What Makes an All-Star Employee? 9 Traits to Look for in Job Interviews

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Hiring is tricky. There is unspoken yet significant pressure on the person responsible for filtering candidates and ultimately choosing one. A bad hire is a big waste of money. So it makes sense that employers go to great lengths to attract top-tier talent, and will go to even greater lengths to hire and retain that person. The challenge is distinguishing between the bad apples, garden variety, and the all-stars.

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How to Attract the Best Talent in 2022

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The world of talent attraction and retention has been completely reinvented. After 47 million people voluntarily left their jobs last year in the US alone – from restaurants to doctors offices, the reinvention couldn’t come at a better time.

Employees in the post-COVID era are looking for something different from their workplaces – something extra. Over the past two years, people have been introduced to the idea of fully remote work. What started as a necessity has morphed into a longed-for convenience and benefit for white collar workers. Less time commuting plus more time with kids/partners/pets is desirable for most.

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5 Benefits of Hiring a Recruitment Firm

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Hiring and retaining talent is tricky business these days. Because of the transition to remote work and the Great Resignation, employees have been leaving companies in droves in search of new opportunities. People are more likely to leave their position if they don’t feel valued, fulfilled, or fairly compensated. Read more

5 Tips to Ensure the Ideal Candidate Says Yes to Your Job Offer 

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In a labor market that has become more competitive, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd and attract top candidates. As we saw in our Recruitment Trends in 2022 blog, one of the biggest and most significant shifts in recruitment has been the switch to a candidate-driven market. While we are starting to see that shift a little bit as the economy has softened, it is still a difficult spot for employers to attract top talent. It always will be. If you’re in the hiring process right now, you may have encountered a number of challenges, such as candidates who are interviewing elsewhere, have other job offers, or have received a counteroffer from their current employer. This leads to a very frustrating and time-consuming hiring process.  

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Six Secrets of Modern Master Networkers

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For decades, networking has been used to create long-term relationships, recruit talent, advance careers, and find new opportunities. Networking requires a strong communication skill set and is rarely easy for beginners. For some, networking may be downright terrifying.

But the pros know how to do it well and set themselves apart. A networking pro is difficult to define, but you know when you see one. Whether it’s their effortless charm, quick wit, or massive social media following of highly engaged professionals, the pros tend to make networking look easy.
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2022 Recruitment Trends

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As with every new year, 2022 will bring about change. New trends for hiring and recruiting have appeared which affects the way the industry operates. In particular, it has been an interesting year for talent acquisition. In this article, we will take a deeper look into some of the latest recruitment trends seen.

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13 Interview Tips for the Interviewer

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13 Interview Tips for the Interviewer

By: Ben de la Fosse

2021 is well underway. Goals are set, business objectives are outlined – now it’s time to deliver. Organizations will be going into overdrive during the next few months, hiring a new crop of talent to join their team with the incentive of helping them achieve their said goals and objectives. Due to the growing demand for hiring, I thought it would be beneficial to provide several key interview tips to help identify the right candidate for any team. 

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6 Top Tips for a Successful Video Interview

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Even before the onset of COVID-19, the use of video interviews was on the rise. Some will see this as a benefit because it allows more flexibility to conduct an interview, saving them from having to leave work early for that “emergency dentist appointment”. Others might be a little more cautious having never done this before. Some may also feel that they are able to present themselves better in person.

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4 Things You Need to Talk About With Candidates During the Interview

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There is a lot of competition for top talent. After years of employers having control over the job market, candidates know they are in control. In order to hire your next great employee, you’re going to have to adapt your candidate outreach experience.

One area that often gets overlooked during the hiring process is the communication between hiring managers and candidates during the interview. What kinds of things should you be communicating in an interview in order to interest the best candidates?

Hiring managers are used to questioning candidates about their employment history, skills, and background. But today’s top prospects want to be a part of a deeper conversation, one that centres on the company, the work environment, and more.

Here are some engaging topics that you might want to include in your next interview.

1. A Realistic Employer Brand

Today’s candidates are concerned with employer brands. Here are some incredible stats on the business brand for hiring managers, HR professionals and recruiters. It’s very enlightening. The Ultimate List of Employer Brand Statistics.

If your hiring managers aren’t aware of the employer brand or can’t articulate it clearly, this could cost you some very good talent. It’s critical to communicate your organization’s employer brand in an interview – otherwise, you could find that new hire exits a lot sooner than the company had hoped. Train hiring managers to paint a picture in the interview of the company’s mission and vision, including how the prospective employee’s team relates to both.

2. Insight Into the Working Conditions

Many job postings refer to the company culture very vaguely, promising little more than “a great work environment.” These job posts often fall short of providing an explanation of what that work culture might actually be like. As a result, many candidates come to an interview with one idea about the culture, only to be confronted with a completely different picture once they begin a new job. Paint a human picture with real-life examples. Ambiguity will be the death of any interview.

If the company is fast-paced, it behooves a hiring manager to mention this in the interview instead of describing a laid-back environment. An accurate portrayal of the company culture ahead of time can set a new hire up for success and ensure that the people joining the organization are truly the right people.

3. Advancement Opportunities

Today’s candidates are concerned with opportunities in the workplace for career advancement, more pay, professional development, and so on.

