconference to share thoughts on the candidate and determine the next step.

Deliver Job Offer Letters

Sending job offer letters soon after making hiring decisions increases the odds of candidate acceptance. Then, you can add the best candidates to your team.

The following process can create a job offer letter:

  • When a candidate in your ATS moves to the offer stage, a chatbot shares the offer details with the appropriate stakeholders through your communication platform.
  • The stakeholders approve or reject the candidate.
  • Approved job offer details are included in a letter created on your electronic signature platform.
  • A chatbot shares the job offer letter with the stakeholders to review and approve or reject it.
  • An approved letter is sent to the candidate through your electronic signature platform.
  • The signed letter is uploaded to your ATS.
  • The candidate’s status changes to hired.

Would You Like Help to Hire Accounting and Finance Professionals?

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources can provide you with qualified accounting and finance professionals to benefit your team. Contact us to learn more today.

Words NOT to Use as a Manager

As a manager, monitoring how you say things to your employees is important. You want to be respectful and encourage your team to remain open-minded, creative, and innovative.

How you say things to your employees can have long-lasting effects. Therefore, there are words and phrases you should avoid using when speaking with your team. The following are five examples.

As a manager, these are words NOT to use when talking with your employees.

Obviously

Most things are not obvious to everyone. Therefore, using the word “obviously” can put your employees on the defensive. As a result, they are unlikely to effectively listen and respond to what you say.

I Think

Saying “I think” discredits your opinion and diminishes your authority. For instance, saying “I think we should implement this strategy” is less powerful than saying “We should implement this strategy.” Your tone also remains more open and engaging by not using these two words.

Should

Using the word “should” leads to ambiguity. Your employees may be unsure about what you mean.

For instance, if you say to an employee, “Don’t you think we should do that?”, they might say they agree with you even if they do not. Instead, you could say, “Let’s do X because of Y. Do you agree or disagree and why?”

Can’t

Although there are limitations on what your team can do, avoid saying they “can’t” do something. Instead, work with your employees to develop innovative ways to accomplish something that would benefit the company. Changing the focus to creatively solve problems encourages your team to continue moving forward.

I Don’t Have the Time

Telling your employees that you “don’t have the time” to do something suggests they are not important to you. This implication can lead to disengagement, reduced performance, and lower productivity.

If what you are doing truly cannot wait, ask your employee whether you can schedule a time to discuss the issue. Providing support shows you value and respect your employees.

Do You Need Help with Hiring?

Understanding which words and phrases not to use as a manager helps facilitate open communication with your team. Knowing how to focus on more positive language inspires your employees to remain open-minded, creative, and innovative.

If you need help hiring accounting and finance professionals, get in touch with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Learn more today.

How to Write a Good Job Description

Writing a good job description involves sharing the duties, responsibilities, expectations, and requirements for the role. This information helps job seekers determine whether they can see themselves in the position and should apply.

Creating a clear job description helps create questions for the interview process. It also supports the hiring team throughout the candidate selection process.

Having an effective job description helps create new hire goals and training and development plans. It also supports job performance evaluations, career pathing, and company growth.

Implement these tips to write a good job description.

Choose a Targeted Job Title

Use a title with keywords that many job seekers search for. Titles that indicate what the role involves, such as “Call Center Agent” rank higher in search engine results than vague titles, such as “Rock-Star Marketer.” Job postings that rank well typically have a high number of clicks that can lead to qualified applicants.

Outline the Job Duties and Responsibilities

Highlight what would be expected of the new hire. Include the day-to-day activities and to whom the individual would report. Help job seekers determine whether this is the right position for them.

Limit the Qualifications

List the most essential education, skills, and experience required for the role. Keep in mind that hard skills can be taught while on the job. Limiting the number of qualifications encourages more candidates to apply.

Share the Salary Range

Let job seekers know what type of compensation to expect. Candidates who desire a higher salary can apply for other positions. This saves time reviewing resumes and scheduling interviews.

