Crisis Management: 5 Ways to Come Out on Top

How well payroll specialists handle crises says much about their leadership skills and management potential. Perhaps you entered the wrong data, which resulted in improper withholdings — and angry employees. Or maybe your department didn’t file quarterly returns on time.

Next time there’s an emergency work situation, turn it into an opportunity to demonstrate leadership by following these crisis management tips:

1. Keep your cool. It’s easy to panic when something bad happens. Be the person who stays calm and approaches the situation with a level head. Take some deep breaths before going into action. You don’t want to make the problem worse by overreacting and making poor decisions.
2. Don’t assign blame. It’s natural to make excuses and point fingers. But doing so is unproductive, slows down crisis management and creates a poisonous workplace environment. If you made the mistake, take responsibility, apologize and help fix the problem. Even when someone else is at fault, the wise next step is to work toward a solution as a team, not to play the blame game.
3. Gather data. To solve the problem, you need to know exactly what went wrong. Retrace your steps or, if other people were responsible for the crisis, help them discover the source of the mistake. The sooner you find the source of the mistake, the sooner you can suggest ways to fix it (see the next step).
4. Offer solutions. During a crisis, management does not need hand-wringers. If you were the one who discovered the mess, approach your boss with not just the problem, but also possible next steps. Being a problem solver will show leadership potential.
5. Do a postmortem. After the emergency has passed, speak to your manager about gathering the payroll team to discuss ways to prevent it from happening again. To cut down on human error, for example, suggest a checklist for commonly performed payroll tasks.

Emergencies at work can happen at any time. By drawing on your crisis management skills, your department can get back to business with minimal disruption, and you can impress your supervisor with your leadership potential.

Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. Accountemps has more than 340 locations worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

Ultimate Software is sponsoring a fee HR Workshop in Seattle on June 18th.  The workshop has been approve for 4 HRCI, 4 SHRM PDC, and APA Credits.  Here is the agenda

The Daily Telecommute:

How Payroll Professionals Can Excel at Remote Work
 
A recent Accountemps survey showed 36 percent of CFOs polled reported an increase in remote work opportunities over the past three years at their firms. This is good news for payroll professionals who desire more flexibility. However, this perk comes with the responsibility of showing employers you’re just as productive and efficient from home as you are in-office. These five tips can help you make the most of remote work.

1. Set a schedule

The increased flexibility of remote work makes it easy to procrastinate. Set a solid routine for each day to stay on top of tasks. By being disciplined, not only will you get all your work done on time, you’ll also show your boss that you’re trustworthy and self-motivated. Keeping a regular schedule provides career benefits whether you’re working from home or in the office. ou

2. Keep regular office hours

Just because you can telecommute doesn’t mean you can set your own hours. You need to be available for questions and collaboration, so start and stop each day around the same time as your boss and colleagues. If you need to be away for a large chunk of time, inform your team so they won’t wonder why you’re not responding to messages.

3. Be visible

Because your manager and coworkers can’t see you, you have to be proactive about letting them know you’re active and engaged. In practical terms, speak up during staff meetings and conference calls and ask questions when appropriate. If you don’t have one-on-ones scheduled with your boss, suggest regular check-in meetings.

4. Take advantage of technology

The trend that has made telecommuting possible is technology. If you’re not already, make the most of remote work by using appropriate technology. In addition to email and phone, there are many apps and services — HipChat, Basecamp, Google Hangouts and Teambox, for example — that connect remote workforces. Tech tools allow you to be more productive and collaborative. You’ll also feel less like a loner when you’re connected virtually.

5. Get in some face time

Though you telecommute, you should still go into the office regularly. Be there in person for major meetings, company-wide events and performance reviews. Don’t forget social outings. A little face time is essential for making sure you’re not “out of sight, out of mind.”

The ability to telecommute can offer payroll professionals better work-life balance and greater career satisfaction. Do it right, and your career will stay on the fast track.

Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. Accountemps has more than 340 locations worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

3 Ways to Improve Your Business Meeting Etiquette

For better or worse, smartphones are everywhere in the modern workplace — including the meeting room. In a recent Robert Half survey, 67 percent of managers polled said it’s at least somewhat common for employees to check and respond to emails on their mobile devices during meetings. However, only 6 percent fully endorsed this behavior.

If you have your sights on a promotion and leadership development opportunities, poor manners can come back to haunt you. Here are three tips for improving your business meeting etiquette.

1. Stow the phone.
Many of us reflexively check our smartphones when we’re bored, which happens more than we’d care to admit during meetings. Some even take out their devices and have them at the ready on the conference table. Avoid the temptation to glance at your phone by keeping it in your (locked) desk. Coming to a meeting device-free lets managers know you are ready to get down to business. If you must bring it, turn off the ringer and keep it out of sight.

2. Pay attention.
Show the boss that you’re not just phoning it in by being an active listener. Maintain eye contact with whomever is speaking, and ask good questions throughout the discussion. Be a full participant. While your colleagues practice poor business meeting etiquette by tapping away on their devices, you’ll be accruing valuable information and making a good impression with your manager.

