Category: Employers Insights

Uncovering the Surging Demand for Accounting and Finance Jobs in Limerick and Clare

Posted on by Martina Quinn
Accounting jobs in Clare is on the rise.
Accounting jobs in Clare is on the rise.

Why are accounting and finance jobs in Limerick and Clare in high demand?

Accounting and finance jobs in Limerick and Clare have never been so plentiful. There has never been a better time to work in this field and this location. The high number of accounting and finance jobs in the Midwest of Ireland is due to a number of factors, including the presence of multinational companies, booming industry, a skilled and educated workforce, favourable tax policies, and the country’s overall pro-business environment. Additionally, the Irish government has made a significant investment in the region to support economic growth and attract international businesses.

  • Big 4 Presence: Accounting and finance jobs in Limerick and Clare are plentiful because of large scale multinational investment. These include finance and accounting firms such as the big 4 (PwC, Deloitte and EY) , which drives demand for skilled workers in these fields.

  • Booming Industry: The aviation industry in Shannon, has experienced significant growth in recent years, leading to a boom in the region. This growth has created numerous job opportunities in the field of accounting and finance, as companies in the aviation sector require professionals to manage their financial operations. The increase in demand for accounting and finance professionals has made these roles highly competitive and lucrative, with many offering competitive salaries and benefits. Additionally, the presence of major aviation companies in the region has also attracted other businesses, further boosting the local economy and creating even more job opportunities.

  • Skilled Workforce: Limerick and Clare have a highly educated and skilled workforce, which is attractive to employers in the finance and accounting sector. This skilled workforce have also access a solid education foundation with excellent undergraduate and postgraduate courses in UL and NUIG before becoming fully qualified with an accreditation from ACCA, ACA CPA and, or CIMA.

  • Favourable Tax Policies: Ireland has a favourable corporate tax system, which has attracted many multinational corporations and helped to drive growth in the finance and accounting sector. The Irish government has implemented several tax incentives and exemptions, making it an attractive location for international companies to establish their operations and minimize their tax liabilities Some specific tax benefits in Ireland include:
    • Corporation Tax: Ireland has a low corporation tax rate of 12.5%, which is one of the lowest in Europe. This helps companies to reduce their tax burden and retain more profits.
    • Intellectual Property (IP) Tax Regime: Ireland has a favorable IP tax regime that allows companies to claim tax relief on income generated from IP assets such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
    • Double Taxation Treaties: Ireland has signed numerous double taxation treaties with other countries, which help to prevent companies from being taxed twice on the same income.
    • Tax Credits and Exemptions: There are several tax credits and exemptions available to companies in Ireland, such as the Research & Development (R&D) tax credit, which helps companies to offset the costs of R&D against their taxable income.
    • These favourable tax policies have helped to make Ireland an attractive location for multinational corporations, including finance and accounting firms, and have helped to drive job growth in the finance and accounting sector in the Midwest region, including Limerick and Clare.

  • Pro-Business Environment: The Irish government has created a pro-business environment, with support for foreign investment and a focus on developing the economy. This has helped to attract and retain finance and accounting jobs in the region. Ireland offers large tax incentives and low corporate taxes that have attracted many international businesses to the region. This has resulted in a strong demand for accounting and finance professionals, with many local and international companies looking to hire qualified accountants and financial analysts in Limerick and Clare. The dynamic environment is conducive to growth and progress, offering exciting opportunities for those working within the accounting and finance industries.

  • Investment in the Region: The government has made significant investments in the midwest region to support economic growth and attract international businesses, which has helped to drive job creation in the finance and accounting sector. The Mid West Action Plan for Jobs, which covers these two counties, seeks to attract and retain investment through a strong knowledge capital base . This plan has resulted in “huge” job growth, with 21,800 jobs generated (13%) over the past decade . This has been beneficial to the accounting and finance sector, with more job opportunities and increased job security in the region .

