A recent survey carried out by the Financial Services Union in partnership with University of Limerick shows that 88% of respondents say they would like to work from home some of the time.

This is a significant number of accountants and finance employees in the industry seeking more flexible remote working options. The survey results also show that just over 70% said their employer did not provide financial support for costs associated with working from home.

The findings indicate a desire to have hybrid work from home solutions. Dr Michelle O’Sullivan of the Kemmy Business School at University of Limerick said the research points to several issues that employers should prioritise to improve the experience of remote working work. “These include a home working allowance for the costs of remote working,”

According to the president of CPA Ireland Áine Collins said “Remote working will bring tremendous benefits including increased productivity and a better work life balance. Remote working will also support regional growth by supporting SMEs, something CPA Ireland have called for in previous years.”

Remote working for accounting and finance professionals allows for increased flexibility and autonomy. According to INC, nine out of 10 employees who currently work remotely plan to do so for the rest of their careers.

Advancing technology coupled with the recent pandemic has accelerated hybrid working models. Technology such as videoconferencing software, collaboration platforms, and cloud services keep people connected and allow staff to have meetings and complete projects from anywhere, anytime.

Employers also benefit from remote working opportunities as it can be used as a tool to attract and retain talented accounting and finance personal. In this current market attracting and retaining top finance and accounting personal is paramount to succeeding and growing your business.

What are the benefits of working remotely?

Work/Life Balance

Remote working offers better work life balance, by not working in an office daily, empowers employees to feel in control of their life, to plan home and work tasks. This gives a sense of achievement and makes employees more productive.

Simple things can make employees feel more empowered by remote working such as:

• There’s no rush to catch a train, bus or sit in traffic
• They don´t have to carry files or your laptop
• They can take a break when you need one
• There are no stressful office politics
• They get more family time

Flexibility and freedom.

Working from home can allow employees to plan their day to suit both their work and home life, if they carry out the set hours at the right time. Having the flexibility to attend medical appointments, watch the kids’ hurling match, or take elderly parents shopping can lighten the load.

By not having to ask for permission or fit in with other team members takes pressure off too. When an employer provides employees this kind of autonomy it builds trust and gives more job satisfaction.

Cost Saving

You can’t escape it; rising fuel prices and inflation are hitting everyone’s pockets right now. However remote working allows employees to save on fuel and maintenance costs of their vehicles. Other costs such as parking, lunch, snacks, formal clothes for the office all add up. 

Remote working saves on these expenses, which can add up to a substantial amount. This means more disposable income available for other things, which is always a good thing.

Save Time

Working from home naturally saves on time when commuting to and from the office. Remote working also allows accountants and finance personal to manage their own schedule. Some people work better in the mornings than in the afternoons.

Others come alive and are brimming with ideas in the evenings. Scheduling for their own time that allows employees to work when suits is a real benefit. If you are an accounting or finance employee working remotely, make sure the time you’re working doesn’t affect your colleagues and you meet deadlines doing this can allow you to work when you wish.

Peace and Quite

The traditional office can be noisy and full of distraction. People are talking, phones are ringing and in general there can be a hive of activity going on. This is great from a social point of view to meet and chat with colleagues, however many people find this environment distracting.

Some people need complete and utter silence to focus. Remote working provides this opportunity which allows you to be more productive. Silence is golden to many people.

Location, Location, Location.

We can work from anywhere as long as we have a good broadband connection. Working remotely in the finance industry means you don’t have to be bound to a city that you don’t enjoy living in.

If a spouse, partner, or roommate must be based or allocated in a particular location, remote working allows partners to keep their job and home life separate.

Health and Happiness.

Commuting daily, spending hours in traffic and looking for parking isn’t the best or healthiest way to spend our time. Remote working has the advantage of not encountering viruses or germs from coughing and sneezing of others. Its what the majority of us did during lockdown.

Remote working can also improve our mental health by limiting time with co workers who have a negative mindset. Incidents of workplace bullying and perceptions of hostile work environments especially those in minority groups have decreased according to Høgh et al., 2021.

Office Set Up

One of the biggest advantages of remote working is that employees can set up their office or workspace as they want it. Staff don’t have to worry about colleagues complaining if there untidy or too organised. They can have the temperature of the room just the way they like. They can open the window or leave it closed. Working from home allows employees to be more productive in their own environment

Employer Benefits To Remote Working

Remote Working Saves Company’s Money

With fewer people in the office on a daily basis companies could consider downsizing their office to cut costs on overheads such as rent, electricity and heating. More efficient workspace usage allows companies to save money according to a study carried out by Stanford.

