The Power of Partnership: Seven Benefits of Collaborating with a Value-Focused Recruiting Agency

The Power of Partnership: Seven Benefits of Collaborating with a Value-Focused Recruiting Agency

July 2023

Finding high-quality accounting and finance candidates can be daunting and time-consuming, especially in today’s competitive job market.

This is where a value-driven staffing and recruiting agency can make a significant difference. By partnering with the right agency, employers can tap into a wealth of expertise and resources to streamline hiring and secure exceptional talent to drive your business forward and save you precious time.

Seven Reasons You Should Work with a Value-Focused Recruiting Agency

We have broken down the seven main points you should know about working with a staffing agency that prioritizes value, helping you to make informed decisions and achieve your desired results.

1) Strategic Alignment:
A value-driven staffing agency understands the importance of aligning its services with your organization’s values, culture, and long-term goals. They take the time to LISTEN and understand your unique needs and requirements, ensuring that the candidates they present not only possess the necessary skills but also fit seamlessly into your company’s culture.

2) Enhanced Candidate Quality:
Prioritization of presenting quality candidates is a characteristic of a value-driven agency. They go beyond matching resumes to job descriptions and invest in comprehensive candidate screening and assessment processes. By conducting thorough interviews, skill evaluations, and reference checks, these agencies ensure that you have access to top-tier candidates who not only meet the technical requirements but also possess the right soft skills, attitude, and cultural fit for your organization.

3) Access to Hidden Talent Pools:
A value-driven staffing and recruiting agency has extensive networks and resources that go beyond traditional recruitment channels. They tap into hidden talent pools, including passive candidates who may not be actively seeking job opportunities but are open to the right offer. By leveraging their connections and market insights, these agencies can connect you with exceptional candidates who may not be accessible through other means.

4) Time and Cost Efficiency:
Recruitment can be a time-consuming and costly process. Value-driven staffing agencies streamline the hiring process, saving you valuable time and resources. They handle time-intensive tasks such as candidate sourcing, screening, and initial interviews, allowing you to focus on your core business operations. By leveraging their expertise and industry knowledge, they expedite the hiring process, reducing time-to-fill and minimizing associated costs.

5) Flexibility and Scalability:
Business needs often change, requiring organizations to quickly adapt and scale their workforce. Value-driven staffing agencies are equipped to handle such fluctuations. Whether you require temporary staff for a specific project, contract-to-hire arrangements, or permanent placements, these agencies can provide flexible solutions that align with your changing demands. They have the infrastructure and resources to handle workforce scalability efficiently and effectively. 

6) Expertise and Market Insights:
A value-driven staffing agency brings industry expertise and market insights to the table. They stay updated on the latest trends, emerging skill sets, and industry-specific nuances. Their recruiters have a deep understanding of the talent landscape and can provide valuable guidance on market conditions, salary expectations, and competitor insights. This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions and stay ahead in the race for top talent.

7) Long-Term Partnership:
Value-driven staffing agencies prioritize building long-term partnerships with their clients. They aim to become an extension of your HR team, working collaboratively to achieve your recruitment goals. These agencies invest in understanding your organization’s unique culture, values, and growth strategies. By fostering a strong relationship based on trust, open communication, and shared objectives, they become trusted advisors who can consistently deliver value throughout your talent acquisition journey.

 

Partnering with Accountants One: A Value-Driven Recruiting Agency

Are you ready to partner with a value-driven recruiting agency? Accountants One has the experience and resources to be your exclusive staffing partner.

As a leading accounting and finance recruiting firm, we specialize in connecting businesses with exceptional talent through quality and service. Think of our agency as an extension of your recruitment process. It is our goal to get to know our clients at a deeper level. We go beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to provide tailored solutions to your specific business needs.

Currently, we have more than 20+ full-time full-desk recruiters. After receiving your search, we get to work. Through team collaboration and cutting-edge technology, we begin searching for the relevant candidates who satisfy both the technical and soft skills of your open role. We know that a great hire is 75% culture fit and only 25% technical skills, which is why we place such an emphasis on sourcing based on organizational culture.

Striving to always bring value to our clients and candidates, we leverage data and market insights to create resources like our Accounting and Finance Salary Guide.

We want to empower candidates and clients in their search, in whatever way possible!

Ready to get started with us?