Summary

Limerick and Clare are two Irish counties offering a range of accounting and finance jobs. such as qualified positions like financial accountants to audit seniors and financial directors, there is a wide selection suitable for job seekers of all levels of experience. The Midwest offers a number of businesses, both large and small, in the finance and accounting industries, making them an ideal location for those looking to begin or continue a career in these fields. Numerous universities, colleges and institutes provide professional courses in accounting and finance and the nearby Shannon International Airport ensures that candidates from all over the world can easily access Limerick and Clare. With both local and international job opportunities, Limerick and Clare are great places to start or enhance a career in accounting and finance.

Check out the latest jobs from the region

What we can do for you

Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment specialises in the placement of qualified accountants up to executive level nationwide, Our teams have extensive experience (67 years combined) recruiting in the Irish Market. Reach out to the team here at Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment for the best advice and support in building your finance teams contact us today.

The Best Accounting and Finance Recruitment Trends in 2023 To That You Need To Know – Top 5

Posted on by Martina Quinn
Top 5 Accounting & Finance Trends in 2023
Top 5 Accounting & Finance Trends in 2023

The current accounting and finance recruitment trend for 2022 is set to to continue for 2023. Job seekers should be aware that the current lack of accessible competent qualified professionals makes it a candidate’s hiring market.

Many businesses are employing new personnel and growing their operations despite the pandemic’s lasting affects and economic factors like rising inflation. According to new figures from the Central Statistics Office show that 2.55 million people were employed in the State in the second quarter of this year.

In some industries it is especially difficult to find candidates due to skills shortages. Companies are enticing top workers to join their company by offering signing bonuses, financial incentives, additional paid time off, and job title changes, to name just a few. All of these tactics, as well as others, are ones many of us are familiar with. These options, nevertheless, are frequently insufficient, especially if the option of working remotely is not provided.

Remote work is and will become a popular benefit in accounting and finance for 2023
Remote work is and will become a popular benefit in accounting and finance for 2023

Having stated that, here is a suggestion for candidates: Keep an open mind on the “where” of job if you want to increase your employability. Many organisations are attempting to decide if they want to continue using a remote, hybrid, or in-office strategy in the future. Therefore, being open to several possibilities may help you find employment opportunities. However, you should also be up forward about your preferences and underline that, when the time is appropriate, you’d like to discuss a flexible work schedule.

Accounting and Finance Recruitment Trend 1

Remote Workforce

Traditional employment is evolving. Businesses are benefiting from the fact that employees are no longer confined to an actual office. The accounting sector is one that can accomplish it more easily than others and is not an exception to this rule. Due to the epidemic and the use of cloud-based software, an increasing number of accountants are working remotely, enabling staff to fulfill their allocated jobs without being in the same building.

Accounting and Finance Recruitment Trend 2

AI & Automation

The practice of manually entering data into spreadsheets is quickly becoming obsolete. To save time and money, accounting businesses that want to remain competitive need to automate as many of their operations as they can. Workflows for approval, bank reconciliation, journal entries, inter-company consolidation, revenue recognition, lease accounting, and depreciation are a few of the activities being automated.

Accounting and Finance Recruitment Trend 3

Big Data Combined With Analytics & Forecasting

The demand for accountants who can properly manage and analyze data has expanded along with data complexity. To help them make sense of the wealth of information at their fingertips, businesses and accounting firms are seeking people with strong data analytics abilities and experience. Accountants need to employ advanced analytics and forecasting methods in addition to big data. In the subject of accounting, there is a clear need for data specialists.

Accounting and Finance Recruitment Trend 4

Utilising The Cloud

Accounting firms are following suit to satisfy the needs of organizations that are migrating to the cloud at an increasing rate. These businesses may access their data from any device with an internet connection thanks to cloud-based accounting solutions. This is a great choice for businesses with numerous locations or remote workers. From a financial perspective, there is a need for employees with cloud capabilities and AI automation.

Accounting and Finance Recruitment Trend 5

Diverse Range Of Skills

Employers are looking for accountants with a variety of talents to stay up with the evolving accounting landscape. Accounting is no longer just about creating financial statements and tax returns as more transactional activity is automated. Accountants who want to succeed need to know how to use technology, comprehend data analytics, and interact with clients well. this where your soft skills come into play.

Our Solutions.

Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment specialises in the placement of qualified accountants up to executive level nationwide, Our teams have extensive experience (67 years combined) recruiting in the Irish Market. Reach out to the team here in Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment for the best advice and support in building your finance teams contact us today.

