As much as we might proclaim ‘one’ culture in an organisation, the reality is that even the most united of organisations all have subcultures, and they are usually between divisions, or teams. We see it regularly in cross-functional interactions. In fact, I think we can all think of times where we have felt that we are working in different organisations because of apparent differences in prioritisation, and/or the difference in reception to various recommendations, strategic initiatives or mandates.
Roger Schwarz tackles this topic in his recent HBR article, “Getting Teams with Different Subcultures to Collaborate”, where he suggests a three-pronged solution to this challenge that has the potential to overcome these cultural differences.
#1 Understanding what team culture is and how it works
Although you may operate within ‘one’ organisational culture centred on a shared set of values, often, teams can work outside of this, or act in a different way to what they say. Even if there is only a slight deviation, this difference can create issues. If a culture is ‘its shared values and assumptions’, you need to observe carefully first, digging deeper than just the surface.
#2 Identify the culture of your team and the other team(s), separately from the ‘one’ culture
Let’s take an example of this. If a company’s values are ‘hunger for growth, results, integrity and collaboration’, finance teams may identify more readily with the values of ‘integrity’ and ‘collaboration’, whereas a sales team may identify with the values of ‘hunger for growth’ and ‘results’ more readily. Compounded by the fact that various professions prioritise various values as core to success, we already have a misalignment between these teams that could cause serious issues when working together.
#3 Use this awareness in dealing with your counterparts that recognises value differences
The next step Schwarz suggests is to jointly design a solution that recognises the difference in cultures, however, practically, this may not be something you can do every time you have a conversation across functions.
An alternative solution might be to use this newly developed understanding of the difference in cultures to manage your interactions. Just like you would when operating across geographies, employing emotional intelligence, sensitivity and an understanding of differences in thinking to your style of engagement. Think about positioning your arguments, or suggestions, to appeal to the other team’s value set, and/or provide a way of relating and linking your values with theirs.
Taking the example from above of the potential differences between sales and finance teams, imagine a scenario where you are partnering together to drive an improvement in forecasting accuracy as an executive mandate. You, prioritising ‘integrity’, want accuracy, but your sales counterpart, ‘hungry for growth’, believes that they are doing the right thing by over-forecasting to drive the ‘results’ they need to.
Above all, collaboration is about never assuming that you partners are naturally on the same page as you, even if you work in the same organisation, with a shared set of values. Take the time to understand that people work from difference value sets, and you are much more likely to achieve desired outcomes, in a more collaborative way.
As experts in Tax recruitment, Aideen Murphy ACA, CTA & Kate Flanagan CTA take their jobs seriously.
Aideen and Kate are tax trained and qualified through Big 4, and support accounting firms across the country on appointments at all levels either directly or through the engagement of experts within the broader Barden team.
Aideen and Kate are who tax professionals go to, in Ireland, before they start looking for a job.
Here’s a little bit more about them…
Aideen Murphy | Partner | Tax & Practice
Trained through Big 4, Aideen qualified in accounting and in tax in 2012, and spent a number of years post qualification in both practice and industry before moving to recruitment in 2015.
Aideen is a founding member of Barden’s tax recruitment practice in Cork, is a subject matter expert in tax careers, is an active member of the Women in Tax committee, regularly contributes to publications on the tax profession and advises CFOs and tax leadership teams in Munster on attracting and retaining world class teams.
Kate Flanagan | Partner | Tax & Practice
Trained through Big 4, Kate qualified in tax in 2006 and spent a number of years post qualification in both practice and industry before moving to recruitment in 2010.
Kate is a founding member of Barden’s tax recruitment practice in Dublin, is a subject matter expert in tax careers, regularly contributes to publications on the tax profession and advises CFOs and tax leadership teams in Leinster on attracting and retaining world class teams.
Building Your Tax Team?
Reach out to Aideen and Kate to see how they can help you build and retain truly world class tax teams.
