You should be striving to create the best candidate experience possible for every single candidate. That way, even the people you don’t hire will have a positive feeling about your organization- and they will probably tell someone else. Over time, this builds the reputation for your company as an employer.

Plan for a Great Experience
You should plan to give the candidates a good experience from the beginning. Examine the entire process and think about how it looks through the eyes of a candidate. Are you giving them enough information? Are you listening when they talk? Is the process a good give and take between both parties?

Collect the Information You Need
Give some thought to the interview questions you are asking. Are you getting information that will help you in making the final decision? Don’t just ask the cliche questions, ask things that are very specific to your organization and the position. Ask questions about personality and interpersonal skills as well as the technical skills needed.

Manage Candidate Expectations
Thank everyone for their interest, regardless of their qualifications. Explain what your search process will be like. Make sure you tell them when to expect a decision- and stick to it.

Communicate in a Timely Manner
If something comes up to change your timeline, give them a status update. No one likes to be kept hanging.

Close the Loop
Make sure you let everyone know when the position is filled and thank them for their interest. Tell the candidates that were close that you will keep them in mind for future positions. You may have future opportunities that they would be perfect for and you want them to think of you in a positive light.

What do you do to create a great experience for your candidates?

List Your Activities

Some things are on a structured timeline, such as going back to school. You know when you will go to class and how long it will take to get your degree. You can plan the rest of your schedule around school and plan farther into the future.

Other items are not as structured, such as learning to network or practicing making presentations. These are skills you need to figure out how to learn on your own.

Some steps may include:

• Asking a friend who is good in that area for some advice or resources
• Looking in local education brochures for workshops
• Find organizations or associations that might allow you to practice these skills
• Search online for books, webinars, articles, etc. There is so much to be found on the internet, you are sure to get more resources than you could ever read.

Make Your Plan

Decide what you’re going to do and when. Make a plan with milestones. Then get started! Be realistic with your goals and dates, but also set a pace to ensure you get there.

Do you have your plan mapped out for 2012?

What types of programs might be helpful?

• Will you need a CPA or MBA?
• Will you need cross-functional technical exposure (audit to tax, general to cost accounting, etc)?
• Should you polish your presentation skills or join professional associations?
• Do you need to work on business development or networking skills?

Talk to your boss or other higher level professionals and human resources to find out what steps might be right for you. You can also talk to someone who currently holds the title you desire. They might be able to tell you what skills would be useful in that position.

A recruiter can also help you with this step. They typically have seen many people move through the same levels and have an understanding of what employers want when looking to hire someone in specific positions.

Do you know what skills you need to work on for 2012?

Early on there is a scene where Harry is on a 4 person panel interviewing candidates for detective inspector positions. Tyne Daly plays Kate Moore, a police records clerk trying to become an inspector. Harry asks her to tell the panel about her most important felony arrest. She has no example. Then he asks her to tell them about her most important misdemeanor arrest. Again, she has no example. So he gets in her grill about what right she has to interview for an inspector role when there are experienced beat cops with arrest experience who want the role.

Some now obvious, politically incorrect dialogue follows. Then, in true Hollywood fashion, she gets the job anyway. That is the difference from the real world. For us to get hired, we need real examples. Here’s how to prepare – have as many “War Stories” ready as possible.

What are war stories? These are your accomplishments and unique traits that show why you are the best person for the job. There are three parts to every good war story.

1. The problem you were faced with, the situation. Provide details on the situation and why it was a problem for your company.

2. Your solution. Here you want to explain what YOU did to solve the problem, step-by-step and in detail. You want the employer to envision you doing the same for them.

3. The results – these should be measurable, sustainable and a direct result of your solution.

Try to have a war story ready for every major aspect of the position you are interviewing for – technical skills, management skills, etc. If you are asked about an area you do not have a war story prepared for, use the three part approach to put one together. It is good to be able to think on the fly. After all, you don’t want Dirty Harry up in your grill!