Writing The Best Accounting Job Ad That Will Increase Hiring

Posted on by Martina Quinn
Writing great job adverts will help attract the best accountants
Writing great accounting job adverts will help attract the best accountants

You have an accounting job opening, you need a new accountant and a thorough job description has already been written. You must now draw attention to the position; but, do you know how to create an accounting job advertisement that will increase your hiring?

In addition to encouraging talented accountants to apply, a well-written accounting job posting will help you create your company’s brand and a solid talent pool of future prospects.

Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal new accountant before you begin drafting the accounting job advertisement. What would you want to see on an the ad for your future job? Which language is most appealing to you? What facts will catch your attention?

Consider what makes your business distinct once you’ve written down a few ideas. Consider your own motivations for working there. You are the person best suited to discuss your business, what you do as an organization, and why you do it.

Even though it’s an old cliché, first impressions do matter. There’s a good chance that this job posting is the prospective accountants first contact with your business.

Accounting Job Ad Vs Accounting Job Description

There is some key differences between the accounting job ad and accounting job description
There is some key differences between the job ad and job description

It is vital to understand the differences between the accounting job advertisement and the accounting job description before we begin the writing process. Despite their close resemblance, they must constantly be recognized from one another. Here’s how…

The majority of the job description is internal and outlines the duties that the chosen candidate will perform. One of the initial phases in a company’s hiring procedure is it.


The accounting job advertisement is external and is intended to “sell” the opening by emphasizing the role’s desirable outcomes for candidates.

What to Include in The Accounting Job Advert

Here are six crucial points to concentrate on when creating your job advertisement because, as was previously mentioned, the individual reading it may have never heard of your organization before:

  1. Job Title – While jargon, acronyms, and internal titles may be widespread in your organization, others may not understand what they imply. The secret is to avoid using them.

Pro tip: Consider the search terms a jobseeker would enter into Google. They might enter “accountant jobs” or “accountant ninja,” respectively. The latter is rarely the case.

  1. Selling Features – Following the job title, you should immediately discuss the important selling points of the accounting position, such as what makes the position so amazing and why candidates would adore working for your business. Once more, think about it from the standpoint of the prospect. What do the people in your target demographic value most in their careers?

Pro Tip: Why not ask your present staff members what they enjoy most about their work and the organization, then include that information in your job advertisements? On Glassdoor, you can also find reviews.

3. Summary – The selling elements grab the attention of the reader, but this section of the accounting job ad should let your ideal candidate see themselves in the role. Use concrete language, succinct sentences, and action verbs throughout.

4. Salary – This is a critical component of the accounting job description that candidates look for. Even if you might not want to overtly advertise the pay, those who do typically receive a lot more applications (unsurprisingly). If you absolutely don’t want to mention your pay, think about offering a larger salary range.

5. Location—Being more descriptive here makes a significant effect. Could you give a more specific area rather than simply the city? Include the possibility of working remotely as well, if available.

  1. Job Details – Be as specific as possible about the position so that anyone reading it understands exactly what it entails, to whom it reports, what success looks like, and the prospects for advancement it offers.

When all of this information that applicants will need to know is cohesively woven together, you will have the makings of an excellent accounting job advertisement!

Some examples of excellent accounting job adverts.

How can you ensure that you provide sufficient context to your accounting audience?

Catch the attention of your target accounting audience
Catch the attention of your target audience

After going over the essential details you should always provide in a job advertisement, let’s discuss how you can contextualize it further and give it more life so it catches the attention of prospective hires.

First, briefly explain why you’re hiring. Is the department in question functioning well, is the business as a whole expanding, or do you need a certain set of talents that the current staff lacks?

Next, concentrate a little more on the business itself. Although this may have been covered under the “selling points,” you should tell the reader about your organization, why it’s a fantastic place to work, and any intriguing details that can draw in potential candidates.

Thirdly, mention a few advantages the chosen candidate will receive. Nowadays, people tend to pay much more attention to the perks they will receive than than their wage, even if the latter is still very important.

If you provide employees with a comprehensive list of benefits, this is the time to highlight them!