Millennials are the fastest-growing segment of the talent market and are extremely concerned with opportunities for advancement and learning. Sixty-three percent of younger prospects feel their leadership skills are simply not being developed, which drives them to search for new employment opportunities.

In the interview, it is a hiring manager’s job to attract top candidates by setting expectations regarding potential advancement opportunities that may exist.

4. How the Employee Will Benefit From Working for the Organization

Too many hiring managers still approach the interview as a way to evaluate the candidate, rather than as an opportunity to sell the position.

Many of the best candidates know they’re in demand. They want to know what’s in it for them if they join your organization but they shouldn’t lead with that. In the interview, be prepared to discuss the things that set your organization apart, like advancement opportunities, team events, company culture, perks and benefits, and more. This information can help sell the candidate on working for your team instead of a competitor’s.

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As the war for top talent heats up, it will become increasingly important that hiring managers learn how to position themselves in the marketplace to attract and hire the best candidates. This must involve detailed communications during the interview process.

Remember: It’s not just about what the candidate can do for you – it’s also about what you can do for the candidate.

Helpful Tips to Survive Busy Recruitment Season

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Author: Ben de la Fosse – Recruitment Specialist at STRIVE Recruitment

Contributions: CPA designated public practice accounting professionals

So, it is that time of year again! We are already well into the busy season and for those of you in audit, the end is near and, if you are in tax, the home stretch is almost upon you – you got this, just hang in there!

I can’t honestly say that I have had the pleasure of working a busy season but, I have some sort of idea from my time at University. I remember the library becoming somewhat of a second home in the last month or two of my final year. My days pretty much consisted of classes, exam preparation and writing my final year dissertation. I pretty much fueled all of this with coffee, cold pizza and instant noodles (I won’t lie, I may have had the occasional beer as well).

Now, I am sure you all have your own little tips and tricks to help make the days a little less painful but, I have surveyed fellow public practice CPA’s who have been there, done it and got the grey hairs to show for it. These generous professionals have provided some insight into things they do to ensure they are at the top of their game. I hope they are of some help.

Maintain a healthy diet

This came at the top of everyone’s list of things to be mindful of. How we fuel our bodies has a massive impact on our mental performance throughout the day. The following link may provide some helpful advice for you. Diet Tips For Optimal Brain Function. Our professionals say:

  • Make sure you are eating sufficiently and taking the time to have a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  • Consider using your meal allowance to cover a meal and healthy snacks for the remainder of the day.
  • It is very important to drink enough water (6 to 8 cups a day). This really helps with concentration. Also use this as an opportunity to get up from your desk and stretch your legs as you walk to the water cooler.

Stay active – it’s the little things

I have to admit, I am definitely not a fitness fanatic but agree with the majority of my network who said that making time for exercise is very important. I know it feels like you don’t have time to stop and think, let alone exercise but, keeping active helps alleviate stress and boost brain activity. For more information on how exercise affects your performance you should read; Exercise and Work Performance.

Here are some tips from the pros on how to fit exercise into your day:

  • Your firm may provide an on-site gym. Try and utilize this, even if it’s just for 30 minutes before work, at lunch or in the evening.
  • Stand up often: It is most likely documented in your employee handbook, which is now lying somewhere in your drawer collecting dust but, for every hour you work, you should take a 5-minute break from the screen. Go grab yourself a glass of water, get a snack, interact with your team and ask if they need support.
  • Using your Fitbit/ Apple Watch or a timer and set an activity challenge that makes you to get out of your seat.
  • Stretch: Cater a stretching routine and/or take an afternoon walk, even if it’s around the client’s office.

Take control of your work life balance

It is very important to keep some level of work/ life balance. You need the time to disconnect from work and partake in activities that you enjoy. This will drastically help improve your mood. You Only Get One Life!

  • Flex hours: If your job allows for flex time, plan ahead and use this to do something besides work. For example, make use of your RMT massages, spend time with the family, start that book you’ve been wanting to read.
  • “It is a marathon, not a sprint”. Ensure you take breaks throughout your day. Utilize your lunch break. Go grab that coffee you want.
  • I can be a culprit of this next one. Ensure you work Make sure you are not just running around like a headless chicken. Plan your day out and prioritize your workload.

Embrace working as a recruitment team

During the busy season, it’s inevitable that you’ll be spending significant time with coworkers or engagement teams. The fact that everyone is in the same boat for 3-4 months is an incredibly effective way to build team camaraderie and lasting relationships.  Take full advantage of this opportunity.

  • Share your struggles with your team. “A problem shared is a problem halved”. Lean on the experience of your Managers or discuss issues with your team and find a common solution together.
  • Come together as a team. Grab dinner with your engagement team, have a coffee with your coworkers, find a way to unplug from the work for 15-30 minutes and just get to know each other on a more personal level.
  • Building these relationships will carry you so much farther in your career than finishing a certain engagement on time.

Learn from your experiences

Busy season is exactly that. A season. It comes and goes. Just think, soon enough you will be done and those long summer days will be just around the corner. Try and concentrate on the positives of this experience and learn from it.

This is a prime-time for accelerating your learning and professional development. Accounting professionals with a public practice background bring technical and soft skills to the table that are highly desirable to an employer, and the challenges brought about by busy season fine-tune many of these skills.

Contact STRIVE Today