Finance Recruitment Archives

Tips for Working with Multiple Generations in the Workforce

There have always been people from multiple generations working alongside each other in organizations. From the youthful newcomers to seasoned executives, everyone seems to find their place along the corporate ladder. However, the present workforce is made up of at least four very different generations of workers who are separated not only by age, but also by technology.

How is it possible for an employee from Generation Z (or more commonly known as the millennial generation) who spends his days text messaging and taking selfies to get along with and communicate with a Baby Boomer who values face-to-face meetings and good old-fashioned work methods?

Regardless of where you find yourself on the generational time-table, it is possible to get along with your diverse work team. The key is to understand the uniqueness of each generation’s work style and values. Here are some guidelines that will help multi-generation teams to work together.

Understand that each generation has communication preferences.

As illustrated above, each generation of workers has their way of communicating with others. Millennials and younger employees tend to focus on getting quick access to information in small snippets, and they often lean on texting and social networks to communicate. Generation X and baby boomers prefer emails and phone calls, or even in-person meetings. If you are working with other generations, try using the communication methods they like to get a better response.

Technology adaptation is different for each generation.

It can take time for all generations to adapt to certain types of technology, some longer than others. If you find that you pick things up quickly and a co-worker is struggling, take the time to work with them to bring them up to speed. Everyone in your organization will benefit if each employee can handle the basics of the latest technologies in your business. Taking it to the next level, your management team will notice if you are helping others on your own accord.

Each generation has something to learn from the others.

Respect can go a long way towards fostering a positive relationship with your multi-generational colleagues. Remember that each generation has valuable information and experience to share with others. Be open to learning from your colleagues and sharing what you know when asked. While we talked about how some co-workers are more likely to be better teachers with new technologies, other employees can be well-versed in business principles, career development or other areas.

There are strengths and weaknesses in all generations.

Every generation has something they bring to the table, whether it is leadership skills, life experience or technical knowledge. To get along with your co-workers means tapping into these strengths. It also means understanding that there may be weak areas that demand patience. Setting up conversations and meetings with your co-workers (go to an informal lunch with them), and learning about their strengths and weaknesses will make everyone better.

Work with a Leading Financial Recruiter in Chicago

An award-winning staffing agency, Casey Accounting & Finance Resources is well networked, tenured and industry-certified. Contact our great team today to get started on taking the next step in your financial career.

Is a New Graduate the Right Option for Your Job Opening?

Another crop of new college graduates will be wrapping up celebrations and entering the job market in the coming months with high hopes of landing great careers in the Chicago region. Is your company in the right position to offer a new graduate their first full-time job after college? How can you know that hiring a brand new college graduate vs. a seasoned professional is the right thing to do? If you do hire a new grad, what can you expect?

A survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), revealed that employers are planning to hire almost 10 percent more college grads this year than last year. Recruitment and hiring of new college grads is up for a number of reasons, including:

College graduates have learned the most recent skills in technology and business advancement
New college graduates are eager to prove themselves to employers, especially millennials and Generation Z
Today’s college graduates are better prepared for the workforce due to post-recession changes in the educational system

Hiring college graduates adds an influx of energy and excitement to your workforce. They are excited to start their first “real” job and get their career going in the right direction. Having a balance of college graduates with your seasoned employees can help your business grow.

The traits you should be looking for when offering employment opportunities to new college graduates are:

Strong interpersonal communication skills using multiple mediums and technology. College students have grown up with electronic communication. It’s important to evaluate their written and verbal communication since not everything can be done through email (or text messaging!)
The ability to work well with other generations in the workforce, especially older employees. Younger employees may think they possess all the answers, but developing a balance of respect for each generation can result in great gains for the company.
Above-average work ethic and dedication to long-term success in the company. A lot of employers believe they can teach a number of skills but don’t want to develop a new employee’s work ethic. Getting a long-term commitment would be the best of both worlds, but it’s difficult to expect younger employees to pledge the first 10, 20 or 30 years of their career to the first job.

While new grads will be limited in their work experience, they will be able to show a progression of these traits through their college projects and any practicum. Behavioral interview questions can still be beneficial despite their lack of career experience. The teamwork concepts developed in college provide ample opportunity for experience in a number of situations that can be transferred to the professional sector.