Finally, describe the perfect candidate for the position. Don’t forget to mention personality type and the kinds of values you expect each employee to uphold, as well as the essential abilities and qualifications. While the latter is more “company-wide,” there may be some traits that would be particularly advantageous to possess for the role.

Here, you might also go into detail about the application procedure, including how many steps there will be and when and where the interviews will be held.

Last but not least put a call to action in there. Depending on where you post the job advertisement, this might be anything. A simple “Apply Now” will do if the platform permits direct applications, but it’s always a good idea to include your email address and other contact information in case someone needs to get in touch with you.

How to write a “transparent” accounting job advertisement and why it might help you identify your ideal applicant.

In a nutshell, a straightforward job posting lacks any filler or sugar-coating. It’s a little bit different, but it’s said to draw better, more docile candidates.

You should consider the following if you want to produce a radically transparent job advert:

  • Describe “a day in the life” of this job.
  • Show the requirements for achieving quantifiable goals.
  • Describe why a top applicant would be drawn to this position.
  • Give the hiring manager a brief bio
  • Make the salary known.

Example Of An Excellent Job Advert

An example of an excellent accounting job advert
An example of an excellent accounting job advert

Time to start writing your Accounting Job Ad…

It’s time for you to start creating a accounting job advertisement for your opening now that you’ve read about how to make your job advertisement enticing and seen a few instances of that in action.

Need Some Help?

As a part of our recruitment services, we also provide writing and advertising for accounting job ads.

Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment specialises in the placement of qualified accountants up to executive level nationwide. Our teams have extensive experience (67 years combined) in recruiting in the Irish Market.

Our leading finance recruitment agency is based in Limerick, and we have excellent accounting and finance jobs in Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary. Check out some of our roles in our job portal.

Reach out to the team here in Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment for the best advice and support in building your finance teams contact us today.

Get The Finance Candidates You Deserve – A Guide

Posted on by Martina Quinn

Top accounting and finance organizations are reporting that it is challenging to source employees with the necessary skillset.

Getting the right candidates is proving difficult for accounting and finance organisations
Getting the right candidates is proving difficult for accounting and finance organisations

Due to a high demand and a limited supply, finding qualified accounting and finance specialists is difficult. It’s critical now more than ever that financial recruiters understand how to locate and hire talent in today’s competitive employment market given that jobs in the finance industry are predicted to grow to 50% hiring intention rate.

According to CPA Ireland who estimates a shortfall of almost 15,000 trainees in the accountancy profession over the last decade. This has led to a shortage in quality qualified candidates in the market.

To help you in your search for excellent hires, we’ve broken down the main recruitment challenges such as:

  1. Lack of qualified candidates
  2. Skills shortages
  3. Intense competition for talent
  4. Quick and ever evolving digital landscape

In this article we will share tips to overcome these challenges and land great hires for your business.

Develop Your Company Employer Brand:

If you want to compete for top talent and stand out in the financial industry, you must invest in your company’s employment brand name. Find out how your potential new hires view your brand and what information they are most interested in learning.

Developing your employee brand is crucial to attract at retain top accountants and finance professionals
Developing your employee brand is crucial to attract at retain top accountants and finance professionals

Recognize how it differs from what you are demonstrating to them. Try to alter their presumptions as much as you can to ultimately draw in more prospects.

Keep in mind that you’re competing with fledgling fintech start-ups, who probably have a fun, interesting employer brand. You must promote your business to your ideal candidates if you want to be truly competitive.

Use Recruitment Marketing Techniques For Hiring

The process of hiring continues after you establish your employer brand. To create a sizable pool of qualified candidates for present and future job openings and prospects, you should concentrate on targeted tactics.

Using recruitment marketing methods is a sure-fire way to draw in interested job seekers, but in order to do it successfully, you need to be innovative and think outside the box. It is a great technique to get and keep their attention to offer them pertinent electronic content and interesting employment ads.

Think outside the box to attract top accounting and finance talent to your organisation
Think outside the box to attract top accounting and finance talent to your organisation

Additionally, you can utilize technological tools like programmatic job advertising (often known as recruiting “bots”) to help you get your job openings in front of the appropriate candidates. This will enable you to target your ideal clients.

