We’re delighted to announce that Marissa Maher has been promoted to Team Lead with Barden. Marissa will lead the recently qualified accountants team in Cork.
A core part of Marissa’s role is working directly with recently qualified accounting professionals supporting them in identifying and taking the best next step in their career. In particular Marissa will support those in Cork and the wider Munster market.
“I’m delighted for Marissa in achieving this promotion, it is so very well deserved. Marissa was with us from the very start of Barden Cork. She took a risk on us from day one and we are so grateful that she did. Since joining Marissa has proved to be an invaluable colleague and has been a great source of dependability for all clients and candidates that choose to work with Barden. I wish her every success in her new role and I have no doubt that she will accomplish everything she wants to achieve.” – Jonathan Olden | Managing Partner | Barden Cork
“I am delighted to be working on the recruitment team here in Cork; it has been hugely exciting to be part of Barden’s growth story over the past four years. Together as a team we have built excellent relationships with some fantastic candidates and clients over the last few years and I feel we are strongly positioned to continue to meet both our clients and candidates needs going forward. I feel fortunate to be working with such great people on a daily basis and am excited to see how the business will continue to grow In the coming years.” – Marissa Maher | Team Lead | Barden Cork
Well done Marissa from all your Barden buddies.
A little bit about Marissa…
Marissa Maher is a Team Lead with Barden. Sheis part of our team in Cork, and is an expert in recently qualified accounting careers and recruitment.
Marissa is both QFA and CIPD qualified, since 2010. With this, and her experience working within financial services, she has a unique insight into finance, accounting and professional service markets.
Working on a broad range of roles from financial reporting roles to commercial accounting roles such as financial analysts, management accountants, costs accountants, FP&A Managers etc., Marissa supports and works directly with some of Munster’s leading companies from the large multinationals to SME’s and across all industries such as Pharmaceuticals, IT, Retail, FMCG, Manufacturing, Energy, Utilities, Property, Construction, Professional Services, Hospitality, Leisure, Media etc.
Contact Marissa at marissa.maher@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.
We’re delighted to announce that Tara Higgins has been promoted to Associate Director – Recruitment Partner with Barden. Tara is part of our team in Cork, and is an expert in Operational Finance, Business Support and Data Analytics recruitment and careers.
A core part of Tara’s role is working directly with professionals in the areas of operational finance, business support and data analytics, helping them to identify and map out their future career path, and secure their ideal roles. Tara will also partner with clients to build world class teams in these, and other, areas of business.
“Tara has worked tirelessly on the trickiest of assignments since joining Barden. She did so to enable Barden to grow. Tara loves learning new disciplines and helping us understand new areas. She is one of the most impressive recruiters I have met and this promotion is in recognition of all the outstanding work she has done in helping Barden diversify. I have no doubt she will go from strength to strength from here. Well done Tara!” – Jonathan Olden | Managing Partner | Barden Cork
“I’ve immensely enjoyed working with (and learning loads from) Jonathan and the team in Barden Cork over the past few years. Having joined the office when it was very much in start-up mode, it’s been amazing to see and to be part of the growth story and to work with all of the talented people who have joined the Barden team.
Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed supporting candidates and clients initially on Operational Finance roles but over the past year or two have broadened my scope to help grow Barden’s presence in other markets such as Data Analytics and Business Support while also looking after Operational Finance recruitment.
I also enjoy Business Partnering with our clients on assignments and projects outside of these areas and have helped some of our clients solve their recruitment challenges across areas including, but not limited, to Supply Chain, Marketing & Sales Ops, Procurement, HR, CRM and Project Management. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to utilise my recruitment experience to help people across multiple disciplines and to have the support of Jonathan, Ed and the team Barden in doing so.” – Tara Higgins | Associate Director – Recruitment Partner | Barden
Well done Tara from all your Barden buddies.
A little bit about Tara…
Tara Higgins is an Associate Director – Recruitment Partner with Barden. She is part of our team in Cork, and is an expert in Operational Finance, Business Support and Data Analytics recruitment and careers.
