Monday, March 30, 2020
by Bailey
When interviewing, the last 5-7 years is the most critical time period relevant to your next employer. The knowledge, experiences, and skills recently developed should be quickly adaptable and contribute to the success of meeting or exceeding expectations. Part of that value is dedication, employment stability and the advancement of responsibilities within a specific employer.
The days of 20-30-40 years with one employer are rare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average number of employers in a lifetime is 10 to 12 and growing. Average tenure was 4.3 years for males and less for females. There are a lot of reasons that create change and here are just a few: blocked for advancement; reorganization; company was acquired or closed; better work/life balance; relocation; higher compensation; lack of recognitions; superior challenges; outsourcing; economic downturn; and changing career direction.
We can rationalize reasons for change whether self-motivated or not. The challenge is when you go on an interview and the hiring executive asks “Why have you had so many employers over the last X years?”
This a negative question and the astute candidate will have prepared a positive answer. Trying to defend reasons for moving from one employer to another is not worth more than 10-15 seconds of explanation. What the hiring executive is trying to determine is your potential loyalty (no company likes turnover), how you make decisions about your next employer; and what motivates you to stay with an employer. Here are a few items to consider in your response.
- Reassure your audience that you are looking for an opportunity to contribute, gain additional experience, learn new skills, and make a difference. If that was true with your most recent employers and things changed, admit it.
- Emphasize that you do not like to change employers and are looking for a long term solution.
- Remember what the core requirements are for the role you are interviewing for and emphasize knowledge and experiences relatable to those requirements.
- Provide examples where you have added value and contributed.
Bottom line….do not defend your response….use this as an opportunity to promote your candidacy.
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Monday, March 16, 2020
by Bailey
Through a referral a new client approached us to provide solutions within their corporate accounting department at a time when the company is rapidly expanding due to acquisitions. This company is a privately owned enterprise trading on a global basis, supplying precision machined components, fabrications and assemblies to leading OEM’s in the aerospace, defense, marine, power generation and nuclear markets. With manufacturing operations in the UK and USA, Their revenues have grown 4 fold since 2015. Bohan & Bradstreet was tasked to search for a Financial Planning and Analysis Manager that would report to the CFO and interface directly with leadership and all operations. In addition, B&B would seek to fill a Corporate Controller role which would oversee all accounting functions within a decentralized business model with Plant Controllers at each site. The Corporate Controller would be mentored by the current CFO who is planning retirement within 4 years so it is an ideal position for career growth. Within one week of the initial call from the client, B&B presented 3 qualified talented candidates for each role and all were interviewed by the client. Both roles had offers from the client within 2 weeks. Our candidates accepted and begin their new positions within 1 month from beginning the searches. The B&B difference is how our team can thoroughly grasp the business model and future goals of the company while streamlining the hiring process. Our search is not for the bullseye candidate that can perform the duties, rather it is the person who can add value over the long term and grow with the company.
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Friday, February 28, 2020
by julie
Every business has a uniqueness due to culture, organization structure, tenets, practices, and goals. Competition is everywhere, opportunities for growth abound, challenges are multiple, and technology is forever changing. A key to business success is improving productivity with less effort and resources. People are the backbone of all organizations and bad hires cost a business financially, productively, and emotionally. Roles do not always have equal value in parallel businesses. There are three levels of value with a lot of degrees of separation: strategic, tactical, and maintenance. Competition for talent has increased and hiring effectively means both correctly and quickly.
Here are a few suggestions when recruiting, evaluating, and hiring a new employee:
Identify a small team of decision makers: Less people involved is quicker and more efficient. Often companies preach being proactive, forward thinking, and customer focused and then effuse a hiring process that is cumbersome and too lengthy.
Develop a time line: Assume that the best candidates are being recruited by other companies and will not be available for long. Best practices means being efficient. Establish a time line for first and second interviews to move through the evaluation process as quickly as possible. Try avoiding more than a 2 step process. This is a positive message to all parties.
Create a scorecard: The hiring team must all be on the same page regarding responsibilities, value of role, ability to contribute, and first year expectations. Go beyond the job description and create a score sheet of core competencies that include knowledge, experience, and soft skills that are essential. Not all items on the score sheet are equal. Identify how the team is going to evaluate items on the score card. Meet after interview and discuss scoring.
Ask interesting questions: Behavioral interview is quite common and viewed to be 5060% predictive of future performance. Be premeditated and create questions that are aligned to the score card. Ensure that hard and soft skills, knowledge, experience, and acumen are appropriately evaluated. Believe it or not, there are hiring authorities that do not ask questions, end up talking too much, and then wonder why the new hire did not meet expectations.
Be prepared to sell: All candidates need to feel positive following the interview process even if they are not the candidate of choice. If a candidate warrants future interest, leadership needs to sell the opportunity, culture, synergies, business future and any other positive insight. This is the “pull” factor and essential to securing talent.
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Monday, February 17, 2020
by julie
CLIENT: “Bohan & Bradstreet takes talent recruitment and retainment to a new level. By taking the time to understand our business, challenges and culture, they are most able to represent our company in the marketplace and attract highly talented candidates. B&B employs very talented professionals who orchestrate the placement process in a competent and efficient manner. But they take the placement process further, coaching both the company and hired individual during the courting and honeymoon periods for successful outcomes.”
CANDIDATE: “Bohan & Bradstreet has a unique and effective approach that builds trust with their clients and candidates. They get to know both clients and candidates well and strive to find the best possible match for each. I found Bohan & Bradstreet to be a true networking partner that invested time in me to make sure the opportunities I investigated and ultimately the position I accepted would be the best possible fit. Two months into my new position I can tell you with much confidence that their approach certainly benefited me. I will turn to B&B again in the future for my own career needs or to seek talent to fill roles on my team.”
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Monday, February 10, 2020
by julie
- Senior Accountant, $75-90,000+Bonus - Stratford #5459
- US IT Team Lead Auditor, $100-120,000+Bonus - Orange #5399
- Manager Technical Accounting, $100-130,000+Bonus - Orange #5442
- Accounting Manager-Part time or full time, $45-70,000+Bonus - Woodbridge #5493
- Audit Manager, $110-145,000+Bonus - Orange #5393
- Manager to Director, $85-150,000+Bonus - Clinton #5467
- Associate to Senior Manager-Audit, $65-190,000+Bonus - Hartford & Stamford #1062
- Controller, $120-140,000+Bonus - Old Saybrook #5487
- Senior Corporate Accountant, $65-85,000+Bonus - North Haven #5489
- Treasury Analyst, $70-95,000+Bonus - Wallingford #5443
- CAO & Corporate Controller, $195-225,000+Bonus - East Hartford #5482
- Corporate Controller, $160-195,000+Bonus - Westport #5484
- Payroll Specialist, $65-90,000+Bonus - New Haven #5480
- Public Accounting Staff to Manager, $60-200,000+Bonus, Hartford #5486
- Senior Accountant, $75-110,000+Bonus - North Haven #5495
- Accounting Supervisor, $90-110,000+Bonus - West Haven, CT #5496
- Senior Accountant, $70-90,000+Bonus - West Haven, CT #5497
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