In order to significantly increase their ability to attract digital talent, 24% of firms in the financial services sector change brand perception through marketing and advertising according to PWC

Expand Your Sourcing Processes

You need to be looking in all the right places if you want to find the best financial services experts out there. Expanding your sourcing options is a terrific place to start because of this, but it might be easier said than done.

Make sure to promote your opportunities in as many pertinent locations as you can, including social media platforms and online job boards. Additionally, you can use LinkedIn to upload positions and try to source people.

Use as many different sources as you can to find prospects. A terrific way to meet entry-level applicants is to attend college and university graduation fairs and other recruiting events.

Establish a Graduate Employment Strategy.

One of the largest employers of entry-level workers is the financial solutions industry. Because of this, the majority of financial companies today use a graduate employment strategy to identify recent graduates who are just starting their careers.

While it is a great start, it is insufficient to retain momentum after you get them on board or to compete in such a competitive employment market. Establish a process for employing graduates from universities, but don’t just stop there.

Create a graduate programme that enables graduates to become future leaders in your business
Create a graduate programme that enables graduates to become future leaders in your business

Continuously work to improve their abilities and develop them into future leaders who will undoubtedly advance your business. “Train people well enough so they may leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want,” as Richard Branson once famously said.

Apply Inclusive Hiring Practices

It is clear that the finance sector has diversity issues. According to a recent study, fewer than 25% of people are aware that their companies are actively working to hire more women and people from ethnic minorities. There is always room for improvement even if finance organizations are making slow but steady progress in hiring even more diverse candidates.

You can utilize a variety of techniques to make your efforts at inclusive employment better. For instance, try crafting thorough job postings to attract a diverse pool of applicants and employ the principles of blind hiring to eliminate unconscious bias.

Make it a point to hire people based on their qualifications and skill sets to make sure they closely match what you’re looking for.

It’s critical to keep in mind that communicating your initiatives to both current and potential employees can help your inclusion and diversity policies as you grow your workforce. There is still a long way to go, but financial organizations are attempting to increase diversity in their workforce.

Create A Network of Corporate Alumni

When it comes to recruitment there should be a heavy emphasis on hiring experienced professionals and mid-career professionals not just young personnel and recent graduates. Due to their anxiety that history would repeat itself, many former employees left the sector during the economic downturn and never returned.

But why cut all ties with experienced finance specialists when lines of communication can easily be put in place. Maintaining contact with outstanding individuals is a great idea if you want to create a corporate alumni network that enables you to connect with former workers who left under favourable circumstances.

Consider creating a networking group on Facebook or LinkedIn that you can use to connect with former employees who might be hired again.

Job and Employee Growth Programmes.

It’s fantastic for your company to find and hire the appropriate people, but what do you do with them once they start working? You must have a suitable program for ongoing professional development that benefits you, your new hires, and your current personnel.

Create a suitable program for ongoing professional development that benefits you, your new hires, and your current personnel.
Create a suitable program for ongoing professional development that benefits you, your new hires, and your current personnel.

The foundation of your company’s employee growth  proposition is a well-functioning development program, which is a great method to show your dedication to assisting employees in advancing their roles and careers.

Remember that having thorough hiring procedures in place is not enough; you also need to provide your team with the tools, resources, and opportunities necessary for them to grow professionally. Your commitment to creating an inclusive workplace must be genuine and sincere.

Connect Online

We have access to a variety of technology tools, therefore it only makes sense to use them while making employment decisions. It is quite effective to connect with job candidates via email and social media platforms, 

Use LinkedIn to find accounting and finance professionals who are already actively looking for new roles
Use LinkedIn to find accounting and finance professionals who are already actively looking for new roles

Social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are excellent places to engage with potential customers. According to a LinkedIn research, 49% of professionals contact with businesses on social media networks primarily to advance their job search. Why not therefore find them there where they are already actively looking?

Set Up an Employee Referral Programme.

Employee recommendations are a great approach to recruit new employees. By saving costs on candidate sourcing, this method shortens the time needed to fill a vacancy. Additionally, you’ll hire new workers that already fit in well with your current team and company culture, making the situation all around advantageous.

Use A Trusted Specialist Finance Recruitment Agency.

