Chicago Accounting Temp Agencies Archives

Interview Skills You Should Brush Up On to Succeed!

As companies move forward during The Great Resignation, they need to hire the right employees. This requires effective interview skills.

It takes a significant amount of time for a hiring manager and HR to discuss the job requirements, source and screen candidates, and conduct interviews. It also takes time to conduct background checks, finalize the candidate selections, and wait for candidates to accept offers and begin working.

As a result, hiring managers should participate in training now to refresh their interview skills. This helps build candidate pipelines for current and future hiring needs.

Discover some benefits of hiring managers brushing up on their interview skills and topics to discuss during training.

Advantages of Refreshing Interview Skills

Proving a refresher for hiring managers’ interview skills training lets them practice in a safe environment. Because these managers may not have conducted interviews for a significant time, a mini session would be advantageous.

Refresher training ensures hiring managers and HR are on the same page regarding interviewing. This increases success in hiring the best candidates.

Topics to Discuss When Refreshing Interview Skills

Intake meeting: Talk about the meeting between the hiring manager and HR to discuss the job requirements and sourcing strategy. For instance, emphasize the importance of the candidate experience throughout the hiring process. Also, discuss specific ways to show commitment to diversity and inclusion so candidates feel they are welcome and can be themselves at work.

Discussing the intake meeting ensures the hiring manager and HR are following the same policies and procedures for interviewing. This speeds up the hiring process, increasing the likelihood of hiring top candidates.

Interview questions: Emphasize the importance of asking effective, compliant behavioral interview questions. These questions provide insight into a candidate’s experience.

You may want to use the STAR method to create interview questions. This involves asking a candidate about a situation they encountered, the task they needed to accomplish, the action they took, and the results they attained.

Ensure the hiring manager asks follow-up questions to gather enough detail for a complete picture of the situation, task, action, and result. This helps provide the necessary information to make a hiring decision.

Candidate selection: Remind hiring managers to look past their unconscious biases when choosing the best candidate. This can be accomplished through an online training program that may be included in your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Need Help with Hiring?

Refreshing hiring managers’ interview skills ensures managers and HR are on the same page throughout the hiring process. Sharing details about the intake meeting, interview questions, and the candidate selection process increases the likelihood of hiring the most qualified candidates.

For additional help with hiring, partner with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Get started today.

5 Skill Tests to Make Sure Your Temp Employees Are the Right Fit

As an accounting and finance manager, there will be times when you need to add temp employees to your team. Your permanent employees may be taking a vacation, on a planned leave, out sick, or unexpectedly no longer part of your company.

Bringing aboard temp employees can help even out the workload for your team. Because these employees come from a staffing agency, you know they are vetted and skilled in their work.

Temp employees require little training to begin producing. However, you may want to conduct skills tests to make sure these employees have what it takes to succeed in a role.

The following are five skills tests you may use to make sure your temp employees fit with an open position.

1. Reading Comprehension

The tasks required of temporary employees typically involve reading comprehension, speed, and other written communication skills.

Temp employees need to receive, process, and send accurate information in emails, memos, reports, and other documents.
Temp employees must read written instructions to perform specific tasks.
Temp employees have to read reports to provide overviews to their managers.

2. Writing

Emails, memos, instructions, and related tasks require strong writing skills.

Temp employees may be asked to write an executive summary of a manager’s report.
This requires the proper tone, brevity, clarity, and precision.

3. Typing Speed and Accuracy

Because temporary employees often use computers, the employees must have typing skills.

You want temp employees who can type at high speeds.
Look for temp employees with a low error rate.

4. Word Processing

Temporary office employees need to understand your word processing software.

Proper use of the layout and typography features is needed to format documents in line with your company’s style and brand.
The temporary employees should be able to create fillable forms and modify templates for communications where the format is fixed, but the information varies, such as a monthly report.

5. Spreadsheets

Many tasks that temporary employees perform involve spreadsheets.

Temp employees may need to create spreadsheets to perform important functions.
Examples include tracking customer contacts or updating information in an existing spreadsheet, such as adding monthly sales for each sales professional.

Looking for Temporary Accounting & Finance Professionals?