List the Benefits and Perks

Let job seekers know which benefits and perks make the role desirable. Examples include health insurance, a retirement plan with a company match, paid time off, a remote or hybrid work environment, and a flexible schedule. Supporting job seekers’ quality of life encourages them to apply to your openings.

Are You Looking for Help with Writing Job Descriptions?

Choosing a targeted job title, outlining the job duties and responsibilities, and limiting the qualifications encourage top talent to apply for your open positions. Sharing the salary range and listing the benefits and perks show job seekers what they can gain from working for your organization.

For additional help with writing good job descriptions, get in touch with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Contact us today.

5 Tips for Starting Q2 Strong

Starting Q2 strong involves capitalizing on your Q1 successes. You can use your momentum to continue moving the company forward.

You can use what you learned from your setbacks in Q1 to start Q2 strong. This increases the likelihood of achieving your goals over the next 3 months.

Implement these five tips for starting Q2 strong.

1. Capitalize on Your Momentum

Build on your successes from Q1 as you move to Q2. Balance your short-term urgency with your desired long-term gains. Focus on how your course corrections over the past 3 months can improve efficiency over the next 3 months.

2. Focus on the Future

Spend 10% of your time determining what went wrong in Q1 and 90% of your time planning for Q2. Figure out why you did not attain the desired outcomes and how you can do better going forward.

Focus on what you learned in the past 3 months that you can apply to the next 3 months. You might need to create systems and strategies or resolve process issues to reach your goals.

3. Analyze Market Trends

Pay attention to the trends that are impacting your industry. Focus on the internal and external factors that might impact your company’s financial performance in Q2. Adjust your plans to adapt to these changes for growth in your numbers.

4. Reassess Your Goals

Meet with your team to determine whether the goals set in January still are relevant in April. If they are, find ways to promote engagement to attain these goals. Otherwise, use the latest data and insight to adjust your Q2 goals.

5. Clarify Your Team’s Capacity

Use your team’s capacity to plan your Q2 goals. For instance, if your employees work 40 hours per week, their individual capacity is 40 hours. Therefore, your team’s collective capacity is 40 hours x your number of employees.

Ensure you leave at least 30% of open space for your team. For instance, if your employees work 40 hours per week, commit them to only 28 hours of work on reaching Q2 goals (40 – 30% = 28). This should allow adequate time for tasks that take longer than anticipated and for unexpected circumstances that arise.

Planning adequate time to reach their goals helps your employees fulfill their regular job duties and responsibilities while working toward Q2 objectives. It also helps prevent your employees from overworking to attain their 90-day business goals.

Get Help with Hiring

Capitalizing on your successes, focusing on the future, analyzing market trends, and reassessing your team’s goals help start Q2 strong. Being realistic about your team’s capacity should provide adequate time for them to fulfill their regular job duties while working toward their 90-day goals.

Let Casey Accounting & Finance Resources help with your hiring so you have more time to reach your Q2 goals. Reach out today.

Supporting Your Employees’ Goals in 2023

Supporting your employees’ goals in 2023 is more essential than ever. Employees are finding new employers with better opportunities at a rapid pace. As a result, employee retention during The Great Resignation is extremely important.

How you support your employees in reaching their goals impacts whether you are an employer of choice. This affects your ability to attract and retain talent. The following ideas can help.

Implement these suggestions to support your employees’ goals in 2023.

Prioritize Employee Mental Health

Most employees continue to experience mental health challenges that began during the pandemic. Increasing exposure to stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and burnout. These factors impact employee engagement, productivity, and performance. They also affect job satisfaction, employee morale, and retention rates.

You can help your employees reach their goals for positive mental health by providing additional support for overall wellness:

  • Maintain an open-door policy for your employees to privately talk with you about their personal and professional challenges. Emphasize that these discussions are free from judgment or consequences.
  • Encourage your employees to get enough sleep each night. This helps maintain emotional resilience and performance throughout the workday.
  • Remind your employees to use all of their paid time off each year. They need time away from work to rest and rejuvenate.