Cindy Cannon Joins Advisory Board for Women in Leadership Certificate Program at Georgia College and State University

Cindy Cannon Joins Advisory Board for Women in Leadership Certificate Program at Georgia College and State University

July 24, 2023

Atlanta, Georgia

Accountants One is pleased to announce that Cindy Cannon, Senior Recruiter at the firm, has been appointed to the Advisory Board for the esteemed Women in Leadership Certificate Program at Georgia College and State University. This appointment is a testament to Cannon’s exceptional expertise over 38 years of professional recruiting and her unwavering commitment to empowering women in the workforce.

The Board is comprised of a diverse, innovative, and extremely well-connected network of top executives, ensuring a wealth of experience and expertise that will shape the program’s curriculum and provide invaluable guidance to its participants.

Membership on the Board is by invitation only and is based upon individuals’ exceptional personal and professional accomplishments.

“I am deeply honored to receive an invitation to join the Advisory Board for the Women in Leadership Certificate Program at Georgia College and State University,” said Cindy Cannon. “I am committed to contributing my expertise and insights to empower women to achieve their full potential as leaders in their industries.”

Accountants One, a leader in accounting and finance recruitment, is proud to have one of its own professionals recognized for such a prestigious role in shaping the future of women in leadership. Cindy Cannon’s selection reflects the company’s dedication to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion and empowering professionals to thrive in their careers.

About Accountants One

Accountants One provides contract, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements to clients across the Southeast. Clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial startups rely on Accountants One for high-quality accounting and finance talent. Their ability to attract an outstanding community of Atlanta-based candidates dates to 1973. To learn more visit, www.accountantsone.com.

Read More About Accountants One In The News

Accountants One named a 2023 Best Place to Work

Accountants One named a 2023 Best Place to Work

July 17, 2023

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta’s leading Accounting and finance recruiting and staffing firm, Accountants One, has been recognized as a 2023 Best Places to Work by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Finalists are based on surveys of employees at Atlanta-area companies ranging from 10 – 500+ employees. Quantum Workplace partners with the Atlanta Business Chronicle to measure ratings regarding work environment, culture, and other matrices. Rankings of the top 100 finalists will be announced at an awards ceremony hosted on August 31, 2023, at Your 3rd Spot in West Midtown.

“It’s an honor for Accountants One to be recognized as an Atlanta best place to work,” says Dan Erling, CEO and President of Accountants One. “I’m honored to help lead this wonderful group of knowledge workers. We are a best place to work because of our special team making a difference every day! Gratitude to the Accountants One team.”

To see the full list of companies that were recognized in 2023, click here.

About Accountants One

Accountants One provides contract, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements to clients across the Southeast. Clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial startups rely on Accountants One for high-quality accounting and finance talent. Their ability to attract an outstanding community of Atlanta-based candidates dates to 1973. To learn more visit, www.accountantsone.com.

Three Ways to Think About Work Life Balance

Three Ways to Think About Work Life Balance

 Does reduced stress, better physical and mental well-being, increased job satisfaction, and improved productivity sound intriguing to you as an accounting professional?

These are just a few of the benefits of work-life balance — something that a majority of accounting and financial professionals want but defining it for yourself can greatly depend on factors unique to your individual preferences and circumstances.

Understanding Work-Life Balance

The importance of work-life balance in 2023 is more significant now than ever. The dynamic and changing nature of the modern working era has brought about many priority shifts in today’s accounting and finance workforce.

Accounting professionals play a vital role in organizations, managing financial records, ensuring compliance, and providing valuable insights for decision-making. However, the nature of their work often involves long hours, tight deadlines, and high levels of responsibility.

Despite more than 300,000 accountants and auditors having left their jobs due to CPA requirements and workplace shifts due to baby boomer retirement, the accounting and finance profession still proves to be a stable and recession-proof industry. Yes, it’s true that the profession is demanding, especially during busy season and month-end or year-end!  But, you CAN still find a good environment and achieve work-life balance.

Here are a few key areas to think about when asked the interview question “What does work-life balance mean to you”:

Accessibility

Establishing clear boundaries for yourself (and for your employer) is crucial. Employees should communicate their availability and accessibility to clients, colleagues, and supervisors to ensure uninterrupted personal time and minimize work-related interactions during non-work hours.