Competition is fierce and talent is scarce. To find the best individuals for finance jobs, you must be confident in your recruitment strategies. Everything starts with explaining to them what it means for your company to hire both recent graduates and seasoned employees.

Let us take the pain away from the accounting and finance recruitment task
Let us take the pain away from the accounting and finance recruitment task

The simple solution is to leave it to the specialists, like us, If you think you lack the specialized knowledge or just don’t have the time since you are already juggling many jobs already, Once you’ve done that, everything else will be simple to arrange, and you’ll soon be recruiting A-list employees.

Our Solutions

Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment specialises in the placement of qualified accountants up to executive level nationwide, Our teams have extensive experience (67 years combined) recruiting in the Irish Market. Reach out to the team here in Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment for the best advice and support in building your finance teams contact us today.

Accounting & Finance Soft Skills to Upgrade – A Guide

Posted on by Martina Quinn
Accounting & Finance Soft Skills to Upgrade
Accounting & Finance Soft Skills to Upgrade

Communication, Collaboration, Time Management and Critical Commercial Thinking are four key soft skills that accounting, and finance professionals can upskill according to Journal of Accountancy. This will help with their existing role or if they are looking for a move to another organisation.

These softer skills are in high demand when it comes to hiring accounting and finance personnel. Here at Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment where our teams have extensive experience (67 years combined) recruiting in the Irish Market’, have seen a shift in what employers look for in new accounting and finance employees.

In the last 30 years we have lived through a digital revolution. It was a privilege and not a right to have a PC and access to the internet which used to be through dial up. An accountant’s trusty weapon of choice was a calculator.

In today’s world accounting and finance professionals need access to a solid laptop with excellent processors and plenty of RAM. This is because today’s accountant needs to be technologically clued into the many accounting and finance software platforms they need to use.

As the industry gets more digitalized and automated soft skills can often be overlooked when an accountant or finance professional was a student looking to climb the corporate ladder. However, its these soft skills that can help accountants and finance personnel to reach where they want to be.

A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management published in May 2020 titled “Leaders and Employees Need Soft Skills Now More than Ever”. In their survey 97% of employers stated soft skills were either as important or more important than hard skills.

Hiring managers naturally look through candidate’s experience, necessary education, and qualifications. However, this is when they are trying to get to know their candidates from CV or LinkedIn profile. Hiring managers will want accounting and finance personnel with great knowledge combined well rounded interpersonal skills too.

In making a decision for hiring accountants and finance professionals you will want personnel that possess the above-mentioned soft skills combined with experience and industry know how. In this article we provide detailed information about the four key soft skills hiring managers are looking for.

Communication

Communication is a key skill for accounting and finance professionals to develop
Communication is a key skill for accounting and finance professionals to develop

Accounting and finance professionals are what keep businesses moving they are the foundation of every organisation. At some stage every department and business function must interact with the finance or accountancy team. This could be invoices, credit control to company audit summaries.

For this reason, it’s important that companies have accounting and finance professionals with excellent communication skills. The ability to present and communicate corporate financial strategies and report findings to company board members is important and having adequate communication skills is the foundation.

Accounting and finance teams will need to persuade and articulate valid points behind financial decisions and will need senior directors to back their decisions from time to time. Having communications skills to do this will help jobseekers progress within the organisation.

Written communication skills are just as important as verbal. Getting the tone right in your emails to team members, management and clients is vital. Making sure your emails are clear and concise and friendly.

Top Tip: Try and avoid using accountancy jargon when communicating with clients and colleagues who don’t come from an accountancy and finance background. Write your piece in such a way that anyone could understand it, not just those on your finance team.

For written communication, read over it and doublecheck for errors. For presenting reports, we would recommend reading over your presentation slides and practising presenting it in advance.

Collaboration

As an accountant collaboration skills such as empathy, teamwork and problem-solving skills are all necessary to get ahead in your career
As an accountant collaboration skills such as empathy, teamwork and problem-solving skills are all necessary to get ahead in your career

Accounting and finance teams no longer work independently reporting on finance related items. Business and businesses have become more complex and the need to work and communicate with other departments is necessary.

Companies today want more involvement from the accountant and finance professional in the business process and decision making. Accountants and finance teams are required to analyse raw data and provide their advice on businesses decisions.