Vision and Values
Having clear a vision and values statement makes it easier to get everyone working towards the same end. An additional bonus is that having clear vision and values can be a competitive advantage in your business strategy.

Trust
Building trust is another important part of developing a great culture. Employees will become unhappy if they don’t feel they can trust their employer.

Trust begins with the leader and the team. Employees must trust more than just their immediate supervisors; it has to go all the way to the top. Trust is built by having open communications channels when dealing with criticism and complaints.

Teamwork and Empowerment
Organizations should strive for a culture of collaboration. This means that employees need to listen to one another and be open to new ideas, working as one large team.

Each of these items is not something that is easily done overnight. The best way to move forward is to make a plan and work it step by step. Once you have established the corporate culture you desire, you will attract employees who share those values. These employees will work harder and stay longer since they are aligned to what your company believes in.

Does your company have a distinct culture developed? Is this something you are working on for 2012?

Is CFO or Partner your ultimate goal?
Do you want to travel more or less?
Do you want to specialize?
Do you want to get into industry?
Do you want to work more hours or less?
What compensation are you after?

If you don’t immediately know your responses, you may want to do some research into different paths that might be options for you. You can search for information online or ask others in your network about different paths. Look at all the possibilities, then narrow down the list.

Think further down the road. Your ultimate goal may not be achievable quickly, but that’s ok. The answers to these questions will help you focus on your ultimate goal and allow you to make a plan to get there!

Do you know where you are headed?

Where do you fit in your current organization?
Take into account your compensation range and how you compare to peers with similar titles with similar years of experience.

How much responsibility do you have?
Would you like to have more? Do your peers have more or less?

Are you being promoted?
Are you moving up at the rate you would like? Have you been given opportunities to grow within your current company?

By taking stock of your existing situation you can then have a better understanding of where your opportunities might lie in the future.

Are you happy with where you are now? Why or why not?

In today’s market, you cannot simply wait for the right candidates to show up at the exact time you need them. You must anticipate your needs and work on finding those candidates now. This pool of candidates must then be maintained until they are needed.

• Identify successful talent pools
  Discover where your ideal candidates are and begin the relationship. Create awareness of your organization to people who may want to work there.
• Evaluate your current process
  Find out what is working and what isn’t, then you can make better decisions. Try some new ideas to improve your process.
• Set a goal
  Once you have a starting point, you can set some reasonable goals. You can decide to try for certain percentages from each source. Continue to measure and adjust your goals.
• Keep the talent pool engaged
  Once you have found the talent, you must maintain the pool of candidates. Keep them informed of company news, opportunities, etc. There are many ways to keep them engaged with the technology available today, including websites and social and professional networking sites.

Finding the right talent at the right time is one of the biggest challenges employers face today. The time and effort you invest in your pipeline today will payoff in easier staffing for many years into the future.

What do you find the most challenging about getting the right talent at the right time? What would make this easier for you?

How much time do you devote to managing your career?

We have developed a Career Planning Guide to help with this process. The first section is the Career Pyramid:

Below is a graph representing the typical structure of positions in public accounting as well as industry accounting and finance.

While specific requirement to move from one level to the next vary by organization, in general, lower level success depends more on technical competence. Success at higher levels depends more on non-technical skills such as managing others, developing business and helping reach strategic goals.

This is important to recognize in terms of career planning. Make sure that you are developing those non-technical skills as you move forward in your career. You can get assistance in these skills through classes, seminars, workshops, etc.

Do you have a plan for 2012 to develop your career skills? What are you focusing on for this year?

Having the right employees in your organizations can make all the difference. Gaps in your company structure can affect your business, making it more difficult to meet your financial objectives.

At eSearch we strive to match talented accounting and finance professionals with exceptional opportunities. Below are some of the high-quality candidates we are currently representing.

Please contact us to discuss how eSearch can help you find those key employees to help you meet your 2012 objectives.