In the study a participating company saved $2,000 per employee on its office space rent, simply by using the space more efficiently.

Increased Productivity

According to Forbes remote employees of 35-40% on average are more productive than their office counterparts and have measured an output increase of at least 4.4%. This is quite a significant number and something that employers should take note of.

Retention

Based on Forbes research 54% of employees say they would move employers for a role that offered more flexibility. After a remote work agreement has been offered turnover reduced by 12%.

Providing flexible remote working solutions can also be used to attract top accounting and finance talent. Remote working isn’t prevalent in the finance and accounting industry however being a leader in this area could offer employers with an advantage.

In a recent poll we asked, “Should all accounting and finance professionals have the option to work remotely?” with 98% voting yes. The desire for remote working is there among the accounting and finance professionals of Ireland.

Our advice is to use this knowledge and implement into your recruitment strategy in order to attract and retain top talent.

Our Solutions

If you’re a jobseeker looking for flexible remote working options get in touch with our team of accounting and finance recruiting professionals. They will be able to provide you with the best advice for your recruitment strategy.

If you are a jobseeker our accounting and finance recruiting professionals will be able to help you further your career in an environment that best matches your needs.

Contact us today.

Recruitment in accounting and finance is thriving at this moment in time. Jobseekers can almost pick and and choose where they can work. The economy is thriving right now, as a nation we are at full employment, however there is other economic factors in play in 2022.

These include rising rate of inflation, the rising cost of fuel due to the war in Ukraine and fears of a looming recession which we may not see for many years. How does this impact on the current challenges facing the accounting and finance sector?

Find out below.

Its nearly July of 2022, we can’t believe it either. time flies when you’re having fun. While we were having fun, we have noticed a few trends in the accounting and finance recruitment industry and accounting and finance jobs in general.

Luckily the pandemic caused by Covid -19 hasn’t affected the accounting and finance jobs market and in fact the market hasn’t been this strong for quite some time. Jobseekers are in a position of strength where they can almost pick and choose where they work to certain extent.

For organisations to attract and retain the best available accounting and finance talent businesses must keep up to date with the latest current industry trends in order to fill available accounting and finance jobs.

Keeping on top of the latest accounting and finance recruitment trends places you in the best position to securing top accounting and finance talent to deliver your projects. Employers need to know what jobseekers want so hiring managers can speak the same language and present the company in a way that resonates with top accounting and finance talent.

To help companies navigate through the changing trends in recruitment we have compiled a list of hiring trends that will shape your future accounting and finance teams.

Remote Work

Working remotely is here to stay. If there is one positive to take from the global pandemic, it’s the realisation that we don’t need to be in the office or production unit all the time. Covid – 19 really accelerated this for businesses.

Accountants now expect to see an element of hybrid and work from home options in accounting and finance job descriptions. It’s vital for all businesses to be set up in a virtually connective/collaborative environment.

Using the latest technologies and software available to make communications between accountants and finance managers is paramount. Providing these amenities will instil confidence in your current workforce and help attract more high-quality accountants.

To ensure productivity is at the same level or even higher, employers should record all processes and workflows with appropriate tools. An accountant’s location shouldn’t impact on the quality of their work, nor should it hamper the company but enhance both employee and employer.

Wider Pool of Talent to Select From.

Thanks to hybrid and remote working options hiring managers can cast their hypothetical net further afield to attract the best accounting and finance talent for their business. Geography is no longer an issue which bodes well for companies who have suffering due to skill shortages in finance.

In some cases, international borders won’t be a problem for hiring managers as they look outside their own country to find the best accountants. This is especially true for highly technical specialist accounting and finance jobs.

Excellent Workplace Culture’s

Following on from the ability to implement work from home and hybrid working policies the virtual workplace opens the door to a wider field of talent as we discussed in our precious points. Businesses are no longer limited by hiring local talent as your recruitment campaigns can now be taken global.

With this relatively new feature available to businesses, access to talent will have increased as competition for the most suitable accountants will have heightened. Other accounting and finance firms will also be leveraging virtual collaboration technology to attract the best talent.

To compete with these firms, you as an employer need to offer more than just a great salary as this has its limits. More and more accountants want an excellent package that makes them feel like they are valued and taken care of.