3. Take notes — on paper.
We’re so used to typing that it’s hard to use a pen and paper for extensive writing. However, unless your job is to take minutes or give a PowerPoint presentation, don’t bring your laptop to the meeting. Screens are distracting, especially if you receive frequent pop-up notifications. Demonstrate your professionalism and courtesy by focusing on the meeting, and one way to do that is to take notes the old-fashioned way.

Whether you realize it or not, your supervisors pay attention to your actions to see if you’re leadership development material. When you practice good business meeting etiquette, you’re letting them know you’re ready.

Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. Accountemps has more than 340 locations worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

Hiring Advice: How to Survive a Group Interview

It’s thrilling and scary at the same time: You’ve been invited for an in-person interview, which means you’re one step closer to that great payroll position. To make the experience even more interesting, the hiring manager mentions that you’ll be evaluated alongside other candidates who’ve made the first cut.

“Oh, great,” you say. “I’ve made it this far, and now I have to throw out all I’ve learned about preparing for a one-on-one interview.”

Well, not exactly. The hiring advice for a group interview is much the same as for a one-on-one — with some twists along the way. Make a great first impression by being impeccably groomed and greeting each interviewer with a smile and firm handshake. During the interview, speak clearly and confidently, and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. Here are some other interview preparation tips that will help you stand out on that big day:

1.  Get smart about the employer

As part of your job preparation, you may have already researched the organization when you customized your cover letter, but now is the time to do it again. You want to be the best-informed candidate in that room.

2. Prepare for the questions

 Rehearse responses to typical interview questions, but get ready for some fastballs, too:

 Behavioral — e.g., Tell us about a time when you had to deal with an angry employee whose paycheck was calculated incorrectly.

Situational — e.g., What would you do if you knew a colleague was engaged in unethical activity?

Curveball    — e.g., Which superhero do you identify with the most, and why?

3. Anticipate possible scenarios
   
   To test interpersonal and problem-solving skills, interviewers may ask candidates to role-play payroll situations or to           work together to give a short presentation. This is where your collaboration skills come in.
4. Be a team player 

   Aim for a good balance between individuality and collegiality. When answering questions, address the interviewer — but    also engage other candidates. Wait until other interviewees have finished speaking before adding your opinion. Validate    their comments when making your own. If you disagree, do so politely and professionally before explaining your point of view.

The best hiring advice for a group interview is to be ready for anything and have a positive attitude. You’ll be nervous when waiting in the reception room with a crowd of other candidates, but you’ve already made it this far — and you’ll do great because of your interview preparation. Good luck!

Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. Accountemps has more than 340 locations worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

Please note that the location of the January meeting occurring on Thursday, January 15th and covering the Oregon Department of Revenue updates has changed.  It is now located at the Payroll Specialties NW office at 2300 Oakmont Way, Ste 102, Eugene, OR, 97401.

5 Tips for Making Temporary Payroll Professionals Feel at Home

Whether to cover a leave of absence or to try out potential full-timers, there are periods when you need to bring in temporary payroll professionals. To maximize efficiency and productivity, you’ll need to help interim staffers feel like they’re part of the team. Here are five ways to incorporate them into the fold:

1. Give them a place

Having a dedicated space to perform their new payroll duties can go a long way toward making temporary workers feel at home. The desk and computer could belong to an employee on leave or vacation, or they could be ones set aside just for contract workers.

2. Give them communication tools

If temporary employees will need to communicate with others in the department or company, make sure they have a company-specific email address and phone number. Unless they’re just entering data, not having a means to communicate will hamper collaboration.

          3.   Assign them a guide

Temporary professionals usually report to the payroll or accounting manager, but that person may be very busy. To help bring them up to speed as quickly as possible, pair them up with a full-time employee who can answer questions about payroll duties, workflow, logistics and the best places to go for lunch!

4. Include them

As much as possible, treat contract workers like a part of the company. Invite them to staff meetings, office events and social outings. The more they get to know their coworkers and work their way around office politics, the better they will perform their job.

5. Show your appreciation

All workers respond well to kind gestures and words of thanks. Keep temporary payroll professionals motivated to do their best by letting them know you appreciate their hard work. Publicly mention how glad you are for their help.

No matter how long or short their assignment, these temporary payroll professionals are part of your team. To get the most out of your personnel dollars, give them the same treatment as everyone else.
Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has more than 345 locations worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

Whether Job Searching or Hiring, the 2015 Salary Guide Is a Payroll Professional’s Friend

Payroll specialists are essential to the smooth operation of companies of all sizes — so much so that the field is experiencing rapid growth. If you’re a payroll professional looking to move up in the ranks, say to payroll coordinator or payroll manager, you need a good understanding of the hiring environment, what jobs are hot and what your future salary could look like. As an employer, you want to know how to attract and retain the best and brightest. The 2015 Salary Guide from Robert Half can help with these and other topics.