In recent years, the ability to work from home has entered the conversation and muddied the waters of accessibility. When home becomes the workplace, it’s important to think about where the cutoff between your work and your personal life is.

A remote accountant may have to be more self-disciplined than someone who regularly goes into an office. Having cut-off times for work and personal time is integral. It’s easy to feel the imbalance from home and careful consideration should be made of where your ideal situation sits.

Accessibility Self-Reflection Questions

  • What hybrid schedule is best for me – mentally, physically?
  • Does a commute to an office help me separate work life and home life?
  • When I work from home, do I notice clients, colleagues, and supervisors reaching out to me outside of business hours?

Trust & Delegation

A trusting work environment fosters collaboration and effective communication among team members.

In an environment where you can trust colleagues to handle delegated tasks, it encourages open dialogue, knowledge sharing, and seamless coordination. This collaborative environment enhances teamwork, improves problem-solving capabilities, and reduces stress levels for everyone involved.

By delegating tasks to capable colleagues, you can have peace of mind, knowing that your responsibilities are being handled. This enables you to detach from work during personal time and achieve a better balance between your professional and personal life.

Trust and Delegation Self-Reflection Questions

  • Am I empowering my coworkers or employees to handle tasks without me?
  • Have I noticed that I have an issue letting go of control?
  • Would others characterize me as a ‘workaholic’?
  • Do I trust the people I work with to get things done when I’m not there?
  • How could delegating be improved at my workplace (i.e. clearer communication on expectations, better training, etc.)?
  • Have you made sure that everyone on your team who depends on the work you do can function normally without you there?

Win-Win

At the end of the day, the discussion around work-life balance is typically a personal one, chiefly involving the question of what you’re looking for. Anna Orr, Executive Recruiter at Accountants One says, “Work-life balance is driven by you. Be strategic about planning it [PTO], disciplined about taking it, and contemplating the win-win for everybody.”

Always think about the win-win. Whatever the case may be regarding PTO (paid time off), or more balanced work weeks, you should try to establish a win-win scenario for you and your employer.

Here is one example of a win-win scenario: You identify and implement a new accounting technology such as an automation solution or accounting software that speeds up a process whereby your employer benefits by efficient and accurate accounting processes and you get an extra five hours back of your week.

Remember, the guarantee of what you’re looking for might not be on the table immediately, but in most cases, the more trust and credibility you show your employer, the more likely you will get the work-life balance you are looking for.

Win-Win Self-Reflection Questions

  • How am I currently bringing value to the organization?
  • What processes can I improve for my organization that will help me and the organization itself?
  • Am I putting in the necessary preparation to have the time off I need?

Establishing a win-win scenario requires collaboration and commitment from both you and your employer. By recognizing and actively promoting work-life balance, employers and employees can forge a path toward a more fulfilling and harmonious future.

Conclusion

Take the time to think strategically about your time and efforts. You want to be effective wherever and however you’re working. The key to finding a work-life balance that you want doesn’t lie exclusively in finding a job that has it built in. Most of the time it lies in the collaboration with your employer, your team, and ultimately yourself.

How is a Good Recruiter Like a Good Fishing Guide?

How is a Good Recruiter Like a Good Fishing Guide?

No, it’s not a riddle or the setup of some corny joke.

Imagine this:

You are in a small boat with a fishing guide for a trip that you’ve been preparing for months. You’ve been practicing baiting, casting, and reeling in other types of fish, but you are finally ready to catch your ‘trophy fish’. Your guide has spent time setting up where you will be going and has brought all the proper equipment including rod, bait, hook, net, GPS antenna, and more to attract your trophy fish!

Your guide navigates you to the best fishing spot he knows using his tools and many years of experience. He sets your expectations that within a few hours, you will have the exact trophy fish that you’ve been dreaming of. BAM! Like clockwork, you’ve caught your fish! It’s a good day.

Have you ever thought that a good recruiter is like a good fishing guide? It’s true.