The best means of achieving this is by developing a world class work place culture that current and past employees can share on employer review sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor.  Establishing a standard set of values that are included in the company’s mission and vision statement will give potential hires something to think about.

Living and upholding these standards in your company’s day to day operations is also important as you don’t want to be seen to just be paying lip service. A culture that allows your accounting and finance personnel to grow, learn and opportunities to be promoted is also something that attracts accountants.

A culture where accountants feel at ease about raising issues, highlighting room for improvement, or suggesting new process ideas should be encouraged. This all ties in and contributes to your employer brand.

Building A Strong Employer Brand

Accounting and finance candidates are savvier than ever. They have access to vast amount of information about your company and brand and will spend a lot of time researching your company before they even apply for a role. We wrote a blog about this recently.

If you are worried about your employer brand you can invest in developing content for your social media and website to highlight what a great place your company is to work. Reacting to negative reviews in a positive manner and genuinely looking after your staff will help you attract and retain accountants to develop your employer brand.

Having a poor employer brand will make it difficult for you attract those top accountants to grow as an organisation.

Diversity and Equality

People care about what their employer stands for. Social justice campaigns are quite frequent nowadays and interests in these campaigns have sparked people’s interests. Many of those affected or interested in social justice campaigns could be your next hire.

Questions from candidates during interviews around diversity and equality in the workplace shouldn’t surprise interviewers or hiring managers. Having a policy around diversity, equality and inclusion embedded in the organisations mission and vision statement and the company’s cultural will make answering this question easier and make you sound more genuine.

Diversity and equality in an organisation are beneficial to your company and its also healthy for your teams and your management hierarchy.

Our Solutions

Recruitment as an industry is fast paced and the changing dynamics of recruitment for the accounting and finance segment is rapid. Trying to keep up with the accounting and finance industry recruitment trends while trying to run your organisation and the day-to-day operation behind the business is challenging.

Luckily there is a solution to this problem and that is to partner with Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment to source top accounting and finance talent. We have over 20 years of combined experience in building high performing accounting and finance teams.

We are always keeping our finger on the pulse to ensure you get the accounting and finance talent your business deserves. Contact us today for more information.

Accounting and finance jobs are competitive, doing your homework by looking up the business is crucial during the job search. Particularly when you get selected for an interview and your knowledge of the company will be quizzed. 

Doing your research will also be important when accountants decide what type of company, they want to work for and when they are ready to apply for that Accounting and finance job. 

With information so readily available in today’s world, employers, hiring managers and the companies they work for have come to expect candidates to have a good deal of understanding for their business.

Understanding the company’s business, goals and current projects will give an advantage over your competitors for the accounting and finance job up for grabs. Showcasing your proactive, sociable, and knowledgeable about their company will help you stay in the minds of the interviewers.

For your own sake, being familiar about the day-to-day operations of the company will also give you a better idea of whether or not you would enjoy being employed there and also if the company’s values match what you value.

Below is a list of how to do company research and get to know your future potential employer.  A quick Google Search will verify that there is a wealth of information out there about the business however It can be difficult to know where to start.

The research process can be broken down into the following:

• Their website
• Their social media
• Their reputation
• Their culture
• Their financial health

Their website:

This is a place where accountants can get a feel for the business. The about section will provide you with a great introduction to the company. Where they started, their growth over time, where they want to be in the future and what their goals are. It can also show how many locations they have and where their headquarters are located.

Social Media:

Using LinkedIn and other social media accounts can provide a great wealth of information about the business and the accounting and finance jobs they are hiring for. Their social media will also provide a great deal of insight into their history, events branding, company tone and voice. Social media can also provide you with information on their reputation, and how they handle negative press.

Reputation:

Using tools such as Indeed and Glassdoor provide an invaluable resource as they provide information such as employee reviews, salaries and interview experience from those who sat in the hot seat.

When preparing interview answers this can be useful. However, take these reviews with a pinch of salt and not as gospel as people can be disgruntled about conditions and personal scenarios can lead people to vent frustration on these sites. 

When people are unhappy about a product or service they purchased, we tend to tell more people about a negative experience compared to a positive experience with a product or service. The same principle applies to Glassdoor or Indeed Reviews.

People who weren’t a good fit for the company and didn’t get a position with the company they interviewed for won’t be singing that companies praises. We need to be careful about what we read on these sites.

Google News

After conduction a quick search on Google check out the news section of the search provided by Google. This will provide you with recent company news and developments, which can arm you with a set of talking points for the interview and give you an idea on their reputation.

