January 2013 Newsletter Accounting & Finance

Happy New Year! We hope you all enjoyed the holidays and are refreshed and resolved to make your careers and job searches a priority in 2013. We look forward to partnering with you to make it a great year. With that in mind, below are some of the opportunities for which we and our colleagues are currently recruiting. Also, remember that we are part of a national affiliate network so if you are open to relocation, please send us the details and we will try to connect you with our colleagues in that geographic location.

Practice Administrator – Just received today! This exclusive retained search client is seeking a top notch health care financial professional to join their growing practice in a key role. Must have 5+ years in the health care industry, supervisory experience, and hands on accounting/HR/benefits experience. CPA/MHA and/or MBA preferred. BS Accounting required. Experience with QuickBooks and/or AllScripts a big plus. If you have this background or know someone who does, please contact us to discuss this exciting new opportunity further!

Business Optimization Analyst - Seneca Falls, NY- BS in Business and 6+yrs experience with general accounting and back office electronic transactions (p-cards or AP) in a company > $250m using ERP systems. Candidate must have strong project management skills. Experience in a shared services environment a plus. Compensation to $90k plus bonus.

FP&A Analyst – Rochester NY- MBA and 5+ yrs experience in financial analysis. Must be willing to roll up your sleeves and dig into the numbers. Salary to $60k.

Tax Positions - We have several permanent and seasonal tax positions available in both public accounting firm and corporate settings. Call for further details if you have a strong tax background and are ready to make a change.

CPA firm Audit - Local CPA firm is looking for a CPA who is either in public accounting and looking to join a growing regional practice, or someone who is in private and is open to entertaining a return to public accounting. The successful candidate would take over some day to day client management responsibility as well as developing staff. Definite track to management and excellent mentoring. Non-profit client or direct experience is preferred.  Salary commensurate with experience.

Sr. Internal Auditor (2 positions) - Rochester, NY- CPA firm or Corporate Audit exp. Salary $62-67k and only 10-15% travel!

Controller - Geneseo, NY Area- BS degree and 5+yrs experience working as a small manufacturing company controller responsible for human resources, IT and operations. This is the top financial position reporting directly to the owner. Salary to mid $70’s.

Financial Controller – International manufacturing company seeks experienced operations controller to oversee forecasting, planning, budgeting, financials and analysis for manufacturing and distribution sites. ERP experience preferred. MBA preferred. BS Accounting/Finance required. Must have prior experience in comparable large company manufacturing/distribution industry role. To $125k + bonus.

SEARCHES IN OTHER CCY PRACTICE AREAS

VP of Strategy and Research - Rochester NY – Marketing Company seeks top talent, BS degree and 6+yrs experience working with internal/external clients with; planning, and providing strategy-based research and advisory services, using statistical techniques to analyze and interpret market research data. Salary $130-150k base plus bonus and some relocation. 

Chief Operating Officer - Providence RI - Newly created role with 25 Million dollar consumer goods manufacturer. Strong background in operations and manufacturing management, lean implementation and international business management. Unique growth opportunity. Salary Mid $100’s base plus incentives.

CCY Newsletter January 2013

Below is CCY's Newsletter January 2013 from Gary Baker:

President’s Message

Wow, another year has come and gone. Winter has arrived both on the calendar and in the form of snow. As we enter 2013, I remain optimistic for the new year.

It looks like the fiscal cliff has been dealt with (or not).  Overall, the search industry has had a positive year even though statistics show reluctance to add to staff. I have included an article I found to be very interesting about the hiring process. So many companies do not hire the best person, but someone that happens to be available. They go through the process without really defining what they want in a person or putting together a strategy on how they will determine who is the best "fit". This is why search firms are still in business and certainly add value if they are allowed to do so.

Please consider our services should you require a personalized approach to the identification of talent for your organization. Our tag line still holds true “we build companies one career at a time." 

I wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous 2013. As always, I look for feedback and questions, so feel free to send me a note at gary@ccy.com. 

  

Gary M. Baker

President

585-785-5719

gary@ccy.com

Number One Reason Companies Make Bad Hires

Forbes\Mike Myatt

forbes.com 

Do you ever find yourself wondering how so many good companies can make so many bad hires? The fact is, all the rigorous and sophisticated hiring processes employed by the best companies in the world don’t prevent bad hires. The good news is, addressing one single factor can easily prevent bad hires.

The #1 reason companies make bad hires is they compromise, they settle, they don’t hire the best person for the job. Compromise has its place in business, but it has no role in the acquisition of talent. Leaders too often focus on the “nice to haves” instead of the “must haves.” They allow themselves to be distracted by disparate, insignificant factors, rather than holding out for the best person for the job.

My definition of irony: when leaders complain about their talent. I’ve always believed leaders deserve the teams they build. Here’s the thing – when leaders make a bad hire they have no one to blame but themselves. The problem is many leaders place the blame everywhere but where it belongs.

It doesn’t matter whether the candidate has great potential, what diversity segment they represent, if they’re an internal or external candidate, whether or not they have industry experience, or where they earned their degree. What matters is whether they are the BEST person for the job. Smart leaders don’t “give” someone the job because they’ve been with the company longer – they select the best person for the job regardless of how long they’ve been with the company.

How many times have you witnessed a company lose their preferred candidate over a trivial point of difference, and then have the company only proceed to compound their problem by settling for their second or even third choice? Smart leaders understand an open position is preferable to filling a position with the wrong candidate.

There is truth in the old axiom “talent begets talent.” Talent is a contagion. It’s talent that fuels creativity, collaboration, momentum, velocity, client loyalty, a dynamic corporate culture, and virtually every other positive influencing force in the corporate universe. It’s talent that designs sound business practices, develops strategic plans, understands the value of innovation, overcomes obstacles, breaks down barriers, creates growth, and builds a lasting brand. Smart leaders hire only the best person for the job. They don’t compromise on talent.

Good enough rarely is, and just checking the box is not the business of leadership. While it’s required to evaluate hard skills, track record, leadership ability, cultural fit, and any number of other criteria, it’s completely irresponsible to settle for anything less than the best person for the job. Don’t allow yourself to be bounded by time frames, compensation guidelines, or pressure from individuals or key constituencies – hold out for the best person, and when you find them, move heaven and earth to hire them.