A good fishing guide (and a good recruiter) should have these qualities:

Expertise:
  • A good fishing guide has extensive knowledge of the fishing area, including the types of fish that are present, the best fishing spots, and the best techniques and tools to use to catch your trophy fish.
  • The same is true for a good recruiter. A good recruiter is knowledgeable about the market, client companies hiring, and talent available. They will often have a target niche specific to the placement level or role that they work on the most. Along with expertise, a good recruiter often has specific techniques and tools used to help a client or a candidate in their search. A good recruiter has deep relationships with hiring managers across the market they serve.
Patience:
  • A good fishing guide understands that fishing can be a slow and frustrating process and is patient and encouraging with their clients.
  • Whether you are hiring or looking for that next great position in accounting or finance, your search can be a slow process. A good recruiter is going to be patient and let candidates and clients take the lead with their search moving as fast or slow as they want while still offering encouragement and guidance in the current marketplace.
Communication skills:
  • A good fishing guide can communicate effectively with their clients, providing clear instructions and guidance on techniques and safety procedures.
  • A good recruiter is someone who can also effectively communicate with their clients and candidates to give updates on a job search and status of a position. Often a recruiter is a liaison between the client and the candidate helping to set up interviews and negotiate offers. Clear and frequent communication is important for everyone involved in the hiring process to ensure the satisfaction of both the hiring manager and the employee.
Customer service:
  • A good fishing guide provides excellent customer service, ensuring that their clients have an enjoyable and memorable fishing experience.
  • Above all, a good recruiter should ensure you have a positive experience and receive excellent customer service with their team.

How do these qualities apply to Accountants One?

We are a values-driven organization.  We care deeply about our culture and care about surrounding ourselves with people that embrace the same values. By constantly focusing on these values, we have created an organization with a unique and genuine culture.

Our organization is a vehicle for helping our clients, our candidates, and our team reach their professional and personal goals. This standard is reflected in the Accountants One logo.

The Accountants One logo resembles a fish because of these principles. The Accountants One service hierarchy is our clients, our candidates, and then ourselves. The ability to serve others by bringing value is a gift. At Accountants One, we are proud of the difference we are making in people’s lives. We have so much gratitude for the community we serve.

Job Seeker Resource Center

The First 90 Days in Your New Accounting Role

The First 90 Days in Your New Accounting Role

Congratulations on your new accounting job! The first 90 days in a new role are critical and can determine your outcome of success. Whether you just received a promotion or are starting a new job, your friends at Accountants One want to make sure you are set up to thrive.

Here are some tips to help you succeed in your new role:

30 Days in Your New Accounting Role

The first 30 days in a new accounting role are crucial for establishing yourself and making a positive impression. Use this time to get your feet wet and put your best foot forward. Unless you’ve been hired on as a ‘hit the ground running’ contractor, a traditional direct hire / permanent position will use the first month as an introduction. You’ll get introduced to systems, processes, and people.

Here are a few best practices for the first 30 days in a new role:

1. Setting expectations: During the first 30 days, you will be setting expectations for your role and what you can contribute to the company. This is a critical time to communicate your goals, strengths, and areas of expertise.

2. Building relationships: Build relationships with your team, other departments, and external stakeholders. Creating a positive impression and building trust during this time will help you establish strong ties in your new workplace. Building positive rapport will not only set you up for long-term success but will help to boost your personal brand. Remember the quote “Branding is what other people say about you when you are not in the room” by Jeff Bezos at Amazon. How can you position yourself positively in other people’s minds?

3. Learning the company culture: Every company has its unique culture, and the first 30 days are a great time to learn about it. This includes the company’s values, communication style, and decision-making processes. Understanding the company culture will help you navigate your role more effectively.

Read and immerse yourself in training materials – Taking full advantage of the training program at your new employer is so important in setting yourself up for success. Watch training videos, read the training manual, and most importantly ask questions. Ask as many questions as your heart allows to other teams, your manager, your HR department, etc.

4. Learning the accounting processes: As an accountant, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of the accounting processes and systems in place. During the first 30 days, you will have the opportunity to learn how the company’s accounting processes work and how your role fits into the bigger picture. While a role in Public Accounting may be a little more straightforward, a role in Industry accounting, may not be so learn, learn, learn!

Learn the software – You were likely hired on because of a combination of your soft skills and technical skills. You may be totally familiar with the software and technical skills needed of you to perform your job successfully or you may need training here. Take the first 30 days to ensure that you are up to speed on the software requirements and use cases.

Other Helpful Hints for the First 30 Days

Research industry topics – Find a trade publication related to your industry and read through it to keep yourself apprised of all that is going on in the industry and expand your knowledge base. Some great trade publications for Public Accounting include the Journal of Accountancy and Accounting Today.