Bringing a company’s reputation into an interview is something you may not want to do, however having this knowledge can be of a huge benefit to you during the whole process. Questions like do senior managers take hours, days, or weeks to respond to queries or to approve actions?

Do current staff have a positive outlook for the future of the company or are they worried about closures and redundancies, if they are hiring chances are the business is thriving but it’s always good to know about the company’s situation before applying for a role.

Their culture:

Knowing what a company’s culture is like before applying may help you save some time. If the company culture doesn’t match your needs, you won’t apply. Finding out about a company’s culture can be more difficult to obtain.

Using your network can help you gain a valuable insight into their culture. Knowing information about the business values and unique characteristics goes a long way to determining whether or not you will find it be a good fit for you.

Having information on a company’s culture can help you ask your interview questions when it comes to that part of the interview.

Financial Health

Knowing the financial health of a company will allow you to make a clear decision to either apply for the accounting and finance position or not apply. If the company is solvent, shows adequate operating efficiency and is profitable then you should apply for the open accounting and finace job.

There is no one perfect method to determining a company’s financial health or sustainability. Being an accounting and finance professional, you probably already know this. However, taking a look at a company’s liquidity, solvency, profitability, and operating efficiency can indicate if a company is thriving or not.

Liquidity:

This is the amount of cash and easily-convertible-to-cash assets a company owns to manage its short-term debt obligations. Quick ratio is a metric used to measure liquidity. A quick ratio lower than 1.0 is often a warning sign, as it indicates current liabilities exceed current assets.

Solvency:

Relates to a company’s ability to meet its debt obligations on an ongoing basis, not just over the short term. The metric used to measure solvency is debt to equity ratio.  A downward trend overtime in debt-to-equity ratio is a good indicator that a company is financially strong.

Operational Efficiency

This is that measures the profit earned as a function of operating costs. The greater the operational efficiency the more profitable the firm is.  The metric used to measure this is operating margin. It indicates how well the company is being managed.

Profitability

To survive and be successful a company must be profitable and maintain being profitable. Net margin is the ratio used to measure profitability. A large net margin indicates a company is in a position to commit to capital growth and expansion.

Doing this type of financial research isn’t something to bring up in an interview however its good have knowledge of where the company stands before applying for the accounting and finance job.

Take Aways

The more organised and prepared you are about the company the more you’ll know what to expect when it comes to the interview. Doing the research before you apply for a position is the best protocol.

This will be of huge benefit to you if the hiring manager wants to get someone in place quickly. You could find yourself in an interview the same week as you applied which can leave you with little time to prepare for the interview.

Additional Support

Your recruitment agency of choice should have a strong inside track to their client employers and should always provide you with relevant employer information to give you that competitive edge in interview.

Reach out to the team in Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment for the best advice and support in your career move contact us today.

There is no doubt about it, today’s finance marketplace has never been more competitive. Add in remote working and the competition for positions increases.  In the space of two short years the working world has changed significantly. As employees we need to change and adapt with it.

You are not just a qualified accountant; you are a well-rounded individual with personality that can add value to organisations. In today’s world this is more important than ever as employers want personnel that can fit well with their established teams to complete deadlines on projects.

Accounting and finance organisations want you to slot into their cultural fit because according to breathe employees are:

• Happier
• Stay longer
• Engaged with the company
• Have increased productivity

Another change in recent years is the rise of social media. It is now common for finance companies and hiring managers to look you up on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok before they shortlist you for interview. 

Accountants are problem solvers who shine behind the scenes and have impressive skills but what can sperate you from your competition is your “soft skills”. How your present yourself professionally is an important factor when trying to win the job race.

So, what are these soft skills that help me get ahead in your career?

Adaptability:

To work and perform well in most environments you will need to be able to adapt to changing situations and be open to new technologies and ways of thinking. This soft skill might be a new way of thinking or a change of mindset for an accountant.

It’s natural for people to resist change and revert back ‘’to the old way’’ of doing things. Being open to change and being flexible may help you get that promotion your after or that new role you have dreamed of.

Interpreting Body Language:

Reading a room and your ability to pick up other people’s body language can help pick up on unspoken issues.  This social skill may help you come across more empathetic to colleagues by altering your verbal messages.