A UCC grad, Tara started her career in finance before moving into recruitment in 2015. She joined Barden Cork in April 2018 at a very exciting time when the Cork office was in true start-up mode. Over the past number of years, she has helped our managing partners to grow various areas of the Cork business, which she is extremely passionate about.
When a new hire doesn’t work out, it’s stressful. Not to mention costly.
There’s the financial cost in terms of salary outlay, recruitment fees and induction, but then there’s also the unquantifiable – but not insignificant – cultural cost. Reduced team morale, lowered energy and a feeling of dissatisfaction with management, so it’s understandable that getting hires right is a top priority for businesses everywhere.
But to what extent is it down to luck, and more importantly, what can you do to prevent it in the future?
#1 Ensure you’re clear on what it is that you need
The important word here is need, not want. When you hire, you shouldn’t work from a wish list – but against measurable and realistic criteria. Taking the time to map out a position comprehensively will help you get it right, first time. If it’s a replacement hire, taking the time to understand exactly what the outgoing employee is doing now is vital, as they are more than likely doing a lot more than their HR job description, written four years ago, states. Likewise, your requirements may have changed, so defining what this position should look like in the short to medium term is essential in getting good results.
#2 Never rush a permanent hire
I’ve worked with many time-poor hiring managers, who when under pressure, need new hands on deck, and they need them yesterday. Unfortunately, this is one of the most common ways to make a poor hire, with quick decisions being made on limited information. Give the interview process its due time. That’s not to say you can’t be swift, but if your normal process is two rounds and that’s always worked for you, don’t think all of a sudden, a quick 20-min chat will suffice. It you’re really under pressure, hire a temp/day rate contractor.
#3 Write a detailed job description
Once you’ve defined the role, it’s imperative you can create a document that captures the mandate, tasks and priorities of the role, as well as essential and desirable competencies and skills. You’ve got to involve a lot of other people in the process of hiring, whether that be HR, recruiters, other stakeholders or even your CEO, so it’s important that they have a framework to support you to identify an ideal candidate. Not only this, but applicants and interviewees will want to see a written job description. A role without a job description looks like a role without thought, which will deter top talent.
#4 Interview for competency and performance, not how good a salesperson they are
When interviewing, it’s easy to elicit very well prepared, but not very insightful, answers from candidates. It’s also easy to take a chronological run through their CV, and ask them general questions about career goals and their interests in an effort to “get to know” people. However, as we have all experienced, at interview, people can appear very different to how they are in reality, as they will give you answers they think you will want to hear.
It is critical to assess people for their competence in the requirements of the job. Focus on their performance in each of the essential and desirable competency sections you have outlined, and ask them to provide tangible examples of where they have succeeded in these areas. What you’ll find by applying this method, is that people who can say they’ve done it, but can’t articulate relevant examples or any achievements, have no track record of performance in what you need them to do. Even if you like them, this should be a red flag – something you won’t ascertain without competency based interviewing.
#5 Make sure they have room to grow
Having said the above, making a good hire doesn’t mean that they must be able to do every single thing on the job description. It’s obvious that they must be able to perform the core competencies (80%), but actually hiring someone who has a little room to grow (20%) means their motivation to learn and achieve will be naturally higher than someone who has done-it-all. This “stretch” potential is valuable, but also so is getting the 20% right. If their 20% is going to cost you, as it constitutes a core job priority, this will be a non-runner, whereas if their 20% sits on the periphery of the list of requirements, it’s a winner.
When you have done all the above, let your intuition make the final call. If someone is good on paper, interviewed exceptionally, but you just have “that feeling” something isn’t right – you’re probably spot on. Always check references thoroughly, and never be afraid to ask for another interview or referee if you need more.
And remember, an extra hour of your time now, versus months of under-productivity will always be worth the investment.