Shadow a peer – So you’ve been doing training, learning software, performing research, and figuring out meeting styles, the next best thing to do is to shadow a peer to get a real-world example of how they work with the team, other departments, and clients.

Stay organized – Use tools such as calendars, to-do lists, and project management software to help you stay on top of your tasks and deadlines.

60 Days in Your New Accounting Role

The first 60 days in your new accounting role provide an opportunity to establish yourself as a valuable member of the team. This is the time when you’ve got the basics of the role down and are ready to expand your knowledge and grow.

Feel free to explore new avenues of your role and figure out how you can adapt your workspace to suit your specific needs.

Here are some helpful hints for the first 60 days in your role:

1. Demonstrating your value: Now that you’ve learned about communication styles, company policy, processes, and culture, the next 30 days is an ideal time to show your true value. By taking the initiative, being proactive, and contributing to the team, you can demonstrate your skills and capabilities. Don’t wait for tasks to be assigned to you. Instead, look for opportunities to take on additional responsibilities and make suggestions for improvements to processes.

2. Asking your teammates for helpful advice: Your best resource is your team. Now that you’ve developed a rapport with your team and created trust, go to your team with questions that you may have about managing through situations or a particular person on the team. There may be a similar situation that a team member has already experienced. They may be able to give you feedback about how they handled a situation at work and how it turned out for them.

3. Understanding what makes your company different: Learn more about what sets you apart from your competition. Is it CSR? Is it a special proprietary process? Is it excellent customer service? Is it your success rate in the industry? Regardless of if you are in a client-facing role or not, it is important to understand the unique branding proposition of your company. Again, clarification and understanding go back to being proactive. You will stick out as a candidate for an internal promotion once the opportunity arises.

90 Days in Your New Accounting Role

In the first 90 days of your role, you should be fully integrated into the team and have a clear schedule for your work week. Use this time to plan for your future and continue to learn as much as you can about the industry, you’re working in. Focus on your opportunities to learn and grow.

Here are some tips and tricks for the first 90 days in your role:

1. Seeking feedback: Ask for feedback from your supervisor and colleagues to understand how you can improve and continue to develop your skills. This will help you figure out what areas you should hone in your focus on. When meeting with your manager, it is important to focus on skills-based coaching. It is important to remember to be open to constructive criticism. This will help improve your performance.

2. Staying up-to-date: Keep up-to-date with accounting standards, regulations, and industry trends. Attend training courses, read relevant publications and blogs to enhance your knowledge and skills. Take advantage of any training opportunities or professional development programs available to you either inside or outside of work.

3. Joining a networking group: We’ve all heard the saying before ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know.’ Networking is powerful and there are many local networking groups in Atlanta that you can take full advantage of. Joining the GSCPA, 40 Under 40, AICPA, AFWA, and SHRM is a great way to meet individuals who may be able to help you expand your network and advance your opportunities.

4. Forecasting your future: Taking time for self-reflection and personal inventory is crucial to close out the first 90 days in your new role. Take time to journal or think through a series of questions:

  1. What do I like most about my role?
  2. What are my strengths?
  3. What are my weaknesses?
  4. What are resources/tools I can use for improvement?
  5. Is this a company I want to grow my career with?

These types of questions will help you determine your satisfaction with the role and will set you up for long-term career goals.

Remember that success takes time and effort. With dedication, hard work, and a positive attitude, you can thrive in your new accounting job. We hope the first 90 days in your new accounting role go well. Good luck!

Job Seeker Resource Center

Accountants One CEO Dan Erling Awarded the National Junior Achievement Silver Leadership Award

Accountants One CEO Dan Erling Awarded the National Junior Achievement Silver Leadership Award

Dan Erling, CEO and President of Accountants One, a leading recruiting and staffing firm specializing in Accounting and Finance placements, was awarded the Silver Leadership Award from Junior Achievement USA in Atlanta, GA. The award was presented to Erling on February 24, 2023, by Junior Achievement of Georgia CEO, John Hancock, and Vice President of Development, Danielle Wilkes.

The award is based on the level of volunteer participation and is presented annually to the top 1% of all volunteers. Erling has been an active member of the Junior Achievement of Georgia board for over a decade, serving on the finance committee and development team.