Having self-awareness of your own body language can also influence the way others respond to you. According to Indeed “Being highly aware of your own body language can influence your productivity and reputation in your workplace”

Listening Skills:

The ability to listen and truly take on what is being said in a conversation, presentation or meeting is really a vital skill in today’s workforce. Listening and active listening is more than just nodding your head, making umm sounds and making eye contact.

Listening is about taking on board what is being said engaging with the content of the conversation. Taking on necessary action if action is required and refer back to the speaker if further clarification is needed. This is a simple soft skill but requires attention and concentration.

Self Confidence:

Not to be mistaken with arrogance or cocky but having self-confidence about your own abilities from past experiences and your qualifications is something you will need to get ahead in your career.

The ability to have confidence talking about previous positions and your performance in those positions during interviews will carry you a long way in your accounting and finance career.

Sociable:

Having the ability to hold a conversation with people from different backgrounds is an important skill to get ahead in your career. At conferences or any other events, you never know who you could meet, it could be someone who could have a great influence on your career.

Having strong social skills will help you integrate into different teams quickly. According to a recent study by HR Digest, people who have the added advantage of social skills along with their technical skills have more job opportunities and higher wages.

Developing soft skills can be difficult especially if your introverted by nature. However, by joining sports and social clubs you can meet like-minded people which can help develop this skill.

These soft skills will help you in your career to get ahead. If you feel that you’re lacking in any area there are courses out there to help you. To progress in your career don’t get too comfortable, push yourself to get to the next level of your finance career.  Always seek out the best opportunities for you and your growth.

For more career advice get in touch with us today.

How To Attract Finance Talent In Today’s High Demand Market

Every organisation is feeling it, finding talented finance professionals in Ireland, such as Financial Accountants, Financial Analysts, Management Accountants and Tax Accountants has never been more difficult. During the pandemic it was expected we would be entering into a recession, luckily this hasn’t been the case. 

At this moment in time finance jobs in Ireland are plentiful however finding finance professionals for these roles is proving to be difficult.  The market for talent hasn’t been this strong for talented accountants in many years.

Employers are struggling to find experienced talent for open positions. However, we are off to a positive start to 2022 according to Chartered Accountants Ireland. In Q3 of 2021 job vacancies were up 42% than in the same period as 2019.  At Martina Quinn Finance Recruitment we see evidence of this continued growth in 2022 with many organisations looking to fill vacant positions.

Below we have some tips on how to attract the best accountants in this competitive marketplace.

1. Highlight Your Career Development Programme

Attract ambitious accounting and finance talent by highlighting your development opportunities. Showcase how you can help potential new hires make the next step in their career.

2. Get a Referral Programme.

Companies with a referral programme find candidates who’ve been referred are more likely to accept a job offer. This can be from 2.6% to 6.6% according to Glassdoor.  Also, employee referrals account for 10% or reported job interviews. Finance professionals hired from referral programmes tend to stay longer as they know what to expect from the organisation in terms of culture.

3. Bulk Up Your Benefits

If your company are on a pay rise ban, it can be difficult to attract top talent. This is where you will have to think outside the box. Post pandemic we know that demand for remote or hybrid working models are six times higher according to the Irish Examiner. 

Remote or hybrid working options is now a ‘’must’’ to include your benefits package. Pension schemes, performance bonuses are standard. Utilizing a ‘’promise to stay bonus’’ Travel or leisure benefits or guaranteed career progression scheme could be a way to attract top performing talent.

4. Asking What Do Finance Professionals Want?

Increased salary and bonuses might not always be a huge influencing factor in getting the finance professional you deserve. Simply asking potential hires what would it take to move to your company could be enough to getting that new hire.

5.Your Company Is a Wise Move

You need to sell your company as wise career move for potential hires. Your company is a place where accountants can grow and develop their career, skillset and experience. If potential hires see this it can build your company’s brand as a place to grow and develop and in time make the recruitment process easier over time.

Attracting new talent comes down to having a specific plan in place, being genuine, honest, authentic, and respecting the role of the accounting and finance professional. Hiring managers need to respect the abilities, skillset, problem solving nature and dedication the finance processionals have. 

For more information on how Martina Quinn can help you find top talent click here.

Starting a new job can be daunting. Leaving a role that you are comfortable in, or getting back into the workforce can bring its own doubts and fear. This is perfectly natural, but just remember why you are leaving your current finance job for a new one.

We have tips to help you in your new role. Check out our five tips when starting a new role below.

LinkedIn can be so important when finding that new finance job. In the below slides we show you how LinkedIn can be Key to finding your finance role.