SkyWater Blog

6 Critical Competencies You Can’t Afford to Ignore

During a recent episode of NPR’s Marketplace, David Brancaccio had a fascinating conversation with Amy Domini. If you’re like most professionals in the finance and accounting realm these days, you’re likely aware of her work in socially responsible investing – what we now call Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). As they discussed the growing importance of ESG, they also touched on the growing difficulty that organizations face in trying to competently manage and report against ESG standards. As Domini put it, “the whole goal… is to assure that investors work toward a livable planet, inhabited by people who lead lives worth living.”

What every CPA needs to know about today’s competitive market

“If you’re not happy where you are, start looking...”  Right?

That’s the old rule. But what if you still like your job? Let's imagine that the pay is fine, the benefits are good, the career path promising. If you’re in public accounting or a CPA with a public accounting background, there’s a new rule to consider following:  “No matter how happy you are in your current role, now is the best time to be looking at what’s out there.”  Here's why:

Financial Services vs. Accounting & Finance - What's the difference? It's a question we hear often. There are a lot of differences, in fact. Today, I met with Julie Amende, the leader of our Financial Services division, to chat through the three main differences that set our specialties apart. 

According to a recent survey by Magnify Money, half of all full-time workers are expecting a year-end bonus this year.  That, just on its own, is a compelling statistic. But as we near the end of an incredibly busy, often unpredictable year of executive recruiting in the Twin Cities, I’d like to offer a few observations – and words of caution – to employers, starting with this:

As an executive recruiter in the Accounting and Finance space, one of the roles I most often partner with employers to fill is the role of Controller. As a CPA myself, I'm no stranger to updating my own LinkedIn profile to attract the attention of a hiring manager in this space. More importantly, I've partnered with dozens of companies throughout the midwest to help them find and vet top talent, with the goal of finding the perfect fit for their vacant Controller role. 

A trend is emerging among mid-market, publicly traded companies that we'd like to share: The perfect candidate profile for a Chief Financial Officer is shifting. I'll explain who we're being asked to find, why, and how this impacts you...

While the events of the past eighteen months have driven major disruptions to hiring and staffing processes throughout the business world, few leadership roles have been as impacted as that of the CFO. Today, as organizational leaders continue to sort through the lessons learned from this challenging and unprecedented time, there is growing recognition of the importance and influence of the CFO position.

In a recent post, I talked about how the post-COVID economic recovery has intensified the battle for FP&A talent throughout the Chicago area. My focus was on how today’s successful hiring managers are moving decisively, rapidly, and engagingly to fill open positions, from the moment a top-tier candidate’s resume is received, through onboarding.  Those who don’t move fast lose out.