As an accountant collaboration skills such as empathy, teamwork and problem-solving skills are all necessary to get ahead in your career. The ability to collaborate with colleagues, clients and external suppliers is a key skill to develop and grow in the accounting and finance profession.

To enhance your collaboration skills, we advise to get involved in networking at company events, chamber of commerce events and industry relevant events. Get involved with social committees within your organisation and try to get to know everyone. You never know how ye can help each other in your current and future roles.

Time management

Time management is essential for the busy accounting and finance professional today
Time management is essential for the busy accounting and finance professional today

This is an essential skill for the accounting and finance professional. Its in the majority of job specs that go out on the job’s boards. This is because many accountancy firms are deadline focused and billing hours for clients need to be accurate.

Finance can be seen as more task orientated, so managing your time so you won’t be snowed in with work is essential. This particularly true when it comes to certain times of the year such as filing tax returns etc.  

Critical Commercial Thinking

Critical thinking and problem solving skills is what will help you succeed at your chosen firm.
Critical thinking and problem solving skills is what will help you succeed at your chosen firm.

In your accounting and finance career you might face new challenges or unexpected errors. Critical thinking and problem solving skills is what will help you succeed at your chosen firm.

Being a critical thinker will allow you to evaluate complex situations and allow you to come up with logical and sometimes creative answers to complicated questions or scenarios. Critical thinking will allow you to make informed business decisions and devising strategic plans.

Critical commercial thinking allows the accountant to use the numbers, data and look beyond them to determine where the business should be heading for.  A CFO needs to have excellent commercial awareness, look beyond the finance function and take in the bigger picture to know where value can be added to the business.

Being a critical commercial thinker is:

  1. Knowing what global events are happening that will affect your business,
  2. Understanding and being aware of the company’s market and its place in the macro environment
  3. Insight into new trends and new technologies and how they will benefit your market share

To progress your career soft skills could be the last piece of the jigsaw to climb the ladder in your organisation.

Our Solutions.

Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment specialises in the placement of qualified accountants up to executive level nationwide, Our teams have extensive experience (67 years combined) recruiting in the Irish Market. Reach out to the team here in Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment for the best advice and support in building your finance teams contact us today.

The Importance of an Onboarding Plan For Your New Accounting Hires – 4 Step Process

Posted on by Martina Quinn
Having an onboarding plan is crucial to your employer brand
Having an onboarding plan is crucial to your employer brand

So, you spent the time. you’ve went through so many applicants, you’ve done so many interviews. Maybe this took weeks, or even months, you filtered through all these people, you did all these interviews, and finally you’ve got that star player hired.

The next phase is crucial to ensure that your star accountant or financial professional fits into your organisation and team. The onboarding phase is where many companies can lose that star accounting and finance professional. The last thing you want is to start to whole process over again.

Its so easy for the hiring company to just let the new hire off to “do their thing” because usually by the time you’ve hired for this person, you needed them to start working weeks ago. With the demand for accounting and finance talent its so easy to do this because time is at a premium.

In many cases accounting and financial firms don’t have time to hire, write up job specs, filter through applications and sit through interviews and then try make a decision that best fits their organisation. Nor do senior finance and accounting personal have time to train and induct new hires to the company.

However here at Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment we would highly recommend you take the time to bed in your new star accounting and finance hire to retain your new star and current staff. In this post we show you a system that works.

We are in a phase where its currently a candidate driven market and competition for finance professionals and accountants, such as management accountants and treasury accountants are hard fought for.

According to Chantal Haynes-Curley of CPA Ireland “we witnessed a cataclysmic 49% decline in student registrations across all professional accountancy bodies, a figure attributed to the 2008 economic recession and lack of training opportunities for accountancy students.”

This is part of the reason for the skills gap in the accountancy and finance profession and why we are seeing salary inflation of skilled accounting and finance roles. A tactic rolled out by many employers to try attract and retain their staff.

To ensure your new hire feels apart of the company and the team around them getting the onboarding process right is a key strategy for improving your employer brand and recruiting the best accounting and finance talent on the market.