A great resource
The 2015 Salary Guide is an excellent way for both staff and managers to stay up-to-date on industry hiring trends and compensations. The guide includes accounting and finance starting salary data for more than 375 positions, including payroll clerk, payroll coordinator and payroll manager, sorted by company size.

Benchmarking salary
The 2015 Salary Guide notes that a payroll coordinator starting at a large company can expect to earn between $42,500 and $57,750, a 3.4 percent increase from 2014. Employers will pay more for experience: A payroll manager/supervisor starting at the same size company can expect to earn 3.8 percent more in the coming year, or $58,000 to $91,500 a year. To customize the ranges for your area, use our Salary Calculator and search under Operational Support.

Hiring trends and management advice
Despite the name, the Salary Guide has more than just wage ranges. A payroll professional can use the 2015 Salary Guide for career advice. Find out how much more you can earn with a desirable certification like the Certified Payroll Professional. The CPP can also help you advance from payroll clerk to payroll manager. And managers can consult the guide to find out why making a counteroffer is a bad idea, and how having a good blend of full-time and temporary workers can improve your company’s operation.

If you’re ready to propel your payroll career forward or hire your next payroll professional, use the Robert Half Salary Center as a starting point for your research into salaries, hiring trends and more.

Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has more than 345 locations worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

Work For a Micromanager? Here’s How to Cope:

Frequently peers over your shoulder. Constantly checking on your work. Keeping a too-tight grip on the intricacies of payroll operations. If this sounds familiar, you may be working for a micromanager — and you wouldn’t be alone. In a recent Accountemps survey, 59 percent of workers interviewed reported working for such a supervisor at some point in their career.

A micromanager has a negative effect on workplace morale and output. In the same survey, 68 percent of employees who had worked for a micromanager said it dampened their spirits, and 55 percent said the poor management style hampered the group’s workplace productivity. Here are three steps you can take to maintain your sanity — and to manage your micromanager:

1. Gain your boss’s confidence
   Showing your supervisor you are dependable, capable and successful when acting autonomously can go a long way in the fight to earn independence at work. Even small acts — showing up early, paying extra attention to details and helping coworkers without being asked — can help you gain a boss’s trust. A micromanager thrives on catching employees in the act of breaking rules, so don’t give your boss any reasons for suspicion.
2. Keep your boss informed, early and often
   Good communication is key to keeping a micromanager at bay. In other words, provide preemptive status updates, weekly summary emails and other check-ins before your boss asks for them. Doing so will help her feel more at ease with your time management and organizational skills.
3. Earn a positive reputation
   Making a name for yourself with other coworkers and managers can help your boss begin to trust you more. Your good standing with other company leaders will help build your reputation as a responsible and efficient employee, and that reputation may influence the micromanager.

As you gain the micromanager’s confidence, you may notice him or her starting to ease up on the minutiae. Continue to meet your goals and communicate effectively, and you’ll be well on your way to better relationship with your micromanager —and possibly even to turning her into a macromanager.

Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has more than 345 locations worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

It’s time to take charge of your payroll career. Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned payroll professional, ongoing learning and training can help you get and stay ahead. The following professional development tips could help you flourish in this competitive and constantly evolving industry.

1. Get certified
Industry-recognized payroll certifications can boost your capabilities, credibility, and confidence, not to mention maximize your hiring and earning potential. Employees who hold a Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification can earn five to 10 percent more than non-CPP holders, according to the Robert Half Salary Guide.

2. Step up your soft skills
Top-notch soft skills are the perfect complement to your technical abilities in this industry. Payroll professionals polled by the APA and Robert Half rated communication and confidentiality as the most valuable nontechnical skills they can possess. Here are some of the other top soft skills for the finance field:
• Trustworthiness
• Diversity
• Organization
• Problem-solving
• Flexibility
Whether through courses, seminars or self-help books, refining and demonstrating these traits will make a lasting impression on managers and potential employers.

3. Join an association
Reputable industry associations can offer lifelong learning at your own pace. Thousands of payroll professionals find these organizations valuable sources of information, motivation and support. A bona fide payroll association will guide you on industry advancements and requisites, and provide valuable professional development tips and resources.

4. See and be seen
Professional social networks can connect you with like-minded peers and mentors. Explore payroll communities on popular networks such as LinkedIn. Keep a fresh, focused profile and an open mind to finding fruitful relationships and revelations. Credible blogs and other online resources also offer the latest finance trends and great tips on how to become a better payroll professional.

5. Check out events and workshops
Payroll conferences and workshops can offer invigorating professional development and networking opportunities. If you can’t attend in person, webinars, forums, and virtual classes offer a convenient way to expand your knowledge and optimize career advancement.

“Be a lifelong learner” is not just a platitude. It has real implications for your present rôle and future ambitions. And after you internalize these professional development tips, put them to practice to further your finance career.

Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has more than 345 locations worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.