Category: Management & Leadership

Before the pandemic, many sectors of the economy had only seen remote work as an experimental model — something permitted on a limited-basis. But as the pandemic made its entire presence, remote work’s advantages became more evident than ever before.

Even though workers are gradually returning to their onsite jobs as situations improve, many employees continue to work from home. In fact, some organizations are allowing employees to work remotely for the remainder of their tenure. Hybrid work schedules are also an attractive option for various companies, providing a balanced combination of remote and in-office employment. Understanding these trends is essential when considering hiring for a new position. Here are some pointers on how to find and hire outstanding remote workers in 2022:

1. Clearly Describe What You Are Looking For

Communication is essential, and your current and potential employees may be planning life changes that could affect their decision to stay with your company or leave. In addition, many workers who have become accustomed to working remotely appreciate it.

Although remote workers generally choose their schedules, they still want to know what the job includes and their responsibilities. Therefore, define the level of flexibility you provide and, if possible, give an example of a typical day in the life of the position offered.

2. Optimize Your Virtual Hiring Process

As the talent market becomes more competitive, corporate leaders are pushed to scrutinize their hiring process more thoroughly. Companies are also working to increase cohesiveness among employees and redesign their methods to achieve this goal virtually.

Companies with smart talent strategies now focus on applicant experience and emphasize quality-of-hire measures over speed-of-hire indicators from an operational standpoint. Furthermore, the pandemic has accelerated video interviewing and automation capabilities at various phases of the recruiting process and has increased engagement and overall usability for prospective candidates.

3. Build A Strong Online Employer Brand Profile

You’ll effectively attract and maintain qualified remote employees if you have a solid online employer reputation. Local prospects may be more accessible. They’ve likely heard of your organization, know one of your staff or have visited your premises during the interview process. With remote hires, however, prospects must rely on your digital brand to understand your business.

Make sure your web presence conveys trustworthiness, demonstrates your company’s values and allows prospects to envision themselves as part of your team. Create informative, professional pages and appealing social media accounts to accomplish this.

Connect with our team today to find out more about hiring remote employees.

There are two types of interviews you can expect with a company: as a candidate in the job search process and before moving on to your next opportunity. But what about interviews as an employee?

For employers in today’s tight hiring market, stay interviews are a great opportunity to check in with your most valuable team members, and most importantly, stay on top of what is most important to them in a role. Here are three reasons why your business should implement stay interviews as a powerful retention strategy — and keep your best talent engaged, happy and productive.

1. Get One-on-One Time

Annual reviews focus on the employee’s work performance and typically don’t stray too far from their job function. But in a stay interview, the objective of the meeting is to learn more about the professional as a person. Use this time to ask about their aspirations, goals and how you can support them as company in these endeavors.

2. Creates an Opportunity to Listen to Your People

A common reason employees leave their current company is because they feel unheard — people want to feel valued. An easy solution? Create opportunities to listen to your team. Stay interviews are a great way to have real conversations with your staff on a regular basis, as well as gather important, concrete Intel to address collective issues or concerns as a company. It’s imperative that you not only take time to listen, but make an effort to implement change, if necessary.

3. Learn What’s Working — and What’s Not

Knowledge is power and that’s definitely true for keeping your best people and building strong teams. Use stay interviews as a retention strategy for understanding which aspects of the position contribute to them continuing their tenure at the company, as well as those that could be improved upon. Ask questions like, “what are factors in your current role that you like best and would like to see more of?” and “Are there any ‘triggers’ that might cause you to consider leaving that I should be aware of?” to better gauge what is working for them and what’s not. Once you have this information, compare it to what you’ve learned as a group, and identify if there are any commonalities — both positive and negative.

Check out more retention strategies and tips that can help your company find and retain top talent in any hiring environment, or contact us for your hiring needs!

Employers across all industries, including accounting and finance, are having to adjust tactics to identify and recruit top talent as the market shifts from client-driven to candidate-driven. Knowing how to target the “passive” applicant is more crucial than ever, since most of the ideal candidates have already been hired by competitors.