Encourage Employees’ Soft Skill Development  

Many employees believe their soft skills were impacted by the social isolation caused by the coronavirus. This is especially true for Gen Z, whose educational and career goals were difficult to achieve during social distancing and lockdowns.

Many members of Gen Z say their education did not effectively prepare them to enter the workforce. They missed out on developing the soft skills that are essential for career success. This includes networking, speaking to groups, and negotiating.

Employees from other generations experienced a lapse in their soft skills due to working remotely. The lack of in-person interaction significantly increased stress, exhaustion, and burnout.

You can support your employees’ goal of soft skill development by providing online skills training courses and opportunities to implement their learning. You also can match your employees with mentors to model and develop the soft skills required to advance within your organization. Plus, you can assign group projects that require collaboration among teammates.

Need Additional Guidance for Supporting Your Employees’ Goals?

Prioritizing employee mental health and encouraging soft skill development help support your employees’ goals in 2023. These actions increase employee engagement, productivity, and retention. They also lower your hiring, onboarding, and training costs.

For further advice on supporting your employees’ goals, get in touch with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Connect with us today.

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.

A Season of Thanks!

As Thanksgiving is upon us, we once again reflect on how fortunate we are and what we are grateful for in our everyday lives! We hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

• I am grateful that I have been able to work with such gifted and motivated people. We are a group of people that works hard AND plays hard! I am also grateful for my orange cat, Hans, who can always make me smile no matter what kind of day I’m having. Beverly

• I am grateful for the people in my life that are my cheerleaders and support me in everything I do! Cheryl

• I am grateful to the organization that I work for. I am grateful to the clients and candidates that I assist and continue to build long lasting relationships. Lastly, I am very grateful to the leadership team of both Arlington Resources and Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Their dedication, vision and loyalty are very admirable. Eileen

• I’m thankful to be part of a great group of recruiters working for a company that truly values its employees. Adam

• I am grateful for being part of a team that is dedicated to making an amazing difference in the lives of our clients, candidates, and colleagues. I am also very thankful that I am able to participate in rescuing responsibly and saving precious lives by fostering and volunteering with an incredible dog rescue. Chrisoula

• I’m thankful for the terrific team of people I work with each day. Pete

• I’m thankful for having the means to have traveled so much this year, for my family’s health, and being able to provide for them by doing what I love, with a company I believe in. Noori

• I am thankful for being a part of an amazing team and getting to work with candidates who truly have a passion for what they do! I am also grateful for my amazing fiancé and my little furry family who have put a smile on my face every day! Elizabeth

• I am grateful for my health, family, friends, and for my continued career with Arlington Resources! Erika

• I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with such wonderful people: co-workers, clients and candidates! I’m also grateful for my old horse that still likes to go out on trail rides. Freedom is a wonderful thing! Denise

• I’m thankful that my co-workers trust me with their IT issues, and that my Arlington Resources family is always keeping me on my toes.” Jake

• I am thankful for bringing a baby boy into this world and being able to juggle working fulltime at a job that impacts people’s lives! Erin

• I am thankful for my health, success, and happiness. I am grateful for the company I work for and the relationships I have made with candidates, clients, and coworkers over the past 2 years! Brooke

• I am thankful for all the opportunities I have been given working for a truly exceptional company as well as the amazing candidates and clients we serve! Jess

• I am grateful, once again, to be a part of this wonderful team! Renee

• I am grateful for the opportunity to work in the staffing industry for the past 30 years! Little did I know what a great career this would be when I first starting calling on clients to see how we could help make a difference in their lives by finding them great candidates. Our new mission statement sums it all up: We are dedicated to making an amazing difference in the lives of our clients, candidates and colleagues! I have been blessed working with great people and having an amazing, supportive family! Patty