Finding top talent is a challenging yet important task for managers and small business owners. When you have the best talent, your company will be more competitive. However, with all the other goals owners have in running a business, securing the best employees can get lost in the shuffle. If your business is in the financial or accounting industry, it’s even more relevant to have skilled workers who fit with your business culture. The challenge with finding financial and accounting employees is as follows:
- An article by the Wall Street Journal stated that new accounting laws are resulting in a shortage of accountants. One big name company took six months to fill a position for an accountant.
- Because of the shortage of accountants, the most qualified people end up at the bigger companies. This means small businesses struggle to find quality employees.
To underscore the shortage of accountants, business owners need only compare the unemployment rate of accountants (2.5 %) with the overall unemployment rate (4.4 %). Paul McDonald, a senior executive at Robert Half International, Inc., stated, “Based on the unemployment rate, it’s going to be harder for everybody to fill a job.”
What does this mean for the small business owner in the accounting field? Many big companies are outsourcing their accounting work to firms out of necessity, but this is not ideal. Companies, whether big or small, prefer to keep financial advisors nearby. Another option is to work with a recruiting agency to help fill the gap. With the many recruiting agencies out there, business owners may not know where or how to begin when it comes to starting the process. Here are three important questions to ask a recruiting firm if you decide to pursue that option.
Do you specialize in financial and accounting candidates?
This may seem like an obvious question, yet it’s important to bring it to the table. Why? Because not all recruiting firms will have a focus on those industries. In order for an agency to claim they have a specialization in these industries, they will have connections to accountants or employees in the financial field. Their network of candidates will be full of the type of employee for which you’re looking.
How important is fitting an employee with company culture?
Many agencies simply fill the gap with an employee whose resume matches the need. On paper, the person may appear to be a good match. Yet, there is much more to hiring an employee than the person’s professional skills. Every business has its own workplace culture. You could also call it the company brand. The culture or brand of the company is how your customers view your business. What type of personality do they feel the business has? The branding image and culture are closely aligned with what values you hold for the business. If you consider community giving a dearly-held value, then it will show up in your company culture. When you hire someone, you want that person to fit into the workplace culture. An employee who holds similar values will make an excellent fit because they will always be reflecting your brand positively.
What type of guarantee do you give?
You will never know unless you ask. It may seem presumptuous, but you cannot assume everyone will work out ideally. You need to know if the worst happens and you get an individual who does not click with the position in some way, what are your alternatives – if any. Ideally, you want some type of guarantee just like you would get with any other big “purchase” you make.
At San Diego Pro Staffing, Inc., we specialize in helping companies find talented employees in the financial and accounting industries. Our vast network of contacts guarantees you are satisfied or we’ll find a replacement. Contact us today to find the skilled professionals you need.