To partner with a three-time recipient of Inavero’s Best of Staffing® awards, contact Casey Accounting & Finance Resources today and find out how a top staffing agency in Chicago can help with all of your accounting and financial employment needs.

Why Listening Makes You a Better Leader

Today, a leader must be an excellent communicator. They must be able to delegate effortlessly, motivate the team, and must be good at both verbal and written communications. But communication is a two-way street. Leaders also need to be active, patient and responsive listeners. While being outspoken and communicating clearly are two of the many attributes necessary for one to become a leader, it is listening that makes one a better leader.

How listening can make anyone a better leader

In the workplace, a leader is expected to address problems and initiate improvements. Certain problems will be obvious and a leader must be able to identify them. But, many problems are not so obvious. The only way a leader can get to know those issues is if they listen to the team or any particular member of the team. People should be able to come up to a leader with their problems and a leader must not spurn them.

Many leaders fail to actually hear what others have to say. They shrug at what is being shared or reported to them. They pretend to listen and forget what has been said soon after. They don’t even offer an audience and even if they listen. They can discard the issues at their whims and fancies. Such approaches are unbecoming of a leader.

The first step in being a better leader is to take the time to listen to others, and reflect back what is being said to clarify matters. A leader who listens is respected by their team members. Listening to anyone would make that person feel that they are important, what they say or have to say is being heard and that their thoughts, situations or their role in the team are valuable.

Steps to be a better listener include:

When listening to another person, imagine that they are the only other person in the room and be fully engaged in what they are saying.
Be open minded and put yourself in their shoes. You might not agree with what the person is saying, but give them a chance to fully articulate their thoughts. People will appreciate that you are making an effort to understand and hear what they are saying.
Repeat back the key points you are hearing and ask for clarification of anything you did not understand or may have missed.
Establish what follow up there will be, if any, so the person is clear on what will happen after the conversation is finished.
Remember, conversations are just the beginning step to implementing great ideas!

Listening is a skill that comes with time and practice. Leaders need to talk but they don’t need to talk to hear their own voice. A leader can always learn from others, from advice or suggestions from the team members and the act of listening itself can open up a treasure trove of informational and helpful exchanges. Remember, it only takes one person to suggest an idea for significant change to affect the organization.

As a leader, it’s up to you to become a better listener so you can improve your skills and earn the respect of your subordinates.

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources is dedicated to locating top talent for your accounting and finance positions. Contact a leading recruiter for finance careers today to get started!

Make Small Talk Your Strength by Shifting the Conversation Here

In the ‘information age,’ communication is the key to a successful office career. While lucid communication has always been a desirable attribute in a professional, especially for those in delegating and leadership or management roles, it has become much more quintessential today. Why? Companies are seeking professionals who are adept and comfortable in all forms of communication, including making small talk that leads to better working relationships.

How to improve the conversation by shifting the focus to small talk

When developing communication skills, it’s important to first focus on mutual interests demonstrated in initial small talk. Take the attention off “me” and put it on “we,” so that you can discuss a topic that you and your colleagues enjoy. It’s effective when relating to co-workers, talking with subordinates or managers, and building rapport with clients.

To be viewed as a true office professional, it’s important to establish or showcase your prowess in communication. That can be achieved by speaking decisively, confidently and in a manner that is understandable, convincing and engaging. Since communication is a two-way process and both or all parties must feel engaged, it is quite possible that what you talk about might not entice the other person enough. That is where small talk becomes your strength. Whether it is your interview or your first interactions with your fellow colleagues, small talk can give you the impetus you need.

What does small talk have to do with things?

In many ways, small talk is considered a normal part of any job. Unfortunately, there are some people who don’t like such conversations. When you speak about topics that matter to you and the other person, you can easily guide the conversation. At a more basic level, you get to establish a connection that will work in your favor. Small talk is also necessary if you wish to switch the topic of a conversation or you simply wish to steer the whole correspondence in a certain manner. Use open-ended questions to get the conversation going and invite people to tell stories instead of one word responses. Here are some conversation starters at the office:

What do you enjoy most about your weekend?
What is the most interesting thing that happened at work today?
If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you like to be?
What is the best way to accomplish our target for the week?

As Dale Carnegie stated, “Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely.”