We’re delighted to announce that Brian O’Connor has been promoted to Senior Associate with Barden’s accounting and tax practice. Brian is part of our newly qualified team in Dublin, and is an expert in recently qualified accounting careers.
A core part of Brian’s role is working directly with newly qualified accounting professionals and helping them to identify and map out their future career path, and secure their ideal roles.
“Brian has been through one of the greatest rollercoasters of anyone I have known that has made a career change from accounting to recruitment. Joining Barden just before the first lockdown Brian has seen recruitment at its very best and its very worst, all in under 24 months…but wow has he risen to the challenge. Brian is smart, articulate, caring, considered, incredibly hard-working, and phased by almost nothing – a great recipe for success in Barden. Congrats on your promotion Brian – first of many I’m sure.” – Ed Heffernan | Managing Partner | Barden
“I’ve really enjoyed my time with Barden over the last year and a half. It’s been a pleasure getting the chance to meet and work with so many candidates and clients across lots of different industries. Being able to help newly qualified accountants who are making their first move from practice, by using my own personal experience, is something I really enjoy and look forward to continuing into the future. There’s a great team here in Barden which for me is the most important aspect of any job.” – Brian O’Connor | Senior Associate | Barden
Well done Brian from all your Barden buddies.
A little bit about Brian…
Brian O’Connor is a Senior Associate with Barden’s Accounting & Tax practice, and an expert in recently qualified accounting careers.
Brian qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2017, completing his training with Deloitte. He is a graduate of UCD and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business/Commerce and a Master’s Degree in Accounting.
Following his training in Deloitte he spent some time travelling and working in Australia gaining experience within industry, working in financial accounting roles with Vocus Group Limited, Toll Group and Independent Cement & Lime Group.
John Slattery, Inspo, is a motivational speaker, MC, trainer, facilitator and coach. His passion is to help people to be the best that they can be through a mix of bespoke motivational talks, 1-1 performance and career coaching, and bespoke developmental training.
Like so many of us John has witnessed and experienced much change over the last year and a half, in particular. With change being the only constant in life we asked John to share his thoughts and top tips for individuals and businesses when it comes to managing change.
Here’s what he had to say…
I woke up last Friday feeling very tired.
The week had been so full.
During the week, I spoke to a person working in a HR role in a medium-sized business. They observed that their staff were exhausted.
I cycled to visit a family member on the Thursday evening. The bracket bust on my bike. Leaving me incapable of nothing more than a slow, awkward, precarious cycling crawl.
I thought, as I snail-paced my way to the closest rescuing Dart Station, that this might be a warning shot to me from the cycling Gods (do such exist?) of the dangers of doing too much too soon.
We are undergoing another period of substantial change just now. The change is at a different pace for us all. Nonetheless, it does involve an increase in pace in life. Work and social.
I like metaphors.
One that comes to mind is of a child looking out the window at torrential rain. Wanting to go out. The abysmal weather preventing them from doing so. For what seems like an eternity (or 18 months). And finally the weather clears. The child gets the all clear to head outside. And they run around endlessly. Eventually grinding to a halt when their energy is spent.
We are in a similar situation. Business is opening up. Offices are opening up. Social avenues are opening up.
From a place of slow, slow, slow, we are quickly heading towards go, go, go.
I offer that the most sustainable mantra to manage this transition is; go, slow, go, slow. A measured way to reawaken and re-emerge into work and everyday life.
How do we that practically?
Here’s some ideas:
For individuals:
Self-Check-in Regularly: Ask ourselves, how am I doing? with regularity. This is unchartered territory for us all. This question allows us to unlock our true current state and to take actions accordingly.
Go Gently: This current journey is a marathon not a sprint. I invite you to, to the extent that you can control this, keep a gentle hold on the reigns of your activity. The more you pace your energy, the more manageable this change will be.
For business:
Support your Staff: This is arguably the most opportune time in the history of your business to invest in support for your staff. They may never (hopefully) again have to manage the transition out of a lockdown scenario. I encourage you to take the opportunity and support staff in whatever way makes sense.