Aideen Murphy ACA CTA – aideen.murphy@barden.ie
Kate Flanagan CTA – kate.flanagan@barden.ie
About Barden
Barden is a partner led expert recruitment firm consumed with supporting companies that really know the value of people. Our expertise covers Accounting & Tax, Financial Services, IT and Legal recruitment. Our people are trained/qualified in their specialist areas. Our approach is consultative not transactional. In Barden we really know the value of people; both your people and ours.
Lorraine O’Leary is an Associate with Barden’s IT practice. She is an expert in IT recruitment and careers.
Lorraine successfully graduated from UCC in 2020, achieving a first class honours degree in Business Information Systems (BIS), and joined the Barden team in Cork in February 2021.
We (virtually) caught up with her recently to find out more about her.
Where are you from?
I’m from a small village called Kilbrittain in West Cork.
How old were you when you had your first paying job?
I started working in a corner shop when I was 17.
Can you tell us a bit about your professional background?
During my time In UCC I completed my third-year work placement as an IT Analyst in Depuy Synthes. I started In Barden then a few months after graduating. Short and sweet.
Why did you decide to get into recruitment?
From when we had our last day of college in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, I had so much time to think about exactly what I wanted in a career. I loved the thought that with recruitment I would be able to pursue my love for IT while also being able to help people.
What made you decide to join Barden?
My experience throughout the interview process made me feel like they cared about me genuinely liking the role and had an interest in me as a person. It was the feeling that my Barden interview process gave me that made me want to help other people feel the same.
What’s your role in Barden?
I’m an Associate in Technology, helping Killian build out the IT practice.
What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?
My daily walk on the beach.
What three words best describe you?
Kind, Empathetic, Creative
Who is your role model, and why?
Can I have 2? My parents 100%. They’ve always taught me that being happy is the most important thing.
What do you think other people should know about Barden’s expert IT practice?
That we genuinely care about helping people find the IT role that’s the right fit for them.
What kind of roles and companies do you work with?
We work with all kinds of companies on roles in IT Infrastructure, Cyber Security, Software Dev, QA, DevOps, Business Analysis, Project Management, BI, the list goes on…
What’s your biggest achievement?
I think graduating into and starting my career during a global pandemic.
What’s your favourite quote/book/movie/sport/song?
‘What’s for you won’t pass you by’
Who would win a fight between Spiderman, Batman and Wonder-Woman?
Wonder-woman of course!!
High-powered Executive. Runs a multi-million-euro business. On the Board for several not-for-profits. Two kids. Has just run their second marathon.
I know what you’re thinking, how do they do it? How is it possible to lead a business, contribute pro-bono time AND have a work-life balance that prioritises family and fitness?
This “art” of time management, and efficiency, doesn’t come easy. We’ve all developed, read about, adopted and rejected various methods, some successful and some not, to try and boost our productivity, but I’ll bet that like me, you often find yourself still frustratingly short for time.
However, what is absolutely clear is that, in the main, the people who rise to the top, usually have this one nailed. Usually to a level that puts the rest of us to shame.
So, what principles do they employ that we could all learn from?
Learn To Let Go, and Delegate
This is an obvious one. If you’re a new manager, you’ll understand first hand the battle here. You hold on to the tendency to “do”, because you’re the best one to do the job, and taking the time to train someone else doesn’t on the face of it, seem any more time efficient. Even for senior managers this is an issue. You might have strengths that place you as the best project manager, process improver, statutory reporter and deep-dive analyser, but if you did all of that, you’d have no time for team leadership, strategy and driving commercial objectives.
Approach this situation from another view – what is it that you, and only you, do, that no-one else can? I’ll bet it’s the higher-level aspects of your job, and it’s those elements you need to prioritise over everything else. BAU can be delegated; not only will it boost your team, you might be pleasantly surprised what others can do when asked to step up to the challenge.
Prepare a Plan, and then a Contingency Plan
I’m a big fan of writing a daily plan for the following day, the evening before. Not only does it lead to a vastly better night’s sleep, it’s valuable in taking stock of where you’re “at” and developing an understanding of your own productivity, over time. I strike off what I’ve done from my earlier plan, reallocate incomplete items to the next day and jot down in a few key words new priorities that need to be addressed.