Ray Camma                                               Randy Samsel
(216) 642-2345 x 242                             (216) 642-2345 x 240
rcamma@esearchjobs.com               rsamsel@esearchjobs.com

Internal Controls/SOX Compliance Expertise
CPA, CMA, MBA with Fortune 500 Company
SAP/Oracle
7 years overall experience
Audit, Risk Management, and GAAP/IFRS expertise
West side, mid-$80k’s

Plant Controller
Forecasting, inventory evaluation & control, profitability management
Established standard cost controlling functions for multi-national plants
Company ERP specialist: system planning implementation & efficiency management
Extensive logistics planning and material management exposure
5 years of experience, MBA, fluent in German, extensive international experience
Cleveland/Akron/Canton, mid-$70k’s – low-$80k’s

Financial Reporting Specialist
Responsible for financial reporting including all SEC; 10K’s & Q’s
Prepares supplemental package
Regulatory Compliance & Reporting Expertise
4+ years of experience, all in large publicly traded company setting
CPA (active)
West side/Downtown, mid-$60k’s

Controller/Financial Reporting
8 years overall experience; 5 years in Big 4, 3 years publicly traded manufacturing company
Manages Financial Reporting team, oversees 10K’s & Q’s
Global consolidations
Hyperion Administrator
Passionate leader, teacher in the workplace
Executive presence
Cleveland/Akron/Canton, comp low-$100k’s

Cost Accountant/Analyst
Maintains & processes standard cost system for $1.5B Manufacturing Division
Developed cost estimating module allowing for flexibility & manipulation of data to ensure accurate forecasting
Annual operating plan oversight & implementation; Ensure accurate account & inventory plant- wide
Key member of SAP implementation team
5 years of overall experience
Akron/Cleveland-east, comp low-$60k’s

Big 4 Tax Associate
Two years plus of Big Tax experience
Graduated with 3.8 GPA, currently pursuing CPA certification
Strong state, local, and federal tax skill and exposure
Exposure to various industries; financial services, NPO, manufacturing
Cleveland/Akron, comp low-$50k’s

Assistant Controller/Senior Accountant/Corporate Accounting
G/L maintenance, fixed assets, corporate tax returns, bank reporting
8 plus years of experience; manufacturing & real estate
SAP & MS Excel expertise
Master’s in Accountancy, CPA (active)
International exposure
Beachwood/Solon/east side, comp low-$80k’s

Cost Analyst
2005 undergrad 2007 MBA in International Finance
Construction and Real estate experience
In-depth merging and writing code
Complex analysis on a divisional level
Cleveland South side, high $50’s to low $60’s

Public Audit Manager
CPA
1 year Big 4, 6 years large local public
Extensive work in the Real Estate and construction field
Acting CFO for clients during transitional phase
Involved in 10-Q filings, and SOX 404
South East, Mid to High $80’s

Public Staff Accountant
2009 grad, going into 5th busy season
3 years in public accounting A&A
Non-profit and manufacturing clients
Public and non-public clients
Cleveland East – Low $50’s

Senior Public Accountant
CPA
Ohio State grad High GPA
4 Years Big 4 Public accounting
East Side, current comp. low 60’s
Looking for internal audit

Internal Audit Manager
MSAC, CPA, Sitting for CIA 2 parts passed
11 years total in industry audit
Supervisory experience
Public and non-public companies
Cleveland West side, current comp. $90k

Senior Financial Analyst
MBA with long-term strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting experience with a major division of a publicly-held company. Serves as a trusted business advisor to the division GM. $75K + bonus.

Internal Audit Senior
Big 4 audit plus industry audit experience, including SOX and financial audit support. Excellent communication skills. $65K.