Adding temp employees to your team can help ease the workload. You may want to provide skills tests to make sure the temp employees are able to complete the tasks that are expected of them. Our recruiters have access to hundreds of behavioral and skill tests to predict candidate workplace performance. We also offer interactive training modules for candidates who might need a refresher or to improve their skills.

When you need to temporarily fill accounting and finance roles, turn to Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Find out more about how we can fill your temporary staffing needs today.

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.

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.

Will a Hire Based on AI Last Longer Than a Human-Selected Hire?

In many cases, employees hired based on artificial intelligence (AI) last longer than employees hired on human-made decisions. Implementing AI in the hiring process can increase efficiency and lead to higher performing employees. However, there are issues with AI that need to be resolved before it becomes more heavily relied upon in the recruiting process.

Resume Sorting

Employers feed a system teaching sets and information, including resumes, performance reviews, work product and career paths, for top candidates competing for an open position. AI sifts through the information to match specific criteria, such as location and previous job title, ranks the information based on other desired traits and background information, and presents the information to a recruiter. Because poorly matched candidates are quickly eliminated, an employer can more efficiently meet with highly ranked candidates and decrease the time needed to hire.

Answering Candidate Questions

Chatbots can provide job seekers unadvertised information they need to know to determine whether they may be a good fit for both the company and a role. Chatbots can let candidates know whether their resume is still being considered, rather than the candidate not being responded to at all. Chatbots can reduce bias and unconscious discrimination in the interview process by objectively ranking information rather than making decisions based on an interviewer’s intuition.

Leveraging Video Technology

AI can be leveraged into video technology to evaluate a screening interview. An employer can analyze whether a candidate was comfortable during the interview, honest in what they said and gave quality answers to interview questions. The evaluation should be used with other methods to increase efficiency in the hiring process.

Customizing Algorithms

Each business needs to input specific skills, traits and expertise necessary to excel in a role. Unfortunately, most companies use the wrong algorithms, which contributes to a lack of diversity and inclusion and puts the company at a disadvantage. For example, because many companies include Ivy League degrees, employment with globally recognized companies and specific demographics and traits in their algorithms, a substantial number of highly qualified candidates are automatically eliminated from the hiring process. Also, because a significant number of employers want candidates with those characteristics, employers have a harder time hiring them, end up paying more to bring the on, and may not receive the results they want.

Secure Your Next Position Through Casey Accounting and Finance

Secure your next position through Casey Accounting and Finance Resources, a leader in Chicago area financial staffing!

Your New Job Is Boring. What Changed? What Can You Do?

After a few weeks at your new job, you may find yourself disinterested in your tasks. Because you need to be engaged in your work to feel job satisfaction, you may decide to look for something else. However, you may end up in the same situation elsewhere. Therefore, you need to uncover what changed in your job and what you can do to improve it.

Alter Your Surroundings

It may be another office, a coffee shop or other location where you can complete your work. A change in scenery may help you focus. You may even decide to go for a quick walk to clear your head and see things in new ways.

Look at Your Tasks From a New Angle

Objectively look at your tasks as though you were an outsider. See how you can make things interesting. For example, work on a different task first. Make your calls in the morning. Take your break at different times. Wait three hours to check your email.

Meet Colleagues

Walk in the break room at various times and introduce yourself to employees in other departments. Talk with different co-workers at company functions. Make plans to participate in activities outside the office. You’ll be more engaged in your work knowing you have friends nearby.

Actively Learn

Attend seminars and conferences to find out more about your industry. Take a class related to your field. Ask if you can cross-train in another department and fill in when needed. Go for a promotion so you have additional responsibilities that keep you busy and engaged.

Talk With Your Boss

Let your boss know what the issue is and how you may improve it. Perhaps you need additional tasks, a new project or a more challenging workload. Focus on what the company needs and how you may contribute. You may be able to find a solution to a recurring problem or help colleagues complete a project. Mention your performance with your current workload, what you have learned and accomplished, and why you are the best employee for taking on additional assignments.

Partner With a Staffing Agency

You will be tested on various skills to determine where your interests and expertise are. You will add to your experience level and discover what your true passion is. By working in a temporary position, you can determine how well you fit with company culture and whether you would be happy being offered a permanent role. If you are dissatisfied with a position, you can easily move to a new one.