Prioritise People over Commercial Goals: Profits, targets, revenue. Staff typically are the biggest determinant in you hitting those goals. Consider, in the short-term at least, whether putting more focus on people-related goals is a better place for you to have your primary focus. Choosing this approach now may lead to far greater financial profits down the line than the current targets you have set.
This is unique change that we are undergoing.
Go, slow, go, slow.
Barden’s IT Practice is proud to announce the appointment of Jane Olden as Associate with our team.
“I’m delighted to be joining Barden’s IT practice, working alongside Killian, Lorraine, and the team. I count myself lucky, to be in a position to continue doing what I love in the IT market, and privileged to be working directly with so many passionate recruiters helping to change people’s lives every day.”– Jane Olden | Associate | Barden
Jane completed a Bachelor of Commerce with University College Cork (UCC) in 2017. After completing her studies Jane joined the Barden team in Cork where she worked as office assistant. Following this she joined a global recruitment firm and gained excellent experience as a recruitment consultant.
In 2020 Jane joined another global recruitment firm as an Information Technology Recruitment Consultant, furthering broadening her experience and expertise in recruitment.
“Jane has already displayed a very keen eye for a good CV and has really excelled in this short period of time in matching candidate profiles to niche client needs. She will focus predominantly in the software engineering space and with my help and guidance our mutual aim is that she will become a subject matter expert in this ever expanding IT vertical, and develop her skills as a ‘Trusted Technology Advisor’ for both clients and candidates alike. Jane has already delivered on some niche software requirements and her CV to interview ratio is excellent. At Barden IT, we have a discerning client portfolio who expect the best in relation to delivery of quality candidate shortlists and I feel confident Jane will add further positivity to our already strong brand in the local and national marketplace.” – Killian O’Leary | Partner | Barden’s IT Practice
In her new role Jane will work with Barden’s IT practice to support the IT community in Ireland, whether that is working directly with clients enabling them to build and develop world class teams, or directly with IT professional when it comes to navigating their professional careers.
Welcome to Barden Jane!
The topic of talent retention has been a major one for organisations for many years. However, as things begin to return back to ‘normal’ and with lots of talk about ‘The Great Resignation’ we thought it was timely to focus in on the topic.
Here Fionnán O’Sullivan, Managing Partner with Barden’s financial services practice takes a quick look at what’s going on in the market right now and shares some of his top and simple tips for retaining talent.
The market right now…
There is no doubt that right now we are in a candidate driven market, meaning people have choices and are without doubt reviewing their options when it comes to their career. This in turn has a direct impact on a company’s talent pool and their ability to retain talent.
In a recent study, of approx. 1,000 Irish employees, by the Kemmy Business School WorkFutures Lab, 40% of respondents said they agreed or strongly agreed that their future career lies outside of their current organisation.
Focusing in on the United States, a massive 4 million people quit their jobs in April 2021 alone…the biggest spike on record. And further to this another survey conducted by Microsoft, of more than 31,000 global workers, found that 41% are considering quitting or changing their profession this year.
If your organisation hasn’t thought about talent retention for quite a while it is most definitely time to start thinking and doing!
So what is talent retention about and what can you do?
Talent retention is ultimately about living the reasons that the person joined your business for in the first place. Reflecting how the interview process felt in how it feels in the office, albeit virtually at the moment, on a Monday morning.
There are loads of different things you can put in place to increase talent retention but you can’t expect any magic bullet. You also need to mean the things you put in place and your leaders need to live it.
Some simple things that we know work include:
Flexibility: every salary survey in the last three years has pointed to flexibility being key. Flexibility to start a little earlier/later, maybe even to finish at 4pm on a Friday, take a half day in the summer months. Small, simple things like this empower people and encourage them to build a life around work. The more integrated life and work are the less likely someone is to leave. Following on from that, COVID has completely changed how we work as a nation, and an expectation that someone will spend 5 full days a week In an office in the future will put your organisation at a distinct disadvantage when hiring talent.