A passive candidate is anyone who is being considered for a position by an employer, but isn’t actively searching for work. Passive candidates haven’t applied to the job opportunities and doesn’t plan to. So the question is: how does one attract and secure passive candidates? We share best practices below:

1. Partner with Recruiting Experts

Contrary to traditional job seekers, passive candidates don’t actively search job listings or apply for open roles. No — to find these individuals, companies’ internal talent acquisition teams utilize different methods to help connect qualified passive candidates to their open positions. But with strapped resources, this process can be time-consuming and ineffective compared to the full manpower, expertise and technologies established recruiting firms use on a regular basis. Learn more about how partnering with specialized agencies can help you build stronger teams — while saving on overall costs.

2. Simplify the Interview Process

One of the most difficult tasks when it comes to hiring passive applicants is encouraging them to schedule an interview. The goal of your initial messaging or introduction should pique the interest of the passive prospect. Include details about your business, and describe the role and how you believe the passive candidate will benefit from being a part of your team. Video interviews are a great way to show them that you are willing to accommodate their needs. A long and difficult application process may turn off a passive prospect, so keep things simple.

3. Outbid Their Current Role

When you’ve found someone who would be a good match for an open position, it is useful to determine what limitations they have in their current position. Passive applicants are unlikely to leave their current position for a position that is virtually identical elsewhere. In order to stand out, your company must have some distinct differentiators. Highlight a specific pain point the prospective employee has and emphasize how you can offer a solution.

Get more hiring insights by downloading our 2021 Salary Guide!

Flexibility may just be the key to unlocking your potential as a leader.

But what does it truly mean for a leader to be “flexible,” and why is it important for leaders to strive for this way of thinking? The simple answer: even the greatest leaders can’t control all factors of their business. In fact, a tremendous amount of time would be lost trying to do so. Take the aftermath of the pandemic, for example. Between supply shortages and employee shortages, leaders today have all had to adapt to this new normal in order to stay on top.

What does it mean to be flexible as a leader?

At the core of every great leader lies the ability to manage and maintain business when changes occur and, most importantly, to be able to adapt and become greater from those changes. To respond to challenges more quickly and easily, it’s essential to be ahead of the curve and assess your internal and external standpoints.

Externally, look at how the world around you is changing and how you might be able to proactively make business changes that will better your team for success in the near future. Flexibility in this viewpoint requires leaders to think more logically. Ask yourself, “Are there opportunities to change our process to outperform and better succeed?”

Internally, think about your approach. Sometimes this is the most challenging part for leaders — many have difficulty changing their own tendencies when they’re set in certain ways. In this viewpoint, flexibility requires leaders to think more empathetically: “How can I better listen to my team and be open to new ideas?”

Why flexible and adaptive leadership is essential when it comes to leading others

Every business will face a certain level of unforeseen factors. The good news is that absorbing flexibility into your leadership style can create a sense of steadiness when unexpected variables arise. Plus, the more you’re challenged, the better you adapt to new situations and solve problems as they emerge. There are two key beneficiaries to a leader’s adaptability:

The Team

We all know there is value in investing in employee well-being. When you actively become a more flexible leader, in addition to improving yourself, you’re also making strides to better your team. By listening to your team and considering all possible viewpoints, you’re showing that you’re self-aware enough to value others’ opinions and continuously strive to learn. This vulnerability and trust in your team is often met with trust from your team.

The Business as a Whole

Flexibility is also an invaluable asset to your business. When you’re able to adapt to the continuously changing market, your team can adjust more quickly than its competitors, giving you a competitive advantage in the long run.

Interested in more employer insights? Browse our blog for more career development tips and hacks to get ahead in any market.

Many human resources experts, recruiters and Generation Z professionals are laser-focused on true career advancement opportunities and a positive work atmosphere that stimulates creativity. But for Generation Z employees, developing insights into the company’s individual brand is crucial.

It should also come as no surprise that Gen Z is more digitally aware than any other generation. They are, after all, digital natives who are completely happy utilizing the internet for work, research and social networking. This generation’s skill set is especially suited to this era of hybrid work, and it will only grow in value as technology transforms industries.

As companies continue to woo candidates in this competitive, post-pandemic hiring market, it’s important they understand the wants and needs of the workers they’re looking to engage. Here are 5 strategies for attracting and retaining members of this generation — those aged 23 and under — in the workplace.

1. Step into the Digital World and Stay Up to Date

Since the pandemic, the digital world has been one of the few ways people are able to connect. It is imperative to have an online presence as a company looking to reach out to Gen Z. If your company’s web presence isn’t up to par, Gen Zers may be turned off.

