Kvetches from the Trenches - Job Seeker Complaints [Q1 2011]

Being a mid-level financial manager looking for work in this market is still tough. It has been for a while. When we have heart to heart discussions with these capable people, we hear many complaints. Here are some of them.

Complaints about Companies:

Companies are low-balling: Candidates feel that companies are taking advantage, and paying less for positions that should have a higher salary. One candidate we spoke with believes that companies are offering salaries that are 15-20% less then they feel they should be paid for the level of work required. Job seekers are frustrated with this price differential.

“I would rather work with an external recruiter”: Some candidates have told us that they would prefer to work with a recruiter they trust, rather than work directly with the hiring company. They feel they get more complete and reliable information in the search from an external recruiter.

Companies are taking too long to make a decision: During the height of the recession this was the most difficult issue with companies that were looking to hire. Now that we are passed those lows and on the way to recovery, companies are still taking too long to make decisions. Not only does time make it more difficult for companies to hire the best people (because the best candidates will not wait for them), companies are not helping their market reputation.

Getting stuck in HR Hell: The job-seeker hears about a job that sounds ideal for them. They send their resume in, because that is what they believe they are supposed to do. And then they wait. And wait. They wait for whoever is in charge of the company resume inbox to actually read their resume, understand what they do, and put them to the top of the pile. Good luck – you have now entered HR Hell. Most of the time, the person clearing the inbox and doing the initial assessment has no real clue as to what to look for in the resume. At best, they are working off a key word list.

Complaints about Recruiters:

Job seekers are not only frustrated with companies; they are frustrated with some recruiters too. Job seekers we have spoken with generally like recruiters, but not all of them. Here are some of their complaints.

Recruiters that don’t understand what I do: “When I have to explain what I do to a recruiter who doesn’t understand what I do, how can I be sure that she is representing me properly to the company?”

Recruiters that blast me: “I can’t stand when a recruiter presents me to a company that I did not give them permission to do so.”

Recruiters that don’t understand my market: “When I see area code XXX on my call display, I cringe. Those [Unnamed Large City] recruiters are the worst. They don’t have a clue about the market I live in.”

Recruiters that call me for roles that I said I wasn’t interested in: “I told the recruiter I was not interested in an internal audit position. Why do they keep calling me about internal audit roles?”

On the positive side, most of the job seekers we spoke with said that their complaints about recruiters are limited to a small number of them. Most recruiters, they feel, are reputable and provide quality service.

When I asked one job seeker whether he dealt with recruiters he would prefer not to deal with, he said: “I’m actively looking for a job. If a recruiter I don’t like to work with has a job opportunity for me, how can I pass up working with them? I need a job. I just hold my nose.”

Accountants are made, not born. (Or, How to become an Accountant.)

The challenge to someone who has made a career decision to become an accountant is: How do I become one?

A critical area of importance in becoming an accountant is education. Choosing the right university degree and right accounting designation is not an easy process.

Once you have decided the educational path to take, it is important to consider what career path to take. The most difficult question for someone starting their career is: How do I get my first job?

This question is difficult to answer, because most companies looking to hire want someone who can do the job and not have to be trained. So where does this leave the first time job seeker?

Co-Op Programs: The best way to get your first job is to have already had some experience. Co-op programs at universities are an excellent way to get that critical first job experience.


Clerical Office Work: Another way is to find an office clerical summer job. Accounting is more than just office work, but it is office work. Getting a summer job where you will help out with clerical tasks in an office can give you a feel for some of the key components of work life in an office. If you've graduated school and have never worked in an office environment, do you really know what you're getting yourself into? An Office is certainly a very different place then Campus.


Volunteer: Volunteering to do accounting tasks for a non-profit is an excellent way to get a leg up on starting your career. Many non-profits in your town have limited funds to pay for salaries, but do have many accounting tasks that need to get done. It can be a great way to learn the job of accountant.

Who you know: Don't forget calling on family and friends. Someone you know (or someone that knows someone you know) runs a small business. It could even be a home based business. Offer to help an entrepreneur with their accounting (for a small fee) - they will be very grateful for the help and you can learn about accounting for a business.

Another point to keep in mind – there is no better time than now to start building your career network. As you begin your transition from university or college to your career, it is very important to start using LinkedIn. Facebook is great for college life, but has limits in its value in your future career life. (Read our blog post: Is Facebook a Career Killer?) The earlier you get your 'friends' into a career focused networking tool like LinkedIn, the more opportunity you will have to add value to your future career and future employers. In the business world, who you know is as important as what you know. You will want to have your network you have developed at school work for you in your career.

So, how did you get your first accounting career opportunity?

Why companies have unfilled jobs

My fellow blogger, Cindy Kraft of CFO-Coach, was kind enough to ask me my thoughts on this topic, which she blogged about.

Her starting point was a recent SmartBrief poll, in which 72.5% of surveyed companies indicated they had unfilled openings.

My first impression on seeing the poll was that companies that are looking to hire will have unfilled job openings. Only those companies that are not hiring will not have unfilled jobs, because they are not hiring. I believe the poll would be more effective asking: "How long does it take to fill your open job positions?"

Cindy brings up a great point in saying that she believes the hiring process is broken. I agree. Many companies are not properly going about a recruitment process that works.

For a hiring process to be effective, it needs to have the following elements:

Outreach – Many companies have recognized the importance of building stronger corporate recruitment strategies, and they are doing so. However, even with these stronger tactics, organizations cannot properly reach the candidates needed. Search firms are able to fill positions because they are able to outreach to the right candidate pool. This outreach component is a necessary element to a successful search.

Sales – The company AND the job needs to be sold. Many employers make the poor assumption that the company and the job sell themselves. Potential candidates for any job need to truly understand the value of the company and job and how it fits into their life and career.

Match – Matching a candidate to a job and a company is not an easy task, yet many employers use gut feel and resume key word matching to the job description to assess appropriateness of a candidate for a job. Many companies focus on assessing the candidate for how they match the company, and not assessing how the company matches to the candidate’s needs and values.

Offer – We consistently see this area as the place where the wheels fall off. Regardless how effective the rest of the recruitment process is, being successful at the offer stage gets you the placement. The pieces necessary for a successful accepted offer need to begin at the beginning of the process, not at the end. Acceptance of an offer is much more than just about salary.

Companies wishing to ensure a more successful hiring process need to ensure they have these four elements. Using an experienced internal or external search partner can improve the process. However, it is the ultimate responsibility of the hiring authority to ensure that the process is effective.

(I would like to thank my colleague Bethany LaMorre for her valuable input in preparing this blog).