Tax Manager
Regional public accounting experience including corporate tax planning and compliance. $85k

Corporate Controller
Big 4 manager in audit plus global manufacturing corporate financial management experience, including international assignments. Excellent reporting and analysis experience. $150K

HR/Training Manager
Wide range of training experience including custom curriculum development and delivery. Results oriented, proven bottom line impact. $90K

Consultants / Available Immediately

Tax/Cost Accountant
MBA candidate with experience in Tax, Cost, Account Analysis, and Project Control. Has experience managing other employees in addition to reporting to the Controller/CFO. Fluidly adaptable to new concepts and responsibilities and is highly proficient with SAP, IFS, and Excel.

SAP Analyst and Auditor
Cost Savings Financial Auditor with experience facilitating the day-to-day management of the supply-demand chain for businesses. Candidate is well versed in ERP and works independently as software trainer in Manufacturing, Distribution, Retail, and Private Equity sectors. Highly advanced in SAP, Oracle, IQMS, HP Open View, EPIC, Excel, MS Office, among others.

CPA Controller and Sr. Accountant
Accomplished CPA with many years’ experience as a Controller and Sr. Accountant. Self-motivated, accurate, and organized professional with the ability to work well under pressure. Strong background compiling and analyzing financial data to identify areas where cost-saving modifications and profit margin improvements can be implemented.

Experienced Financial Analyst
Dependable hard working Property Accountant/Analyst with strong attention to detail and ability to meet strict deadlines. Six plus years of Financial Analysis with international property company and experience reporting directly to the Controller. Reconciled accounts, budgeting, forecasting, and generating income statements on a daily, monthly, annual basis.

Corporate Accountant
Innovative Corporate Accountant with a successful career of increasing efficiency and reducing costs in financial organizations. Has experience reporting directly to CFO in addition to generating Financial Statement Analysis, Regulatory Reporting, Corporate Tax, Account Reconciliation, etc. Has handled month and year end close for financial institutions and reduced time and money over his tenure.

Recent College Graduate
2011 Accounting graduate eager to get his foot in the door with local company. Is a fresh face with high energy, sharp knowledge, and openness to learn. Primarily focused on cost accounting, auditing, and international accounting throughout his college coursework. Would consider accounting clerk role and work his Controller/Analyst Excellent analytical skills; able to identify problems, propose resolutions, and train staff on changes. Experienced in audit, budget and forecasting, strategic planning, and job costing. 14 years overall experience in key Controller and Analyst roles.

Big 4 – Manager – State & Local Tax / Tax Associate
Former Big 4 Accounting Manager in State and Local Tax is reentering the work force after raising a family. Experienced in all aspects of state and local tax; able to lead teams in research, allocate workflow and meet deadlines. Able to process federal, state, and local tax returns for corporations, partnerships, S-Corps, individuals, and not-for-profit entities. Knowledgeable with SAP and PeopleSoft. Over 11 years of experience.

Staff Accountant/Accounts Payable
Staff accountant with strong Accounts Payable skills. Experienced in month end closings, financial statement analysis, and payroll for 100+ employees, and payroll taxes. Has worked for $700 Million dollar company as well as not-for-profit; can adapt well to any company setting. Expert knowledge of Excel and Access programs. Open to all of Cleveland/Akron/Canton areas.

Auditing / Operations Manager
Experienced in auditing inventory, identifying problems, developing inventory control improvements, and training employees on improved systems. SOX compliance and has trained employees on compliance regulations. Knowledgeable in logistics within a $5 billion plus company. Skillful in cost analyst. Willing to travel.

Financial Planner/Tax Accountant
Senior financial planner started in Big 6; can provide quality tax and financial planning to corporate executives, business owners, and high wealth clients. Expert in Excel, tax research, and strategic planning. Experienced in preparation of tax returns for partnerships, fiduciaries, and individuals. This individual has earned CPA and CFP recognition.

Senior Accountant
Financial reporting, GAAP compliant, financial analyses, and corporate tax returns are just a few areas this senior accountant can be an asset to your company. Knowledgeable in ERP, Legacy Systems, and implementing Industry Specific Software.