Welcome back to #WeAreGreenKey, where we shine a spotlight on our powerhouse recruiting team.
We met up with Alyssa Durham, Senior Recruiter on the Accounting & Finance National team at Green Key. With previous experience in recruitment, Alyssa joined the firm six months ago and is already blending with her team and making strides.
What are the biggest green flags you see in your candidates?
Anybody who can speak really well. Being able to concisely answer a question and get your message across is crucial. Candidates should let their interviews run as a true conversation, rather than providing book-long answers or going on a tangent. Speaking professionally is key in this industry and one of the biggest green flags when I meet with candidates.
So, candidates should know how to elaborate on their experiences, while also keeping the conversation flowing seamlessly.
Absolutely.
Are there any major hiring trends happening in Accounting & Finance right now?
Companies want to go back to the office, which they find is better for collaboration. This can be challenging because candidates still want to work remotely. So, we have to have direct and honest conversations on this topic. Sometimes they choose not to move forward because of that, which is totally fine, but a lot of them are understanding.
How many days a week are your clients expecting employees in the office?
I would say we’re truly getting a big push for four and five days back in office.
What are some major questions your candidates should be asking in interviews?
Firstly, always do your research on the company. You want to go in educated on their mission and values. Some good questions to ask might be:
- “If I’m here six months to a year, what would my production look like?”
- “What brought you to this company?” – This question takes down the hiring manager to candidate wall and allows for a personal conversation.
In terms of their own experience, what should they be bringing up?
Anything in the job description. Focus on the job specifics. For example, if you’re interviewing for a private equity or hedge fund, use key words pulled from the bullet points of the job description.
In terms of education, becoming a CPA is how you’ll advance your accounting career. A master’s degree is not necessary; many of these companies want to grow their people organically and on the job. If it’s something an employee really wants to achieve, it can become a conversation with the company on whether they’ll sponsor you to go back to school.
What are your goals for 2023?
I want to get a good book of business started back up after previously working for an international agency. I’m newer to Green Key, so I’m starting fresh with all of my clients. The goal is really to place as many people as possible.