As a former inner city math teacher, education is a cause that Dan champions. Serving on the Junior Achievement of Georgia board is a way that he continues to positively impact today’s youth in the community.

Aside from serving on the Junior Achievement of Georgia board, Dan always participates alongside the Accountants One team during annual volunteer days at the Discovery Center and at Banneker High School.

He is also the creator of The Search for the South’s Funniest Accountant which has raised over $650K for Junior Achievement.

Erling has also been recognized as a Most Admired CEO and an Executive Champion in Corporate Citizenship by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Celebrating Our 50th Anniversary

Celebrating Our 50th Anniversary

2023 is a milestone year for Accountants One. The year in which we celebrate 50 years of being in business.

We are celebrating 50 years of serving the accounting and financial community with top talent.

50 years of developing and refining value-driven hiring strategies.

50 years of confidentiality, integrity, and honesty.

50 years of going above and beyond for our clients and candidates.

At Accountants One, we are very proud of the work we do. We are fanatical about recruiting and creating value by aligning the right organizations with the right PEOPLE. Since 1973, our long-standing commitment to honesty, integrity, and confidentiality attracts an outstanding talent community in the Accounting and Finance sector.

We fill all levels of placement from CFO to AP Clerk and everything in between. Our expertise encompasses eight key areas:

  • Match Retained Search
  • Direct Hire Contingency Search
  • Long-Term Staffing Solutions
  • Short-Term Staffing Solutions
  • Temp-to-Hire Placements
  • Fractional CFO Services
  • Payrolling
  • MATCH Consulting

From a tiny team to now a 42-person and growing organization, we are so proud of how far we’ve come. Accountants One is a family company that never forgets its beginning and the long road traveled to the point in which we find ourselves in 2023.

While our operations and team have grown over the past 50 years, our underlying principles and focus on relationship-driven recruiting remain constant. We are proud to celebrate our 50-year milestone with our employees, clients, candidates, and community – we look forward to the next 50 years!

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

About Accountants One

Accountants One provides contract, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements to clients across the Southeast. Clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial startups rely on Accountants One for high-quality accounting and finance talent. Their ability to attract an outstanding community of Atlanta-based candidates dates to 1973. To learn more visit, www.accountantsone.com.

For More Information, Contact

Tori Wheeler

toriwheeler@accountantsone.com

$100,000 Raised for Junior Achievement of Georgia Through the 2022 Search for the South’s Funniest Accountant

$100,000 Raised for Junior Achievement of Georgia Through the 2022 Search for the South’s Funniest Accountant

November 29, 2022

Atlanta-based recruiting and staffing firm specializing in accounting and finance, Accountants One, hosted the 2022 Search for the South’s Funniest Accountant in partnership with the Atlanta Business Chronicle on November 10, 2022, at the Coca-Cola Roxy inside the Battery. This event sold out with over 1,000 in attendance to cheer on Funny Accountants.

To date, this unique comedy show has raised over half a million dollars for Junior Achievement of Georgia. In 2022, there were more funds raised than ever before reaching $100,000.

There were 5 accountants who participated in the stand-up comedy competition including Mike Blake, Will Wright, Caspian Roberts, CPA, Steffanie Scialdone, CPA, and Tammara Buckey. Tammara Buckey took won the competition and was named the 2022 South’s Funniest Accountant winning an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas, Nevada sponsored by Casino Junket Club.

The event was sponsored by a variety of companies like Thomson Reuters, PwC, ADP, Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors, AGL CPA Group, Honors Holdings, Graphic Packaging, Southern Company Gas, Kanner Baker, Jamestown, Hartman Simons & Wood, The Siegried Group, Lumistella Company, Grant Park Accounting, Secureworks, Georgia Oak Partners, HonorBuilt, Mauldin & Jenkins, TechCXO, Cooleaf,  IMA, B. Riley Financial, and Windham Brannon.

If you were unable to attend the show but are interested in supporting the Funny Accountants Movement, please click here

About Accountants One

Accountants One provides contract, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements to clients across the Southeast. Clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial startups rely on Accountants One for high-quality accounting and finance talent. Their ability to attract an outstanding community of Atlanta-based candidates dates to 1973. To learn more visit, www.accountantsone.com.

