While every employee contributes to the business’s overall success, a handful of key players are typically entrusted with the ability to make critical decisions for the organization. These decisions may determine which initiatives receive funding in the new year, which new products make it to store shelves, and which departments get downsized. Nobody makes these determinations in isolation, though. Experts throughout the organization inform every decision. Sales leads report on consumer responses to products and services, and financial experts report on company spending and profits. This data is essential to making wise decisions and operating a profitable business.
Finance and accounting professionals who provide business leaders with accurate data and wise recommendations enable them to make better decisions to guide the business. Unfortunately, skilled accounting and finance professionals are always in short supply. Those familiar with the industry know that hiring top talent is challenging, and the market is extremely competitive. Finding the candidate that best fits your organization with the necessary skills and experience can feel like finding a needle in a haystack.
For many, this search is most successful when performed by a Utah accounting and finance recruiting expert. How do you know your recruiting partner truly specializes in staffing accounting and finance positions? Here are five indicators that a recruiter is an accounting and finance recruitment authority.
1. They Have an Excellent Reputation
The candidate pool a recruiter builds depends mainly on the type of candidates they contact. If they are an excellent generalist recruiter, they will have access to a wide variety of candidates with varied skills and experience. While this network can serve employers well, accounting and finance positions are unlike many others. Professionals in this industry will likely turn to recruiters with a reputation for matching accounting professionals with positions requiring their unique skills and abilities.
Before you partner with a recruiter who claims to specialize in accounting and finance placement, ask them how they source candidates. LinkedIn, job boards, and other social media platforms are great tools for finding people with unique skill sets. However, interacting over these platforms is impersonal. Sought-after individuals are more likely to apply for jobs recommended by recruiters they know. Is this recruiter someone finance professionals trust?
2. They Have Experience
Just as you would ask any other job candidate about their past experience performing a task, ask potential recruiters how often they have successfully placed accounting and finance candidates in the past few years. If they regularly search for and place candidates to work in accounting and finance, they will have a better working knowledge of the industry. They are also likely better acquainted with the top job skills employers want candidates to have. Look for a recruiter who has placed more than ten applicants at firms like yours for similar positions in the past few years.
3. They are Involved in the Industry
You do not have to work in accounting and finance to be an expert in the field. Skilled accounting and finance recruiters will find it well worth the time and effort to educate themselves about developments and trends in the industry. Find out whether they attend professional events to expand their network of contacts. These events will help them keep a pulse on what employers are looking for and what changes may be coming in the near future. Also, ask if they belong to any local or national professional accounting associations.
4. They Know the Candidates
Jobs within the accounting field vary significantly, and different types of positions attract different types of people. An experienced accounting recruiter should understand not only the differences between the positions but they should know what the people applying for those positions will want.
For example, if you want to hire an in-house bookkeeper, you should know that, in general, bookkeepers want work-life balance. These individuals may be willing to accept a lower paycheck in return for work-from-home flexibility. A certified public accountant is more likely to look for a job that brings a pay raise or offers career advancement.
Due to the seasonal nature of accounting and finance work, recruiters will also need to know when the best time to recruit for each position will be. A search launched during a busy tax season may not yield great results for you.
5. They Understand Finance Tools
While some financial software and tools are used universally throughout accounting and finance roles, many organizations use tools that fit their specific needs. A recruiter unfamiliar with common accounting and finance platforms cannot accurately determine whether an applicant is the expert they claim to be. Additionally, a skilled candidate may walk away from a position if they feel the recruiter is unprofessional and uneducated. They may feel their talent could be overlooked.
Partnering With a Professional
Recruiting professionals do more than help employers streamline the hiring process. They screen candidates and narrow the candidate pool to the top applicants. They interact with candidates on your behalf. The outcome of your search will most likely yield someone with top skills if your recruiter understands what you need in an accounting and finance professional and how to identify them. The most important decision is who you hire to act on your behalf.
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Finding the right candidate for your organization’s accounting and finance positions can be challenging. How do you know if your recruiting partner specializes in this area? Discover the five indicators of an accounting and finance recruitment authority in this infographic.