A clunky user interface and malfunctioning software can give prospects the impression that your company is out of touch and outdated. If your website is hard to navigate or not mobile-friendly, or your application process has a tendency to crash, it’s time to tune it up or risk losing candidates.

2. Make Job Applications Online Accessible

Job boards like LinkedIn make it easy for you to take your recruiting search to the internet. Gen Z is more likely than previous generations to conduct online research prior to applying for a job. To discover more about your brand, they’ll read online reviews on sites like Glassdoor and look at your social media and website. Gen Z workers will not trust your organization enough to apply for a job if your online presence is unreliable, non-existent or reflects adversely on your brand.

3.Get Familiar with Social Media Recruiting Styles

Social media recruiting is one of the most effective ways to entice new workers, showcase open positions and promote your company’s culture. Get your company familiar with how to reach out to potential candidates through these digital platforms. After all, as social media sites grow in popularity and consumers spend more time on them, it’s critical that your company establishes its presence.

4. Get In Touch With a Top-Notch, Modern Recruiting Firm

Find a firm that is in the know on the latest trends for the industry your company is in. Publishing your job posting with a reputable recruitment agency will attract a large number of candidates who will be looking for help as job seekers. This is still one of the most used techniques of finding a career. To shortlist and locate good potential candidates for your business, you can engage a temporary and direct hire employment agencies. You will want to find a firm that is tuned in with the needs and wants of Gen Z. This will ensure you find the right candidate for you!

5. Get Your Team on the Same Page

Match your company culture with the type of employees you are trying to attract. A few things are more essential to Generation Z members than a company’s commitment to social obligation on both socio-economic and environmental issues. Not only what your firm and its CEO have said, but also what they’ve done on these problems, is crucial. A happy employee says a lot about the state of the company, and Gen Zers are well aware of this. Another viable option for attracting them? Encourage employees to push for referrals. You may attract new talent by enlisting the help of other young employees to advocate for your company, but it must be genuine.

For more hiring insights and trends, download our 2021 Salary Guide.

What is employee well-being and why does it matter?

The mental and physical health and wellness of employees is crucial for a thriving business. But many organizations fail to prioritize their employees’ well-being due to the common misconception that it’s too challenging to implement. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Plus, healthy and well-supported employees are more likely to perform better at work, produce higher quality products or services, have less absenteeism and create a positive environment for other workers.

Bottom line: If you want your company to thrive in today’s competitive climate, then you need to pay attention to employee wellness. Here are three solid ways you can improve employee well-being in your organization:

Foster a culture of wellness in the workplace

Setting work boundaries and ensuring employees can take breaks from work when needed is an easy, impactful way to help foster a culture of wellness in the workplace. As the amount of long-term remote employees continues to trend upwards, now, more than ever, the line between work and personal time continues to be blurred. Combatting this is a two step process: First, communicate with employees to determine what the set work hours are. Second, ensure these boundaries are respected amongst all employees.

Listen to employees

A recent survey found that 42% of employees are worried about job security since the start of the pandemic.

The first step in tackling this is to listen to how employees are feeling. Open-mindedness and incorporating employee concerns into the work day create an environment where morale can increase. As always, be mindful of the current circumstances employees are facing while you navigate performance reviews or evaluations.

Mitigate stressors in the workplace

One of the biggest inhibitors to employee well-being is stress. Wrike’s United States stress statistics from 2019 found that “around 94% of workers report feeling stress at work, and almost a third say their stress level is high to unsustainably high.”

Thankfully, there are ways managers can help promote awareness around it and reduce these work-related stressors.

1) Send out emails to increase awareness of the signs of stress.

2) Communicate with employees to identify the cause of stress and help think of solutions, when possible.

3) Promote stress-management activities such as meditation, yoga or webinars.

4) Send them this list of 5 ways to overcome stress at work.

Check out our blog for more employer insights and trends.

As many companies are continuing to utilize remote work, now, more than ever, teams can be comprised of employees that live in different states, countries or continents. But whether face-to-face or behind a screen, employee recognition is key in order to create a strong, productive environment. Doing so boosts morale, helps promote feelings of investment in the workplace and leads to increased productivity.