The onboarding process is your opportunity to make another first impression after the interview
The onboarding process is your opportunity to make another first impression after the interview

The onboarding process is your opportunity to make another first impression after the interview and a chance to set the foundations for the rest of your new star hire’s experience with your company. Once the onboarding phase is completed your new accounting and finance talent should have an in depth understanding of the organization’s culture and values.

If your firm is new to onboarding or if you’re looking to improve the HR process around the onboarding process, then understanding the below steps which we have provided can help your organisation.

A clear onboarding process will help you plan a clear strategy to engage candidates, improve new hire retention, and also help current employees adapt to your organizational practices.

The Onboarding Process.

Phase 1: Pre-Onboarding

The onboarding process can be broken down into four phases. The first phase is pre-on-boarding and should begin as soon as a verbal agreement of a job offer is accepted. Getting your onboarding preparation right is crucial as at this time as your candidates are most uncertain of what lies ahead.

Small miscommunications or a misunderstanding can make candidates doubt their decision to move into the accounting or finance role and join the company. However, get this right early on in the onboarding stage and your candidates will start to feel excited about joining your company and contributing to the team.

Regular communication about any updates that are going on in within the firm will help the new accounting and finance hire left feeling energised about starting the accounting job. During pre-onboarding the help, the new hire complete all the necessary paperwork such as contracts and payroll details.

Make sure to give the new starter time to finish up with their previous employer and finish exit tasks. If they are relocating to take up the new role check in with them to see if they need help finding accommodation.

A good idea is to send some content around the company in terms of the culture of the organisation what the building looks like inside and out and what their first day will look like.

Phase 2: Welcoming phase

The next phase is to welcome your new starter to the organisation and team. Providing an orientation will help new hires adapt to their new environment. Providing the new hire with a clear picture of the company will allow them to gain an understanding of how the company’s teams operate on an everyday basis.

The majority of new hires will be eager to prove themselves and will want to get started as soon as possible, for this reason it is recommended that the welcoming phase is kept to no longer than a week.

Their first day should be kept as simple as possible. Their orientation phase will help them gain an insight into the company’s culture and show them how work practices are aligned with the culture of the firm.  Housekeeping items such as annual leave, attendance and HR policies should be discussed at this stage.

The orientation phase is an opportunity to show them eateries, parking spots, printing equipment and medical facilities etc. Introduction to their new work colleagues and other stake holders is part of the induction phase.

The welcoming phase incorporates the small mundane things that could get overlooked but it’s an important step to ensure your new hire settles in well.

Phase 3: Role Specific Training

This phase is one of the most important phases of onboarding and can be linked back to how successful your new hires will be in their accounting and finance jobs. Your new hires may not know what it takes to thrive without formal training.

Dissatisfaction and frustration can develop can be a direct result of no training or poor training which in turn can lead to high turnover rates. According to Lorman

  • Nearly 59% of employees claim they had no workplace training and that most of their skills were self-taught.
  • 74% of workers are willing to learn new skills or re-train in order to remain employable.
  • 87% of millennials believe learning and development in the workplace is important.

However, if a well drafted training plan is in place will help new starters feel welcome and shows that the company cares about their progress and development. Employees should not feel overwhelmed by the training in place.

Everybody learns differently and at different paces, provide different types of learning techniques such as blended learning and self-paced learning. All learning materials should be stored in readily available access point such as an intranet or other cloud storage solution.

Phase 4: Transition to their new role.

Your new hire is ready to leave the nest and get stuck into their new accounting and finance job. The last phase is designed to set your new hires for success by setting out clear expectations for their new team members.

Set SMART goals for new starters which will help them visualise what success looks like. After six weeks a performance review is recommended so you can recognise their efforts while also providing feedback to help improve performance.

Onboarding ensures your new accounting and finance star hire fits your team. The process helps your new team member understand the company’s values, culture, and work. It improves employee retention and also your employer brand.

Onboarding ensures your new accounting and finance star hire fits your team
Onboarding ensures your new accounting and finance star hire fits your team

Our Solutions

Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment specialises in the placement of qualified accountants up to executive level nationwide, with over 18 year’s experience building excellent finance teams. Reach out to the team here in Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment for the best advice and support in building your finance teams contact us today.

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