That’s simple, but what’s much more critical is developing what we’ll call a contingency plan, for the unknown. We know the world of unknown events, business problems and crises exist, and generally they rear their head when we’re swamped. Ensuring that you always allocate a “free” hour in to every day is essential to coping with unexpected development. If you’re lucky enough not to need this hour for the above purpose, you’re a foot up on time and can re-allocate it to speeding up delivery of other key priorities.
Focus on Results rather than Hours
In general, people focus on the time it’s going to take them to complete tasks. And invariably, task completion will then always take that time, often expanding to fill the allocated time. In accounting, you’re even more susceptible to this approach, even if you work in industry, due to an industry accepted appreciation for the “billable hours” system.
Instead of analysing a task in terms of how long you anticipate it is to take you and then fitting it into your daily / weekly schedule, try allocating time to the task in a way that aligns with the value of the end-result. At the level you operate at, your success will not be measured on how long you work, but rather what results you deliver. Re-evaluate your time allocation strategy: do you need to create a prioritisation matrix?
Set Your Hours and Create Distance
My final point touches on something a lot of us don’t think about. On first glance, it may seem arbitrary to set working hours for the sake of having a work life balance, plus as we’ve been exploring above, not the easiest to stick to. Sure, if you have nothing planned, why not work into the evening, get a few more things done?
Because it’ll dull your shine. Frequently, ambitious people work more because they’re always “on”, driven by the buzz, and feel that the more work they get done, the better. However just think about how you feel coming back after a holiday – and when you’ve had a really good night’s sleep. Fresh, full of ideas and ready to overcome any obstacle? What about applying this principle in action everyday?
Whether it’s setting hours so you can get out and exercise, spend time with your family, or just kick your feet up and watch the latest episode of your favourite Netflix show, distance is essential for idea generation, innovation and creativity in your work.
Eneida Nazaraj is an Accounts Assistant at Barden. She grew up on the beautiful island of Paros, in Greece, studied accounting and finance in Greece and in 2017 moved to Ireland. In 2020 Eneida joined the Barden team. We (virtually) sat down with Eneida recently to learn a little bit more about her…
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Albania and grew up in Greece, on the beautiful island of Paros. I moved to Ireland in 2017 and live in Dublin now. We’re in the process of looking for a new house but it’s pretty hard to get at the moment!
Where did you study?
In Greece I studied at university and hold a degree in accounting and finance. During that time I studied and lived in Crete and did an internship there too, with Eurobank. I also worked in an accounting practice there.
I moved backed to Paros, and started working as an assistant in a travel company.
Not long after I moved to Ireland I started the ACCA exams. They’re on hold at the moment as I’m now studying payroll, with an exam coming up in May!
What did you enjoy most about your time studying?
Meeting with people, making friends, getting to know other people. Going for a coffee in the gorgeous weather. Also learning new things and developing my knowledge and skills. They were my best years!
How old were you when you had your first paying job? And what was it?
I was 15. I was working in Paros (my island!) as a receptionist with a small hotel, during the summer.
Where did you work before joining Barden?
I was working for Press Up as an assistant accountant.
Why did you choose to work with Barden?
I was in the process of looking for a new role and met the Barden team to chat about my options. They happened to mention there was an open role in Barden. I was really impressed by those I met in Barden, they were very friendly and convincing! I felt I’d know them for years, not just the hour or so that we chatted for. And the rest as they say is history!
What’s the best thing about working here?
Most definitely the environment. The people are fantastic and I feel very safe and secure working here. It really does feel like you are part of a family, and it’s somewhere you can be yourself. For me that’s really important, especially being so far away from home.
Can you tell us a bit about your role?
I’m an assistant accountant and work directly with Kevin O’Hara, Head of Finance and Administration at Barden, in supporting the team and business. My role covers anything from billing for placements made, doing temp payroll, to purchase invoices. It’s a super busy role, and I really like. I love being under pressure!
What was most surprising to you about Barden?
How friendly it is and how great the people are. It really is a place where you feel secure and free to express your opinion.