Reach Out to an Accounting and Finance Staffing Leader

Are you looking for a new accounting and finance position? Reach out to Casey Accounting and Finance Resources to find your next role by partnering with a top accounting recruiter in Chicago!

Your Top Brand Ambassadors Are Your Internal Employees

Employee brand ambassadors bring your company much credibility. Having individuals with firsthand insight into your organization promote your business adds transparency and relatability to your brand.

What a Brand Ambassador Is

A brand ambassador is an individual who tried and loves your products/services enough to say amazing things about them. The ambassador has expertise in your market and appeals to almost everyone. An authentic brand ambassador is highly credible because they promote products/services based on the value and benefits they receive. The ambassador may be called on in various situations to share their experiences with others, such as in advertising campaigns and pitching stories to reporters as a means of building a company’s brand.

Benefits of Employees as Brand Ambassadors

An employee brand ambassador helps humanize your brand. An effective ambassador brings a strong media following and solidifies your reputation. A top ambassador promotes your brand through word of mouth both online and in person to increase sales. The more employee brand ambassadors you have, the more followers you gain, and the greater your reach. This increases the size of your customer base.

How to Encourage Employees to Be Brand Ambassadors

Get to know each employee’s values, strengths and aspirations. If your business is new, let your employees try your products/services for free. They will enjoy the perk and raise awareness for your business. Teach your employees how to create and build connections with prospects and customers inside and outside the company. Encourage your ambassadors to develop marketing ideas and gather feedback from customers. Ask them to post about your products/services, talk about your company whenever possible and attend trade shows to promote your business.

How to Promote Brand Ambassador Online Reviews

Encourage your employee brand ambassadors to write online reviews. Share the message you want to convey to job candidates. Include the top qualities you want ambassadors to focus on when writing about what it is like working for your company. Ask your employee brand ambassadors to post photos from company events, lunch with colleagues or other events that communicate a positive work environment. Request that ambassadors post videos sharing their stories in their own words that convey your mission and company culture.

How to Measure a Brand Ambassador’s Effectiveness

Look at how many individuals view their posts and engage with their content. Study sales numbers before and after your brand ambassador started work to see whether sales are coming from the market segments the ambassador should be targeting.

Connect with a Leader in Finance and Accounting Staffing

Find top accounting and finance professionals in the Chicago area by connecting with Casey Finance and Accounting Resources – an award-winning financial staffing agency in Chicago.

What Can You Do to Show Past Success in Your Accounting Career?

When searching for your next accounting position, you want to demonstrate ways you provided value for previous employers and how you can do so for your next employer. You will set yourself apart from the competition and come closer to landing your new role.

Give Statistics on Your Accomplishments

Your key performance indicators (KPIs) are what show how you add value to an organization. For example, to measure your timeliness, focus on time to process invoices/transactions/payments, percent of financial reports submitted on time or days to close the books and sign off the month/year. To measure your quality, focus on your percent of accuracy in transactions/payments, percent of collection rate of outstanding amounts or percent of audit recommendations implemented. General measurements may include your percent of tasks finalized on time, percent of internal procedures updated or percent of processes optimized.

Demonstrate Your Commitment to Professional Development

Employers want to know you value keeping current with changes in the accounting industry, learning new skills and taking the initiative to help both your career and the company. For example, show you use the most current accounting software to ensure the organization’s financial operations are both easily done and compliant with all laws and regulations. Subscribe to professional blogs and publications to stay updated on accounting trends. Continuously learn about new accounting techniques and changing guidelines and business laws from the FASB and updated tax forms and rates from the IRS. Remain aware of new accounting techniques in financial institutions, including fee structures and account offerings, that impact how companies manage their liquid capital and investments. Participate in professional associations such as the AICPA, IMA or IIA for self-study courses, live web events, group study options, conferences, and training modules to stay current on regulations, GAAP and IFRS policies.

Provide Recommendation Letters

Potential employers will gain more insight into your background and capabilities than they would by calling a former employer’s HR department. Ask two former managers and two former colleagues to create an endorsement for your skills and experience. Have them include their title and a brief background to show they were in a position to determine your good fit with the organization. Request the writers include the number of years you worked for the company, specific examples of your accomplishments, and your credentials and awards. Ask the writers to mention your professional qualifications and which traits and skills make you qualified for the role you want. Have the writers show that you were a valuable contributor and left on good terms.