Employers need to be mindful of virtual employee recognition and ensure employees feel valued – especially when in-person communication is taken out of the equation. Here are a few ways you can thoughtfully recognize employees while working remotely:

Highlight Individual Achievements

A simple yet effective way of telling employees you recognize and appreciate their efforts is to highlight their individual accomplishments. Send out a monthly email spotlighting an employee who went above and beyond and encourage fellow employees to respond with their notes of gratitude.

*If you receive positive customer feedback, share that with the team, too!

Recognize the Team as a Whole

It takes a village. And sometimes, that village needs to feel appreciated. Schedule a virtual team lunch where employees can chat about non-work-related topics, or send reminders encouraging employees to recharge. Organizing a virtual team-building experience, such as wine tasting or team trivia, can also help your employees feel acknowledged and valued.

Be Intentional

In order to gauge employee appreciation, it’s important to be proactive. Simply put: communicate with your employees. Set up one-on-one meetings and ask employees individually if they feel appreciated and how you can help.

Be intentional when it comes to getting to know your employees better. Remember, in a virtual environment you’re missing out on chatting by the water cooler. Instead, periodically reach out to employees and ask them how their day is going or what they’ve been enjoying in their free time – questions like these go a long way in ensuring employees feel known.

Invest in Employee Development

Professional development is a must when it comes to showing employees you’re interested in their career journey. This demonstrates that you are focused on retaining that employee, and interested in helping them achieve their career goals. In addition to benefiting the employee, the employer reaps rewards as well. Reducing turnover, attracting talent and increasing engagement and productivity are all outcomes of professional development.

Learn more about why you should be investing in professional development.

There’s a consensus among employers: talent is hard to find. And that’s a battle that can bring down the most established of companies.

Alter your approach to meet the demands of the skilled professionals you’re looking to court. Century Group’s 2021 Salary Guide for Financial Professions found three trends that ranked highest among job seekers when considering a new position — factors employers must capitalize on to edge out competing offers. And most importantly, attract and retain talent in today’s tight labor market.

1. PRESENT ROLE AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH.

Upskilling and training employees is a resourceful option for employers who need to fill open positions. But it’s also an aspect of the modern workplace that professionals crave. According to Globoforce, 21% of professionals left their jobs because of a lack of career development opportunities — the leading reason for employee turnover in 2018.

Candidates are seeking more than a paycheck, gravitating toward roles that provide growth potential, mentorship and personal gratification. Creating a robust training program that expands and reinforces on concepts learned in new employee orientation is a successful tactic to both attract and retain talent. While some companies turn to outside experts to invest in their employees, such as encouraging them to attend relevant conferences or inviting speakers to engage with their team at the office. Employers should also map out clearly defined career paths as an added incentive for new hires.

2. OFFER COMPETITIVE SALARIES, BENEFITS AND PERKS.

Here’s the thing: candidates know their skills are in demand. Offering below market compensation and inadequate benefits just won’t cut it. In fact, innovative perks like flexible work schedules and paid meals are more aligned with what today’s employees want. Not sure how your company stacks up? Our 2021 Salary Guide features accurate salary ranges for 41 finance and accounting positions. Make sure you’re not losing strong candidates due to sub-par wages in your region.

3. SHOWCASE A STRONG COMPANY CULTURE.

In a traditional work environment, you spend most of your waking hours at your job. Why wouldn’t a strong company culture be a priority for candidates with options? This can encompass a few aspects of a business, including its mission, values and how its team members interact and support one another.

Think Google. Even if you’ve never stepped foot on its campus, Google’s reputation for curating a successful culture permeates the company’s entire operation. From free meals and onsite physicians to its creative office settings and mentor-like managers, these elements promote a positive environment for employees to thrive. Not all businesses can adopt measures at this scale, sure. But by creating a space that promotes open communication and focuses on the employee’s well-being is at the core of any strong company culture.

Want more insight into how to attract and retain top talent? Browse our blog for tips, trends and news impacting the finance and accounting community.