The fun too is great, especially during lockdown. There were lots of fun little projects going on that really helped while we’re all working from home. They helped you to think about something different, and they also got a bit of competition going too!
Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of?
I like learning more and new things…I’m always learning and like to enrich my knowledge in different areas. For example I’m working as an assistant accountant at Barden while at the same time studying payroll, and working to develop my knowledge of the recruitment sector…and who knows recruiter could be my next step!
What three words best describe you?
Fair, correct, a dreamer!
Have you any role models? And why?
Yes, I have. I admire those who have a hard story and never give up.
I also admire the recruiters I work with. They are helping people and helping to actually change lives.
Have you a favourite saying or quote? What is it?
Live your life, be optimistic!
We really should live today. It’s good to make plans but as we’ve seen with Covid those plans can change, and in an instant. Live for today.
Glass half full or half empty?
Half full!
What’s your favourite…
My favourite book is “The Island” by Victoria Hislop, it’s set on the island Spinalonga in Greece. And my favourite movie is WonderWoman.
Where in the world would you most like to visit?
Generally I’d love to visit Africa.
But at the moment I’d like to go home to Greece.
And finally, who would win a fight between Spiderman, Batman or Wonder Woman?
I’m a fan of all of them but definitely WonderWoman!
Becoming a part of our team isn’t easy. Let’s assume you’re smart. Let’s assume you have high emotional intelligence and even higher social intelligence. Let’s assume you’re an honest, hardworking, optimistic, energetic person with a great sense of humour. Then you’ll fit in with the crowd.
But are you also genuinely interested in making a real difference in people’s lives? Are you driven by a purpose higher than mere financial success? Are you willing to work harder by putting advice first, transaction second? Are you the kind of person that will put others before yourself? If you are then we should talk.
Over the coming months we’re going to be inviting a handful of people to join Barden Dublin working with our senior qualified, recently qualified and operational finance recruitment teams. We’re getting ready for a brighter future, but it’s something that we can’t do without you.
If you’re professionally trained, looking at making a career change into recruitment, and think you might have what it takes to make it in Barden, then drop Ed Heffernan a message (ed.heffernan@barden.ie) and Ed will take it from there. Easy.
Sarah Barry ACA is an Associate with Barden’s legal practice. She is an expert in legal careers and specialises in the recruitment of legal professionals in Ireland. She is a graduate of University College Cork, holding a BA in Economics and Computer Science, and an MBS in Business Studies. Sarah then went on to complete her Chartered Accountants Ireland qualification working with KPMG.
We recently caught up with Sarah to learn a little bit more about her…
Where are you from?
I’m from Cork originally but spent a lot of my childhood in Dublin. Since college I’ve spent time living in Australia, New Zealand and California.
Can you tell us a bit about your professional background?
I studied Economics as an undergrad at UCC and went on to do a Masters in Business Economics also at UCC.
After college I joined KPMG in Dublin where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant. After qualifying I moved into industry working as a Financial Accountant for a large Multinational before making the move into recruitment.
I joined Barden in 2017 as the new Cork office was being established. It was an exciting time to join the Cork business in start-up phase and to play a role in Barden’s growth story in Cork.
Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of?
On a personal level – my two kids. They keep me on my toes.
Why did you choose to work with Barden?
The people. People at Barden really care about the impact they are having on other people’s lives. Everyone is passionate about the area of the business they work in and most have also trained or qualified in that area.
What’s your role in Barden?
I joined the business as a finance market specialist and spent a number of years supporting the newly qualified accounting market & the senior finance market in Cork. I am currently supporting the legal market in Cork and Dublin and enjoy the challenge. There are many commonalities between both legal and finance professional career paths.
What’s the favourite part of your role?
Barden thinks about recruitment in a very different way. We put people first, transactions second. I love the consultative approach we adopt.
Of course when someone lands their dream role and you have been part of that process it genuinely feels great.
What are your top tips for anyone looking for a new opportunity?
Consult with someone who knows the specialist market. Take your time to gather all the information you need to make an informed decision. Don’t rush. Listen to your gut.
What three words best describe you?
Honest, organised and resilient.
