How to maximize the benefits of a staffing agency—the key traits to look for when hiring a recruiter to fill positions in accounting and finance.

By Angie Langlois, Managing Partner, Ascendo Resources, Accounting & Finance

 I feel so fortunate to work at an award-winning, certified minority-owned staffing agency that specializes in placing highly skilled professionals on a temporary, temp-to-perm, or direct hire basis. I know the value of what we bring to the table because I’ve made a 25-year career of it. People ask me all the time: “Why should my company choose you over the 100+ other staffing agencies?” 

That answer is easy, so I typically provide a simple list of the proven benefits of working with a search firm. But what I really want them to know is how to fully maximize these benefits by taking the time to find a recruiter with specific soft skills that come with experience and personality. I can say with confidence that when you find that person you’ll get more than just a recruiter. You’ll get a work colleague whose sole focus is to help your company reach its full potential by elevating the talent, reducing chronic turnover, and scaling strategically. You’ll also gain a valuable resource to utilize yourself throughout your entire career.

Here’s a list of qualities I look for when hiring at my own firm—and some real-world examples of how these traits have helped me succeed. 

1. Persistence and resilience

In fact, my first job out of college was selling coupons door to door. It was there that I learned that a motivated team sells exponentially more. Each day I would run into the room and give them their motivation: “Rah rah rah! Now go out and knock on those doors!” And they would go door-knocking out in the Miami heat and come back excited to return the next day.

Even though I didn’t know what I was doing, that job taught me persistence and resilience. I eventually built that business into a team of 30 people and was recognized nationally for my work. Because there was so much turnover at that job, it is also where I discovered my knack for finding talent.  

Today my approach is the same: I figure out the best possible way to do the work, and then I get after it and motivate and inspire people to join me. My work ethic is to function as a top producer, but I don't tell people to do something that I’m not able or willing to do myself. Recruiting is a challenging and competitive field, so anyone you hire should be persistent, resilient, and able to handle rejection or setbacks, keep their chin up, and have a can-do attitude.

2. Adaptability and flexibility

The job market changes constantly and my team and I have to be ready for it. For example, it’s not uncommon to see—within a very short period of time—huge layoffs in permanent positions and dozens of new open roles in temporary staffing. Seasonally, we see serging need to staff up for the end-of-year rush or tax season.  

Recruiters need to adjust strategies, processes, and techniques based on constantly changing circumstances and requirements. Any recruiter worth their salt needs to see it all as “business as usual.”

3. Relationship Building

At the height of my success, I transitioned into being a stay-at-home-mom role for several years and then I did the unthinkable—I put myself back into the workforce and built my career up again. This is just one of the ways I relate to prospective candidates, but there are many more. Among others, I can identify with the young professional who wants to get their foot in the door, the busy parent who has a family to feed, and the ambitious entrepreneur who’s ready for the next challenge. 

And because I’ve been a business leader, I've sat in many of the same seats as the division heads and executives who are looking for talent for their business. I’ve been a manager, so I understand the challenges of building a team and keeping them efficient and happy. Simply put, it’s natural and easy for me to connect with anyone I’m working with because of my own life experience. The proof is in my contacts list, which is massive, diverse, and made up with people who I’ve known for many years and who trust me. 

4. Industry Knowledge

Back in the day when I was asked to start placing positions in accounting and finance, I was hesitant but I said yes; and that was probably the biggest turning point in my career. I quickly became fully immersed in the industry and it truly opened up my brain to how the world works. 

I started by talking to people about what all the different positions do—bookkeeper, senior accountant, cost accountant, controller, compliance manager, financial analyst, treasurer, finance director, CFO, and so on. Eventually I became the CFO of one of our businesses. Now I’ve done it all—set up QuickBooks and QuickBooks Pro and multi-state payroll for temporary staffing; spreadsheets, pivot tables, V lookups, waterfalls, and whatever else is necessary. 

A recruiter with a solid understanding of the industry they are recruiting for is highly valuable. They should be familiar with industry trends, job requirements, and the skills and qualifications needed for different roles. My professional experience in finance and accounting has been invaluable when placing other professionals in this industry.

5. Time Management and Organization

Recruitment involves managing multiple tasks, deadlines, and priorities and making the process easier for the clients and candidates. A recruiter should be organized, efficient, and able to handle a high volume of work while maintaining attention to detail—and shielding the client from any chaos that may ensue in the process. 

Clients reach out with all kinds of requests and we’ve heard them all. Things we hear quite often in accounting in finance:  

• “During my peak season, I need 30 customer service reps and 40 processors.” 
• “I have a difficult audit coming up and I need multiple accountants.”  
• “Our law firms need legal assistance and clerks and paralegals to help them through a big project.” 

And when recruiters are pitching open positions to folks who are not even on a job search, it’s crucial to give them accurate, concise information from that first call. No matter how casual the call or familiar the relationship, bad or non-discretionary information will always reflect poorly on the client. 

Recruiting is an interesting business. Sometimes something as simple as a job change can change someone’s life. To do my job well, I’ve become an expert in staffing for finance and accounting, but by nature I’m also a honey badger, cheerleader, confidant, and air traffic controller. I’ve done this work for my entire life and I love it, and anyone you hire should feel the same way about what they do. 

As a staffing industry expert with 25+ years in the business, Angie Langlois loves her work—connecting top talent to the next adventure in their career. Specializing in high volume placements in accounting and finance with large employers, Angie’s philosophy is to “Be inspired every day, keep growing, and be kind.”  Connect with Angie on LinkedIn.

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