May 8th, 2019 by Accounting Principals

What to Look for When Hiring an Accounting Manager

In businesses of a certain size, it’s crucial to have someone to act as a buffer between the Chief Financial Officer or Controller and staff accountants. That someone is typically an Accounting Manager, and the position requires a unique mix of qualifications. Accounting Managers need to have in-depth knowledge of everything having to do with financial reporting, managing the work of other accountants and communicating with financial executives. Here’s an idea of what to look for when hiring an Accounting Manager.

April 30th, 2019 by Janet Berry-Johnson

The Gender Gap in the Finance Industry

In the U.S., the average woman working full-time makes just 80.5% of what her male counterpart makes. Individual choices and personal preferences on the part of workers partially cause this disparity. One Harvard study from 2018 found that the female workers within their study favored flexibility, work/life balance and family leave more than the men in the study. The men in the study favored the marginal wage increases in exchange for working more and/or less favorable hours and shifts.

April 24th, 2019 by Janet Berry-Johnson

How to Skill Up Your Accounting Department

Skills Training for Accountants Who is your ideal accounting department job candidate?

April 17th, 2019 by Janet Berry-Johnson

Benefits: The Other Kind of Compensation

Your employees may not regularly think about compensation aside from salary, but good benefits can truly impact their lives. Paid-time-off may give someone a chance to travel and see the world. Flex hours might allow another person to spend an afternoon volunteering in their child’s classroom. Health insurance can save a life. It’s no surprise, then, that our survey of 1,000+ full-time workers in the U.S. found that benefits really do make up a large part of the employee value proposition.

April 10th, 2019 by Janet Berry-Johnson

How to Ask for Help at Work

Few people like to ask for help. Even fewer people like to ask for help at work. They worry they’ll be perceived as incompetent, annoying or lazy by their coworkers or believe asking for help means they aren’t up to snuff. But whether you’ve just received a promotion, landed your first job out of college or are making a career change, the modern workforce requires collaboration and cooperation – traits you won’t find working on your own.

April 9th, 2019 by Janet Berry-Johnson

How to Win the Hiring Race in a Tight Labor Market

Companies looking to expand their accounting and finance teams are running into a problem. In the current economy, there just aren’t enough accounting and finance professionals to go around. While total U.S. employment is at just 3.8 percent as of June 2018, the unemployment rate for accounting and finance professionals is even lower than that. This means more employers are having trouble filling job openings. There is also more competition to hold on to the talent they already have.

April 3rd, 2019 by Accounting Principals

Get Down with a Plan to Skill Up Employees

How do you feel about your organization’s ability to attract skilled accounting and finance staff?

March 27th, 2019 by Janet Berry-Johnson

Financially Planning for Longer Lifespans

In 1970, the life expectancy for a U.S. resident was 70.81 years. By 2016, that number increased by nearly eight years, to 78.69 years. Meanwhile, “full retirement age,” as defined by the Social Security Administration, has crept up from age 65 (for those born in 1937 or earlier) to 67 (for those born in 1960 and later). As people continue to live longer, yet retire around the same age, it becomes increasingly important to shore up and stretch retirement savings longer.

March 12th, 2019 by Accounting Principals

Career Advancement for Accountants

The accounting profession is constantly evolving and incorporating new practices, technologies, and trends. You’re always learning new things at work, but it’s also important to keep your skills relevant with a combination of education and professional development. This is crucial to establishing and advancing within your accounting career. According to Accenture, 80% of accounting and finance tasks will be delivered with automation by 2020.

February 20th, 2019 by Janet Berry-Johnson

Succession Planning: How to Identify Leaders

For an organization to grow and continue to meet its goals, it needs a plan in place to identify and develop leaders. Many companies have programs in place for leadership development, but to properly identify leaders is perhaps even more important. It can also be more challenging. When companies identify leaders early in their careers, they have more opportunities to develop their skills. Good leaders are cultivated over a career, not in a period of one to two years, so it’s crucial to start early.