Hiring is hard. And as companies continue to adapt to this post-COVID-19 workplace environment, those challenges have only amplified. CEOs are tapping into staffing and recruiting firms to address these concerns head-on — investing in experienced experts to make smart, sound hiring decisions instead of handling talent searches internally.
Here are five reasons why companies are outsourcing their company’s accounting needs:

1. Speeds Up the Hiring Process

The waiting game isn’t enjoyable on either side of the table. For employers, it only prolongs an unfilled seat and unattended workload. And for candidates, “breadcrumb recruiting: can become tiresome — allowing talent to find or move forward with other career opportunities during the interview process. Outsourcing hiring needs to a staffing firm can help sidestep this issue by using its expertise to shorten this often lengthy process. Recruiters spend their careers nurturing a pipeline of skilled professionals, knowing exactly when a candidate is ready to make a move. Coupled with remote onboarding experience and an innate understanding of job responsibilities, recruiters can match you with the right professionals quickly and have hiring managers interviewing candidates within hours.

2. Access to Untapped Talent

The trouble with relying on job boards is managing the influx of submissions. Sure, some of the more advanced platforms offer a level of application screening, but you’re still only reaching candidates actively seeking new opportunities in the market. Your company can do better than that. Recruiters are constantly engaging with both passive and active candidates in a wide range of positions. In fact, specialized staffing agencies like Century Group work exclusively with accounting and finance professionals — helping to find and fill roles from accounting operations to C-suite level.

3. Flexible and Skilled Accounting Team

Companies are also embracing temporary or interim staff to handle their accounting needs. In the past year, 52% of businesses surveyed in a poll by PeopleReady say they’ve increased their use of temporary workers — indicating the pandemic has changed how they staff their workforce. Partnering with staffing firms can help connect your company with experienced professionals who are comfortable and capable of hitting the ground running in any role, whether it’s for a few days or several months.

4. Return on Your Investment

As the pendulum swings back to being a candidate-driven market, the war for talent has resumed. Investing in a staffing firm gives companies peace of mind that seasoned recruiters are working on their behalf — often engaging with talented candidates who are passive or not actively seeking new opportunities. Coupled with helping your team to screen and find the most qualified professionals, this partnership provides long-term value to your company’s goals.

Does your company have a temporary position or key project to complete? Learn more about our process and services.

In a job interview, there are those requisite questions employers expect to hear from candidates. One of the most common: “How would you describe your company culture?”

But instead of breezing through the topic, companies need to understand how important their response is to prospective employees. It can mean the difference between an offer being accepted or declined — and even influence a business’ long-term success.

Our 2021 Salary Guide revealed accounting and finance professionals ranked company culture as one of the top reasons they choose a new role and stay with a company — proving the concept is much more than a buzzword. As the growing millennial labor force sets the tone for the workplace, it looks like we’re playing by their rules. Values matter. Finding purpose in a professional role matters. And locking down a position that embraces both of these principles? Yes, that definitely matters.

“Today, employees aren’t looking for the highest paying job or the best boss first,” says Century Group’s Talent Acquisition department. “They want to be at a place where flexibility, professional development and the culture of the company are aligned with their own personal interests.”

We break down company culture and its impact below:

1. ESTABLISHES YOUR BRAND

With the internet’s relentless noise, a strong culture is essential to establishing a unique voice. “Job functions and responsibilities of a particular job are the same at all organizations,” the Talent Acquisition department explains. “But the one thing that sets it apart is the company culture.” Put simply: An organization’s culture also functions as its brand. It should successfully translate the company’s values and goals — giving applicants (and employees) a clear idea of who you are.

2. CREATES A TEAM ATMOSPHERE

Everyone wants to feel like they belong. Add the incentive of contributing to a shared goal, and you have a solid foundation for a productive company culture. “It sets expectations for success, core values and minimizes failure.”

3. ATTRACTS AND RETAINS TOP PROFESSIONALS

The word is out. With online platforms like Yelp, Glassdoor and Trip Advisor, people can easily share their experiences with the world with a single tap of a smartphone. More importantly: the world listens. Job seekers regularly utilize these type of sites to gauge a company’s reputation — attracting (or detracting) talented professionals at a moment’s glance. Organizations should make their values a transparent priority to help draw other employees who believe in those values, too, Century Group says. And, will hopefully keep them there long-term. “When a company culture is the priority of a company, employees see that and know that they are important and valued.”

Download Century Group’s 2021 Salary Guide for additional industry evaluations and key insights relevant to today’s financial professionals. Looking for top talent to transform your team? Contact our recruiters today.