Find Your Next Accounting Position Through a Staffing Industry Leader

Find your next accounting position through Casey Accounting & Finance Resources, an award-winning financial recruiter in Chicago!

What Does the Reversal of the Joint Employer Standard Mean?

During the Obama Administration in 2015, under the Joint Employment Standard, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) determined that companies were joint employers if both exercised direct and immediate control over essential employment terms. As a result, the NLRB ruled that Browning-Ferris Industries of California was a joint employer for workers employed by staffing firm Leadpoint Business Services at Browning-Ferris’s recycling site.

Reason for the Reversal

In December 2017, under the Trump Administration, the NLRB reversed the Joint Employment Standard due to a case involving two construction companies. Hy-Brand Industrial Contractors fired five employees and Brandt Construction fired two employees after they stopped work due to concerns over wages, benefits, and safety. An administrative law judge ruled that Hy-Brand and Brandt were joint employers. Although the NLRB agreed with the judge, it disagreed with how he reached his decision. For this reason, the NLRB began a discussion about the 2015 Joint Employment Standard. They concluded by rewriting the test for determining whether multiple companies are joint employers under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

How the Reversal Affects Joint Employment

In pending and future cases, companies will be considered joint employers if one company directly and immediately exercises control over essential employment terms of another company’s employees. Therefore, when you work with a staffing agency, you must be extremely clear on your relationships with their employees, especially if you exercise control over the agency’s employees. If you are considered a joint employer, you may become liable for paying wages, employment taxes, unemployment insurance, and other expenses.

Questions to Consider About Joint Employment

As an employer who works with staffing agencies, you need to determine whether joint employment exists with the agency. For example, does one company own all or part of the other? Are there overlapping officers, directors, executives or managers? Do the companies share control over hiring, firing, payroll, advertising, overhead costs or other operations? Are operations intermingled, such as having one administrative operation for both companies? Does one company supervise the work of the other? Do the companies treat the employees as a pool of employees available to both of them? Do the companies share clients or customers? Are there agreements between the companies?

Talk with Accounting and Finance Staffing Specialists

Talk with the financial recruiters at Casey Accounting and Finance Resources for your recruitment needs and partner with an award-winning financial staffing agency in Chicago!

The LinkedIn Strategy That Helps Your Job Search in 2018

Although you probably use LinkedIn to stay in touch with friends and colleagues, you are missing out by not using it to find your next job. Learning to properly connect with influential leaders in your industry may help you land your next position.

Cultivate Relationships

Comment on posts you find especially engaging. Share insightful content that may be of interest to others. Participate in LinkedIn Group discussions. Notice the individuals you commonly interact with. Determine their job titles and whether they may be able to help with your job search. Ask individuals to connect with you through LinkedIn. Start sharing resources such as articles and case studies that may be of interest to them. Send a short message acknowledging birthdays, work anniversaries, new jobs and other special occasions. When you see articles about a connection’s company or content the person wrote, like, comment on and share the information. Provide endorsements for your connections’ skills. If someone endorses your skills, send a quick message of thanks.

Send an InMail

Research the individual, the company they work for and their role. Find out the person’s interests and commonalities you share. Explain why you want to connect and what benefit the individual may receive. Include a personal interest you both share to make a memorable connection. Let the person know you would like to speak to them about a specific topic, such as a post they wrote or an article involving their company. Ensure your message is clear and concise.

Follow Up

Find the person’s email address and ask to set up a time to talk about their job and the company they work for. Mention you are looking for a job and are very interested in learning more about the employer. If your contact is not in a position to hire you, ask whether they will connect you with the hiring manager. After being introduced, mention to the hiring manager your top skills and experience and how you can benefit the company. Have your LinkedIn profile or resume available when you ask about potential job openings. Be ready to answer questions about your work or to schedule an interview.

Work With a Leader in Accounting and Finance Staffing

Work with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources for help finding top accounting and finance professionals! Our team of award-winning financial recruiters in Chicago is ready to help your career grow.