Learning: build small, regular learning opportunities into the working week and your people will feel invested in. It does not have to cost anything but time. Supporting study (leave, fees and encouragement) is also very powerful. Offering opportunities for people to take on new duties can develop them horizontally (rather than vertically) and solve lots of problems for you at the same time. Learning is key to keeping your team together.
Wellness & Mindfulness: There’s lots of literature out there on this and it’s worth spending a little time and picking one or two things that make practical sense for you to implement. Small gestures in this space can be the glue that keeps people together.
Random Acts of Kindness: These are the most powerful things a leader can do. Getting in ahead of an expected salary review and offering the raise before it is asked for; telling someone to finish up early of a Friday as you know they have put the hours in this week already; being cognisant of life events and thinking of ways to make them feel important to you too. Random acts of kindness build loyalty like nothing else.
Implementing some of these simple, low cost, approaches to talent attraction and retention can creating lasting value for you and for your people. Get the mix right for you and you’ll win the war for talent in the long run.
Building Your Team?
Fionnán O’Sullivan, Managing Partner with Barden’s financial services practice. Reach out to Fionnán to see how he, and his team, can help you build and retain truly world class teams.
Bernardo Pina is a Partner with Barden’s Legal Practice. He is an expert in recruitment within the legal, company secretarial and data protection markets. He partners with and supports a variety of companies and clients across all industries, both in the private and public sector, with a particular focus on in-house legal roles.
Bernardo is a qualified lawyer, having qualified in Portugal through a top tier law firm in the country. Before joining the world of recruitment he practiced in-house for 4 years with IBM and Parexel, two of the leading multinational companies within the technology and healthcare sectors.
We caught up with him recently to learn a little bit more about him…
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal and moved to Ireland at the start of 2013.
Where did you study?
I studied in Lisbon, Portugal.
What did you enjoy most about your time studying?
Not much! Although I did enjoy the freedom and the camaraderie during the study periods. I’ve always enjoyed getting a group together. We’re privileged in Portugal with the weather, we’d get a group together and head to the Algarve and study. Believe it or not we were pretty structured bringing our books to the beach and got quite a bit done!
How old were you when you had your first paying job? And what was it?
I was 24, it’s probably a bit late for Irish standards! I was a call centre operator and did sales selling Citibank credit cards. I didn’t enjoy the sales side of it too much that I transferred more into marketing surveys and customer service calls. I was saving money for a trip before starting my traineeship as a lawyer.
Where did you work before joining Barden?
I trained in a top tier law firm, as a lawyer, in Portugal and went in-house early in my career. I went into an investment bank in Portugal and then moved to Ireland and worked as a legal counsel in IBM. I then worked for a few months with Parexel before deciding to move into the world of recruitment and worked with Morgan McKinley for 4.5 years.
Why did you choose to work with Barden?
Firstly the reputation in the market. Barden has a reputation of having really good clients and really good people and I wanted to be part of that. We also share similar values and the same approach to recruitment.
I also knew some of the Barden team, including Jonathan Olden and Kiara Daly, having worked with both of them before. I kept in touch with Kiara and knew about the company and learned how it worked well for her. I am a bit cautious and risk adverse and having the knowledge from Kiara, before making the move, was great.
What’s the best thing about working here?
In the short time I’ve been here it’s clear that the people do really live up to the values Barden talks about. It’s not just a logo or talk. Barden really is advisory first and truly puts people at the centre of its approach.
It’s not just about the fees and commercial success. It’s about adding value and providing excellent service to the clients and candidates. This approach comes back in the form of commercial success and great partnerships with great clients who really trust in our service. It’s refreshing.
Can you tell us a bit about your role?
I specialise in the legal market. My typical assignments would be roles for qualified lawyers at all levels of seniority, from newly qualified to head of legal or general counsel.
I also work on other roles such as paralegals, company secretaries, legal project managers, data protection professionals, etc.