Where in the world would you most like to visit?
I have a bucket list. My kids love animals, especially my 9 year old daughter, so I would love to bring them to South Africa on safari. For now, Fota Wildlife Park in Cork will have to do!
And finally, what do you think other people should know about Barden?
We love to chat. Even if you don’t have plans to move roles right now, or are considering a move within your own organisation, we are happy to advise and help plan your future career with you.
Need help achieving your ambitions?
Are you a legal professional looking for help in achieving your ambitions? If so, get in touch with Sarah Barry today who would be more than happy to meet you for a virtual coffee and chat to help you navigate your professional future.
It’s annual review time. Your most talented finance team members are asking for more; more opportunities for self-development, increased role variety and elevated accountability.
Fearful their engagement is waning, your initial reaction is to presume that they are looking for a promotion. You want to give them professional development, but are struggling to find the opportunities. Perhaps there are no promotional openings, or more likely, you operate in a flat finance team structure where promotions are not that easy to come across. You’re not in a situation to move up, and they’re not ready, yet, to step into your role.
Sound familiar?
Take 5. It’s easy to assume that employees are looking for promotions, but it is harder to deal with the reasons why. Taking some time to fully appreciate what it actually is that is fuelling this conversation is far more valuable than merely dealing with the “promotion” question.
Before you begin, appreciate that the working philosophy of the generation of employees who have entered the workforce within the last 5-10 years is radically different to Generation X. Commonly known as “Millennials”, these employees want to feel like they are in a constant state of development, learning always and feeling continually challenged.
Understanding “development” and embracing “purpose”
Getting to the root cause of the reasons why they want “more” will help you to create effective solutions. Two of the most important factors in engaging this generation of future finance leaders are the concepts of accountability and meaningful employment. This is a generation of employees who derive motivation from organisational and job purpose. They care about what how their employer operates.
Accountability
High-performers do not only want titles, they want accountability; ownership of challenging tasks, projects or leadership initiatives. To be given the trust that you believe they can drive positive business outcomes on their own, and the opportunity to prove it. Think about how you can assign real ownership of tasks to the potential leaders in your team – can you assign projects, business improvement initiatives or some of your own leadership tasks to them?
Corporate Social Responsibility
Your company probably already has a number of CSR projects in action, but if not, this is a great opportunity to introduce to your team an initiative that has been proven to have a positive effect on employee engagement. Encouraging opportunities for employees to lead CSR projects will encourage natural leadership opportunities while also instilling “purpose” and variety to their job role.
Creating effective employee engagement strategies is not simple, but helping your finance team to derive meaning, ownership and purpose from their duties will play a major part in improving job satisfaction. Above all, keeping an open and honest discourse with your employees to understand subtle changes in engagement is vital to reduce potential attrition.
Aideen Murphy is a Partner with Barden Cork. She joined Barden in December 2017 and is an expert in tax and practice careers. Aideen specialises in the recruitment of tax and practice professionals in Cork.
We caught up recently with Aideen to find out a little bit more about her.
Where are you from?
I’m from Cork and I just recently moved back to Mallow, close to where I grew up.
Can you tell us a bit about your professional background?
I studied Law & Accounting in University of Limerick (loved my time there!). I then qualified as a Chartered Accountant & Tax Consultant training in the Tax Department of Deloitte in Cork. I then moved to industry and worked in a broad accounting and tax role with a US multinational.
In 2015 I made the bold decision to move into the world of recruitment. I can’t believe I’ve now worked in recruitment almost as long as I did in tax! Since changing career to recruitment, I specialised in Tax recruitment in Dublin and now as Partner in Barden I specialise in Tax & Practice recruitment in Cork.
Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of?
Tough question…I suppose making the move to recruitment initially was a big risk, having spent a number of years training as an accountant and tax consultant, and I’m delighted with how it all worked out. I think it’s a pretty big achievement to have found a career that I really enjoy!
What made you decide to move into recruitment?
I just wanted to try something different, I always enjoyed being in a client facing role and when dealing with recruiters as a tax consultant I was often more interested in their jobs than the tax jobs they were describing to me!!!