Using small talk during an interview to improve your career

Communicating better and more lucidly will become easy when you master the strength of small talk, especially on topics of mutual interest. For example, while being interviewed for a job, a candidate can use small talk to build a common ground with interviewers and appear to have the right personality for the job. This will present a candidate as having a confident, interesting and asserting personality. Use these tips during an interview:

Don’t ramble on. Keep small talk interesting and brief
Realize the interviewer is asking questions initially to see how easily you can engage in conversation
Answer the questions you are asked
Look at the interviewer and look interested in the conversation
Listen more than you talk

These are attributes that any company in any industry would want to have in its employees.

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources, a winner of Inavero’s Best of Staffing® Client Award for the second consecutive year, focuses directly on your area of expertise. Contact us today to work with a leader in finance recruitment.

7 Reasons Recruiting Firms Help You Find the Best Talent – Including Millennials

Millennial employees are highly sought-after in today’s job market, for their technology expertise and above-average career drive. It’s no wonder that the competition is fierce among companies in the Chicago area. In order to recruit the best of the best from the millennial generation, there are multiple reasons recruitment firms can be beneficial to your business.

1. Recruitment agencies have a pipeline of millennial talent.

It can be highly efficient and cost-effective to hire millennials through a recruitment agency. They have a large pipeline of candidates who are ready to start work immediately. Candidates are prescreened and versed about your company before they start, which makes onboarding simple.

2. A recruitment firm can advise your company on starting packages.

Millennials are looking for the best starting salaries, benefits and workplace perks possible. A recruitment agency can help guide your company on setting up generous compensation packages that attract the best talent.

3. Recruitment agents have resources to find the best candidates.

Recruiters are great at networking and they have access to a large number of resources for finding candidates. By partnering with a professional recruitment firm, you have access to all their collective resources.

4. Recruiters are widely connected with colleges and social networks.

Not only are recruitment pros in touch with many resources, they also network with others through social media, college career centers, and other community groups where millennials are seeking work opportunities.

5. Millennials know that recruitment agencies are hiring them.

When they need a job, millennials understand that the fast track to getting hired by a leading company is to register with a staffing agency. There are many opportunities to hire employees directly through a staffing and recruitment agency like ours.

6. Recruitment agencies can handle all the pre-employment and payroll details.

Another key benefit of working with a recruitment firm is the ability to control staffing costs for upfront things like pre-employment screening, background checks. It’s also more cost-effective to let the recruitment firm handle employment paperwork, payroll and even benefits administration.

7. Finding millennials who have the best fit for your culture is made easier.

Recruitment agencies are able to use tools to evaluate the suitability of every candidate before placing them in jobs. Millennials are interested in a positive experience with an employer, therefore it can be helpful to have them work through the staffing agency for a more positive onboarding experience, including making sure they are a good fit for your company.

As a trusted staffing firm, Casey Accounting & Finance Resources reduces your time spent on recruiting, evaluating, screening and interviewing employees. Contact our award-winning recruiters today to get started on finding top candidates for finance careers in Chicago in 2016!

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.

Be YOUR Recruiter’s Top Candidate! Dos and Don’ts of Working with a Recruiter

It’s very common for professionals to seek out the support of a recruitment professional for career growth. There are a number of benefits of doing this, including faster access to careers and the companies that offer them, as well as higher earnings potential. If you have decided it’s time to work with a recruiter to find your next job, then you need to know how you can turn yourself into the recruiter’s top candidate. You want to be at the top of their list, because they will place you first for jobs that become available that match your experience and needs.

Here, we will discuss the dos and don’ts of working with a recruiter, so you can make the most of the situation.

The Dos of Working with a Recruiter

We will begin today with what you should do when working with a recruiter. They include being patient, having an open line of communication, being transparent, asking questions, doing your homework, talking about your past, and discussing what you want in your next job.

Recruiters are not able to place every person they meet in a new job. You need to be patient because the job might not come right off the bat. An average job search lasts anywhere from three to six months, but a recruiter can accelerate the process. Even with a recruiter, placement will not come instantly.

A recruiter works for job seekers and employers. You need to be open and honest with recruiters in order to obtain a job. Be as transparent as possible when discussing what it is you want to do in your career.