My niche is more in-house recruitment rather than private practice (although I do also work with this side of the legal market). My own background is in-house so it’s the area that I naturally gravitate more towards.
What was most surprising to you about Barden?
The level of trust in me from the start, it was one of the reasons I moved. I felt I would have it but it was confirmed once I moved. It’s total trust. I am left to my own devices, but totally supported. I have the freedom to determine the shape of the legal practice and to identify what’s the best approach in any given situation and run with it.
The level of partnership with clients has been really refreshing too. It’s a testament to the quality of service that Barden has been providing to its clients throughout the years and It opens the door to opportunities that up until now I thought would not necessarily be accessible by recruitment firms
What three words/phrases best describe you?
On a more personal level…
Introverted…but not in a shy way that people usually associate introvertedness with. I am not a big crowd person. I recharge and get my energy from a bit of alone time.
Empathetic…I am the type of person who can empathise with others well.
On a professional level…
I am quite organised, and this also falls into my personal life.
Who is your role model, and why?
It has to be my mother. I have always been in awe of her, but even more so now as a father myself. Her dedication to her children, the sacrifices she has made throughout our life and the love and support she gives us is amazing.
Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of?
The whole moving to Ireland, knowing no one here and making a career for myself, while pivoting my career along the way. I think I achieved a certain level of success professionally and personally which makes me quite happy.
Have you a favourite saying or quote? What is it?
I think a lot about the Nike logo…just do it. It comes back to my organised nature. I try to avoid procrastination as much as possible. Adulthood (and fatherhood!) typically means endless “to do” lists and it is easy to push it out and procrastinate. So I try to do it as I think of it!
Glass half full or half empty?
It might be slightly surprising to those who interact with me but I think I am more half empty…I have a bit of a pessimistic nature. It makes me work harder and drives me.
What’s your favourite…
Colour…green. I’m a big fan of Sporting Lisbon and they are green!
Singer/Band… The Beatles. My father used to translate the lyrics when I was very little and it really stuck with me.
Where in the world would you most like to visit?
My go to is always home…Portugal. I am lucky it’s almost a holiday destination.
We go to Brazil on a yearly basis too. I have a really good friend there and my wife’s brother lives there.
My dream trip would be Japan… I have this fascination for their culture. It looks so different to us, the city and the countryside. I’d love to see the cherry blossoms.
And finally, who would win a fight between Spiderman, Batman or Wonder Woman?
Spiderman! He’s my favourite, I don’t think anyone could catch him!
About Bernardo…
Bernardo Pina is a Partner with Barden’s Legal Practice. He is an expert in legal careers. If you are considering your next move when it comes to your career, or looking to build a world class team, reach out to Bernardo at bernardo.pina@barden.ie to see how he, and his team, can help.
Sandra Quinn is a Partner with Barden. She has worked in recruitment for over a number of years and has experienced all of the highs and lows that come with that. From global recessions to bull markets, Celtic Tiger and Celtic Phoenix, Covid and everything in between. However, throughout it all the one thing that remains true is that exceptional talent is always in demand.
Recent research by Enterprise Ireland shows that over 80% of client companies rate talent attraction as one of their greatest challenges. Talent attraction and retention can be a major challenge for all organisations, regardless of size, so it’s vital to create the right mix of strategy, process and reach to ensure your organisation is visible and can address this challenge.
Here Sandra shares some top tips with you when it comes to talent attraction.
Attracting Talent
The first and most important thing to remember when it comes to attracting talent is that one size does not fit all. There is no one way to do it, but here are a few things that you definitely can do that cumulatively can create a tipping point in your favour:
Control your first impressions: You will be judged by your website, both its content and user experience. You will be judged by your hiring managers LinkedIn profile and how it represents both their and your employer brand. You will be judged by your Glassdoor reviews. You will be judged by your companies profile on LinkedIn and other social media. It does not take a lot of money and it does not take a lot of time to get these things right, but it does take effort. Making sure that you cover these basics is your first step.