What’s your role in Barden?
I advise tax and accounting professionals on their careers and help employers to recruit the best individuals for their teams.
What’s the favourite part of your role?
I genuinely love being able to help and advise people, changing jobs can be a stressful time. When you get a call from someone who you helped to find a role, telling you that they are really enjoying the new position and glad they made the move – that’s a great feeling!
I also really enjoy giving advice to people who are considering a career change (like I did). While I might not be able to help them find a new role (if they are moving away from tax or accounting), I enjoy being able to give some guidance as I understand how tough it can be when you are in that position.
What are your top tips for anyone looking for a new opportunity?
Take your time, don’t rush into anything!
What three words best describe you?
Considerate, conscientious and ambitious.
If you had a superpower what would it be?
Telepathy!!
And finally, what do you think other people should know about Barden?
It’s important for people to know that we are here to help and give advice. We spend our days talking to accounting and tax professionals so even if you are unsure of whether you want a new role, we can give you market information, ideas for different avenues you can consider, etc. Sometimes the advice we give is to stay in your current role!!
Need help achieving your ambitions?
Are you a tax or accounting professional looking for help in achieving your ambitions? If so get in touch with Aideen at aideen.murphy@barden.ie who is ready with lots of CV, LinkedIn, interview and career advice along with cutting edge market insights.
Hiring a ‘manager’ into your team is a significant challenge, and not one to be taken lightly. As we all know, great leaders can make a team, but just as easily, a poor leader can break a team. And it’s not easy to get it right at interview – we’ve all made, or seen, people hired into leadership roles that on the face of it should work, but don’t.
Confidence vs Narcissism
One of the biggest mistakes people when hiring leaders is hiring the person who makes the ‘biggest’ impression. Yes, it’s true, confidence – based on conviction, integrity and a belief in the ability to succeed – is important, but confidence-cloaking-narcissm, or an ego, isn’t.
But how can you tell at interview, when you expect people to talk up their achievements, or put on a confident show?
One way would be to probe them about how other people they’ve worked with, or have led, would see them? Most good leaders are self aware, so should be able to comfortably answer this – one who is self-centred probably won’t, and may stumble. Additionally, watch out for whether they claim all of their achievements as their own. A good leader will show their contribution, of course, but will usually attribute some credit to their team or peer group.
IQ vs EQ
Intelligence does indicate a likelihood of someone making a good leader, but without high EQ, or emotional intelligence, it is unlikely that this potential will be realised. Across the board, the best leaders have a higher than average EQ, demonstrated by a high level of self awareness, and awareness of others. Testing competencies at interview such as conflict management, influencing, how they deal with sensitive situations, and their approach to leading teams through difficult times may be a way to get a sense of their level of EQ, if you don’t have the facilities to formally test someone.
Past Behaviours
The best way to understand someone’s leadership approach, or philosophy, in order to evaluate the potential match with your own organisation, is to assess their behaviours using competency based questions that require them to use past examples. Think of a couple of situations that you know commonly occur in your organisation, and that this leader will have to deal with, and ask them to talk through how they’ve dealt with similar situations.
Here’s a suggestion of some vital leadership competencies you should test:
- The ability to influence and persuade, at all levels of an organisation
- The ability to lead teams through change/take them on a journey
- The ability to manage conflict and challenge
- The ability to manage underperformance
Future Thinking
A great finance leader needs to be able to adapt, flex and think in a proactive, or innovative way. One thing not commonly assessed in interview is forward-planning, or the capacity of the candidate to deal with hypothetical situations. Actually asking a candidate, on-the-day, to prepare a 30 60 90 day plan on what they’d do coming into the organisation, or to prepare a response to a case study situation testing a pre-defined leadership competency might just reveal behaviours, thought patterns, weaknesses or synergies that might influence your decision to hire.
Above all, always take references, or seek advice from a peer if there is something you are not sure about. Your gut is nearly always right – so if something is left unanswered, play it out at interview. Leadership competencies can be developed, but there are some characteristics that can’t be changed, so assess wisely.
Good luck!