Do not work with just any recruiter. Try to find someone whose niche is in your industry. This can be discovered by doing your homework and asking questions of each recruiter you meet. A recruiter will have an easier time placing you if you talk about your past jobs, skills, responsibilities and more. Check into the local staffing associations, such as the Illinois Search and Staffing Association, www.issaworks.com, to obtain a list of reputable and ethical staffing companies that you can contact to help you with your job search.

The Don’ts of Working with a Recruiter

Now we can move onto what you shouldn’t do when working with a recruiter. They include expecting the recruiter to perform all of the work, failing to talk about the small things, forgetting that time is money, hiding concerns about the job and demanding an increase in salary that is unreasonable.

Do not expect the recruiter to do all of the work for you. Even though they will walk you through the interview process and help you solidify your resume, you still need to do your part. This includes researching companies and learning about the jobs out there that interest you.

Listen to the recruiter when they help to prepare you for the interview. Often, the recruiter will have a good working relationship with the client, so the information they share with you will help you to be more successful during the interview process.

The small things matter in a job search, especially when small things are found on your background check. Even if it is a small issue, disclose it early so no issues about your character or integrity come up when it is too late.

Time is money, and because of this, you need to drop out of an interview process prior to wasting everyone’s time if you know the job will not be a fit for you.

Be honest with the recruiter when it comes to job opportunities they present you. They will be able to form a better idea of what you are looking for by talking openly about jobs.

A typical increase when changing jobs is 10 percent. Be realistic on your expectations for compensation.

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources is a trusted staffing firm that strives to exceed our clients’ expectations to help achieve their talent management goals and objectives. Contact our team of recruiters today to get started on meeting your employment needs.

Hire Fast! Great Accounting & Finance Candidates Land Quickly!

In the job market, finance and accounting candidates are easy to come by, but the really great ones are few and far between. This means the top companies are competing for high-performing finance and accounting candidates, before others can snatch them up. They do this using smart recruitment practices.

How can your company attract and hire great accounting and finance candidates fast before they land at other companies? Start with these tips.

Offer something the other companies don’t.

Do your research to find out what finance and accounting candidates are looking for. First, conduct a salary and compensation survey using the most recent data for your region and type of industry. PayScale is a good place to start, and you can also search at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational data or Salary.com. Find out what the best finance and accounting employees are earning, what benefits they enjoy, and what the market trends point to, in terms of career opportunities. Make this the foundation of your recruitment offering.

Become an employer of choice for finance and accounting pros.

Finance and accounting professionals are very much like other working people – they want to work for a well-respected company in the industry. Therefore, if you want to land the best candidates, your efforts should be about making your workplace the best in the market. Provide excellent compensation packages, highly ethical work practices, and proactive ways of getting people to that place they dream about.

Provide flexible work arrangements and career growth.

Working in the accounting and finance fields can be exhausting. Accounting and finance pros often find themselves working grueling hours on time-sensitive projects that drain them. This is why a company should offer flexible scheduling that allows for generous amounts of time off when needed. On top of that, career growth is a big need for many who work in this area of business. Offering training and advancement opportunities speaks loudly to top candidates.

Don’t forget about passive finance candidates.

When trying to obtain the best finance and accounting candidates possible, think outside of recruiting active job seekers. Look further and start connecting with passive candidates who may be seeking something better in the future. Building relationships with passive finance and accounting candidates gives you a chance to attract those who are highly valued in the market, so when they are ready for a new job, they will consider your company first.

Hire on a temporary basis.

One of the best ways to attract and hire the top accounting professionals in the market is via temporary staffing agencies. Many accounting and finance pros are looking for better opportunities, and they will seek out temp projects going this route. This also works well for seasonal peaks in your business and those that demand specialists in finance and accounting topics.

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. Contact our award-winning team today to get started!

Behavioral Interview – Are You Ready?

Do you have a behavioral interview scheduled with a company that might hire you for an available position? If so, there is no reason to stress about the interview, or downright fear it either.

Many people worry about behavioral interviews, because they don’t know what to expect. Companies and recruiters are using behavioral interviews more often to determine which candidate might be the best for the available position. Why? Because past behavior could lead to future behavior.

Here’s some expert insight into behavioral interviews, so you can confidently handle them if and when they come up in your job search process.