Showcase your people: People join people and people leave people – FACT. Use the more human friendly social media platforms to showcase your people inside and outside of work. Sharing the odd photo of a company event or activity can do wonders for your employer brand. As long as you do it consistently, over time, you will build up a simple online history of how it feels to work in your business. Never underestimate the importance of simple consistent effort in this area.
Write job specs for external, not internal use: Too many companies create job descriptions that list duties, contain internal acronyms, talk to tasks and demand experience. People do not apply for jobs because the tasks involved were so well detailed. They apply for jobs because there is something about the company and the role that appeals to them. They apply to jobs because of how they feel. Write the job descriptions to appeal to your audience. Invite them in. Include quotes from the hiring manager or an existing member of the team. Talk to general task but speak to the activity and the opportunity. Speak to how it feels to work in your business. Simple tweaks like this can make a big difference, in fact, it can make all the difference.
The personal touch from day 1: These days if you think it’s OK to email applicants to set up interviews you’re wrong. If someone looks good then the hiring manager, or someone capable of engaging with the person in a meaningful way, should take the time to pick up the phone. This personal touch can really go a long way. Accommodate their diary, invite them in to “meet the team” rather than interview, make them feel wanted and feel important. Most importantly keep control of the process – they can choose not to email you back but if you get them on the phone they are much more likely to engage and participate.
Develop your unique value proposition: Contrary to popular belief, the interview process should not be a candidate interrogation. Yes, of course, it is your opportunity to evaluate an individual’s skills, competencies and achievements, but just remember, they are also evaluating you and your business, to decide whether this proposition is going to give them the opportunity they are looking for. When you’re dealing with top talent, it’s absolutely vital to remember that they won’t just be interviewing with you and your firm, they are likely interviewing for 4/5/6 other opportunities, and could achieve up a 100% conversion to job offer. If this is the case, you have a fight on your hands, and this should be fought from the first time you virtually shake hands, not at the end of the process.
WIIFM (what’s in it for me): We’ve all heard of this acronym. Understanding your audience’s priorities is key to negotiating, and closing, a mutually beneficial deal. If your strategy is to attract and secure top talent, you must take time to consider the drivers of aspirational and talented finance professionals. It’s absolutely critical to develop a real and engaging value proposition for why your leadership, this role and the wider company is right for them. Providing a full briefing on company vision, a clear role direction and a demonstrable career path for future development is pivotal. Consider bringing in peers, previous holders of this position and company success stories to talk through their experience and support your case.
You are your company brand: What you, and your interviewing partners, say and do throughout the interview process will create an impression of what it is like to work in your team. Put yourself in their shoes. If you were in an interview process, what would you be looking for in a new boss? Vision, integrity, the feeling that you would be valued? Most likely all of the above. Beyond interacting meaningfully in an interview to bring them into your world, it is absolutely essential to manage expectations fully. Demonstrating indecisiveness, not giving feedback on time, or worse, not giving feedback at all is a sure-fire way to cause irrevocable damage to not only a potential offer acceptance, but also your reputation as a hiring employer in the market.
It’s not all about the base but salary is important: Today base salary is very much a hygiene factor – paying the right salary or above is not a motivating factor but paying slightly less than expected is highly demotivating. Don’t play games with salary. Be clear as to your range at the very beginning, clarify expectations as you go through a process and when you do make an offer make it in person, explain your reasoning and at the same time paint a future vision for how you will help the person increase their learning and earning into the future.
Building Your Team?
Sandra Quinn is a Partner with Barden. Reach out to Sandra to see how she, and her team, can help you build and retain truly world class teams.
In Barden we are consumed with supporting companies that really know the value of their people. We also work directly with, and support, professional accountants at every stage of their career. For us it’s critical that we can provide the best up-to-date and cutting edge insights when it comes to reward so that our clients, and the professionals we work with, can make the best informed and strategic decisions for their teams and professional futures. That’s why partnering with the Chartered Accountants Leinster Society to produce the Salary Survey 2021, is of key importance to us.