For More Information, Contact

Tori Wheeler

toriwheeler@accountantsone.com

How To Evaluate a Job Offer

How To Evaluate a Job Offer

When you’re in the often unenviable role of “job seeker”, you’re so eager to prove you’re everything a potential employer could want, it’s easy to neglect what YOU want.

Of course, before we can seek what we truly want in a job, we first must define it for ourselves.  So, how can you best evaluate a job offer to ensure it will lead to long-term career satisfaction?

While it may be tempting to jump at an offer that feels like it meets your financial needs, there’s a lot more to a rewarding role than the size of a paycheck.  In fact, today candidates are asking for a lot more from the companies interested in them.

Let’s look at how to best approach a new opportunity to ensure that you’ll land somewhere that fulfills what matters to you most:

1) Do Your Research

First, research the prospective company with the same deep dive they’re likely taking in learning about you.  Explore their website and their social media pages so you can understand their vision, their mission, and their culture.  Do their values align with yours?  In what ways do they speak of valuing their employees?  If you could describe the company’s “personality” in one sentence, what would that be? 

You’ll also want to consider how well-established the business is, and what kind of influence you will have on the company itself.  It’s worth exploring questions about your specific role:  Will you be doing a variety of tasks or taking more of a deep dive into a particular skill set?  Is it a culture that encourages learning and development of your skills?

These are questions that may not be answered by a simple Google search, so the next step in ensuring your job satisfaction involves action that is a bit more tactical.

2) Perform a Company Reference Call

Just as a business will reach out to your references to get a sense of who you are and how well you fulfill their needs, you can do the same with the company.  Performing a company reference call is an effective step in understanding what an organization is really like.

Visit LinkedIn and seek out former employees who might be willing to briefly share their insights with you about their time there.  Ask questions, such as:

  • What is the potential for upward growth?
  • Is the organization flat or hierarchal?
  • How many layers are there between you and your ideal role?
  • What is the turnover like?
  • Do people like working there?
  • What is the culture like: do employees hang out with each other, or do they just do their jobs and go home?
  • How do they celebrate holidays/special occasions in the workplace?

Questions such as these tell a lot about the work environment which you’re considering entering and can help you make a more well-informed decision about where you’re planning to spend 40+ hours each week for the foreseeable future.

3) Ask Your Recruiter

Next, you can talk to your recruiter, asking them to share what they know about the company’s culture and what the day-to-day work environment is like.  Recruiters often have a rich awareness of the businesses they are supporting and want nothing more than to create an ideal match.  So, a conversation with your recruiter may just give you the insights you need to make a final decision.  Again, ask questions that get to the heart of what matters most to you, such as:

  • What have employees said about working there?
  • What kind of employee tends to be most successful?
  • What do I need to look out for?
  • What is the dynamic between management and employees?
  • How would you describe the company culture?
  • How would you describe management’s leadership style?

Of course, you may have other questions as well, including what the company values, what perks they offer their employees, and what feedback the recruiters have heard from others who they’ve helped onboard at the organization.

4) Ask Your Interviewer Qualifying Questions

Finally, when it’s time for the big interview, think of it as a two-way street.  Your interviewer will be asking you a healthy list of questions about yourself, and you should be prepared to do the same with them.  In fact, they’d be disappointed if you didn’t come in with some qualifying questions.  After all, they want someone who is curious, ambitious, and eager to find a good fit for themselves.  Here are some potential questions for your interviewer or the hiring manager:

  • What would an average work week look like?
  • What about a busy one?
  • What kind of people are successful here?
  • What do you personally like about working here?
  • What’s something you hope will change about the business in the near future?
  • What advice would you give someone who is interested in working here?

Final Words

As you can see, there are a lot of steps involved to truly evaluate a job offer on a cultural and technical level.  One more step – perhaps, in fact, the first one to take – is to talk to Accountants One about your aspirations.

We’re a business made up of talented recruiters who truly care about your career journey.  We’re good listeners who are invested in helping you discover what matters most to you and then matching you with a role that helps bring those goals to fruition.  Think of us as trusted career partners who value people and their passions.  In fact, that’s OUR passion:  connecting you with a role that will allow you to thrive.  We’re here to help you find AND qualify for job opportunities so you can curate the career you desire.

#1 Trusted Resource for Accounting & Finance Talent