What Happens During a Behavioral Interview?

You might be wondering what happens during a behavioral interview. First off, the interviewer will ask you to describe a situation in which you had to deal with a difficult co-worker who was not pulling their weight on a project or ask about another situation at a previous job. The interviewer will want you to explain the situation and how you handled it without generalizations or theorizing the issue. The interviewer will likely take notes, and you might not be able to discuss any stories you might have prepared.

How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

The next step here is to prepare for a behavioral interview as much as possible, in order to succeed the next time you have a job interview scheduled. The following steps are how you should prepare for a behavioral interview:

Think about past experiences that show leadership, teamwork, planning, education, customer service and more from your career.
Prepare to describe the situation, the action you took and how the situation came to a conclusion. An easy way to remember this is with the STAR acronym – situation, task, action and results.
Have short descriptions of each situation prepared, and have details ready in the event that the interviewer asks for them.
Make sure the outcome of the situation reflects positively on you, even if the overall outcome was negative.
Never generalize about these events. Be as specific as possible.
Never leave out any details, or embellish true ones, because the interviewer will be able to find out what is true and what is false.

Avoid Short Answers

Do your best to avoid giving interviewers short answers when taking part in a behavioral interview. Short answers give the impression that either you are not prepared, or you do not have any experience with the type of situation the interviewer is asking you about in your career. Both of these could lead the interviewer to remove you from consideration for the job, especially if the position requires you to handle tough situations with co-workers or subordinates. The more you offer in the answer, the better the interviewer can understand what type of worker and problem solver you have been in the past.

There is absolutely no reason to fear the behavioral interview, especially if you have had to deal with tough situations in the past. Just follow the tips above and you will shine in any interview.

How Do you Use LinkedIn to Find Great Accounting & Finance Candidates

On the prowl for quality finance and accounting candidates for your business? If you are like most recruiters, you are tapped into social media on a regular basis. Recent studies have shown that nearly 90 percent of all recruiters look to social media networks like LinkedIn to produce high-quality candidates both passive and active. In other words, LinkedIn can be a gold mine for any hiring manager.

So what is the secret to finding the best finance and accounting employees using LinkedIn? In the following article we will talk about ways to make the best use of LinkedIn and the staffing agencies that have a strong presence on LinkedIn for finding outstanding finance and accounting candidates.

1. Set up a branded presence as an employer of choice

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to create an employer Web page and or the profile of your recruitment team on LinkedIn. You’ll want to make sure that it is well branded with a positive look and feel so that financial and accounting candidates will be interested in learning more about you.

2. Create a company page with the latest financial jobs

Once you have developed your brand as an employer of choice, it’s important to create a central company recruitment page that features the latest financial jobs at your company. You can do this within LinkedIn or you can set up a page on your main company website with links to your LinkedIn job postings. Enable candidates the ability to apply for jobs using LinkedIn recruitment tools.

3. Use the advanced search feature on LinkedIn

Just like many social media networks, LinkedIn has a special advanced search feature built right in. Use this to search for financial and accounting candidates who meet certain criteria that your company is looking for. For example, you may want accounting and financial candidates who have at least five years of experience in the industry. Type in the word ‘mid-level’ as you search for a candidate of this status.

4. Connect with the best financial candidates via groups

High-performance financial candidates will likely be participating in industry groups on LinkedIn. You can either create your own groups on LinkedIn or you can become a follower of the most popular LinkedIn financial and accounting groups. Connect with candidates by sharing valuable content, job leads, and in commenting on the content of other participants. You can also follow specific financial and accounting thought leaders and then connect with the people in their networks.

5. Join accounting and finance groups for a variety of benefits

LinkedIn has done a great job of creating groups to connect like-minded people. Those groups provide outlets to learn a number from industry thought leaders. With people sharing similar interests in one area, that’s an easy way to connect to potential job candidates – both active and passive jobseekers. On top of those connections, you also can learn about the current topics in the industry from people on a local, regional or national scale.

Remember, LinkedIn can be a powerful way to find the best financial and accounting candidates in the industry. Use common courtesy and respect the people who use LinkedIn for networking purposes. If you have questions about hiring financial and accounting candidates, be sure to contact our network of recruiters in this space.