Here I share some of the key insights from the survey…
For many 2021 continued to be a challenging year with much change and uncertainty. However, there is no doubt from the results of this year’s survey that as a profession we are managing and navigating this post-pandemic world in a very positive manner and are definitely seeing lots of positive signs emerging. For example:
- The accounting profession and Chartered Accountants, at all levels, continue to remain one of the most in-demand professions in Ireland, with 96% of those who responded in full-time permanent employment;
- 67% of members in 2021 believe the market is buoyant versus 25% in 2020; and
- 9 in 10 members are not concerned about their job security at this point in the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Future of Work
This year’s survey also took a particular focus on the future of work and includes some excellent insights into what Leinster Society members are experiencing when it comes to being supported in achieving a healthy work/life balance, along with their thoughts on the future of work.
60% of members know or have an idea of their future working arrangement. For 8% of those who responded they claim ‘this is not relevant to my circumstances’.
The majority of members would like a collaborative approach to deciding future working arrangements and would like to be involved in a joint design process on their future working arrangements.
The report also touches on the challenges and valuable aspects of flexible/hybrid working for the future, understanding post-pandemic working environment descriptions and insights into designing the future working arrangements of teams.
At a time when many organisations are finalising their new working policies this survey could not have come at a better moment.
Alongside this the insights from this survey make for essential reading if you are interested in career satisfaction, progression, reward (including non-monetary compensation) and the future of the profession.
Some key insights on new work practices, from your membership, include:
- 13% of those who completed the survey were admitted to CAI in the last two years.
- 96% of those who responded are in full-time permanent employment with 19% employed in practice.
- Financial services (25%) and IT & telco (13%) continue to be the highest sectors in which those working in industry are employed.
- There has been a significant increase in members expecting to receive a bonus in 2021 with 67% expecting to receive a bonus, versus 52% in 2020.
- Annual leave and fringe benefits continue to be a core part of overall salary packages with the average number of annual days leave standing at 25, 50% receive health insurance, 75% are part of a pension scheme, and 4 in 5 receive an Institute subscription.
- Positive increase in non-monetary ways employers try to facilitate a healthy work/life balance including
- 88% of respondents have the ability to work from home, up from 50% pre-pandemic.
- 48% have access to flexible working arrangements, up 9% from pre-pandemic.
- We have also seen an increase in those placing ‘lots of value’ and ‘some value’ on work/life balance pre-pandemic since Covid-19.
- Only 4% of those who completed the survey have seen their salaries reduced as a result of Covid-19, down from 13% in 2020.
- Further positive news with 97% not in receipt of government Covid-19 support.
- There has been a significant change in attitudes towards the employment market versus the previous year. 67% of members in 2021 believe the market is buoyant versus 25% in 2020.
- 9 in 10 members are not concerned about their job security at this point in the Covid-19 pandemic versus 8 in 10 in 2020.
- 60% of members know or have an idea of their future working arrangement.
- Of those who have an idea of their future working arrangement the overall split will be 52% in-office/onsite and 48% working from home. Interestingly this is the same as 2020.
Some additional insights on extrinsic reward, from your membership include:
- Average basic salary for newly qualified accountants across all sectors is €54,533
- Salary Package for newly qualified accountants in industry is €59,393
- Salary Package for newly qualified accountants across all sectors is €57,164
- Salary Package for 5 years PQE in Industry (excl. FS) is €83,535
- Salary Package for 5 years PQE across all sectors is €83,450
- Average Salary Package in Leinster Society is €112,033
To download a copy of the Salary Survey 2021 publication click here.
We hope it assists you in planning for your professional future and equally as importantly, that of your team around you, wherever you may be currently working from.
If you would like further information or to chat to me directly about the Salary Survey 2021, your professional future, or building your finance team please get in touch by email to elaine.brady@barden.ie or through LinkedIn.
