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Read where Aureus Group has made the news in our industry and in our
community.
Demand for Accounting Intensifies as Profession Resists
Volatility of Economy
Midlands Business Journal, July 11, 2008
Accountants are in high demand and many command high starting
salaries, but it takes devoted study to get there and the education
never stops. Employers want to hire accountants who are “analytical,
knowledgeable about technology, and have good communication skills,”
said Chris Carlson, regional manager of Aureus Group. “Accountants
are now seen by corporations as business partners who will increase
cost efficiencies, be skilled financial analysts and involve
themselves in capital and operational decisions.” They are not just
background people who supply executives with the numbers, Carlson
said. The accounting needs of small firms are often different from
the needs of larger companies, Carlson said. “Smaller firms often
want a generalist who can do the routine day-to-day bookkeeping work
and may be able to develop the position to the point where he or she
is making recommendations to the executive team,” she said. “Large
firms tend to want people with specialized skills especially in the
areas of international tax laws, multi-state payrolls, technology
and compliance issues arising from Sarbanes Oxley.”
Millennials Usher In New Kind of Work Life
Omaha World-Herald, June 16, 2008
It’s no longer business as usual, as young professionals change the
way American companies operate and redefine expectations in the
workplace. Millennials, also referred to as members of Generation Y, are
generally defined as those born in the 1980s and ‘90s. “We’ve (millennials)
been raised with the idea that we can do or be anything we aspire to
be,” said Brad Jones, 27, a corporate accounting and finance recruiter
at Aureus Group, a division of C&A Industries. “I think we’re more
results-driven,” he said. Scot Thompson, chief operating officer at C&A
Industries, an Omaha-based corporate recruiting and staffing firm, said
he has noticed that flexibility is extremely important to millennials,
who are more conscientious of a work-life balance than previous
generations. A low unemployment rate has created lots of opportunities,
Thompson said. In addition, millions of baby boomers are preparing to
leave the job market in the next several years, and it will be difficult
for companies to fill those positions, he said. “It’s an employees’
market and they (millennials) know it. This generation’s workers are
loyal to mentors and their teams…and they thrive in team-oriented
environments," he said. Adds Jones, “It is important to me that I
contribute to the culture (at work), and I want to be recognized as a
value and an authority in my position.”
Kara Strong Named as “40 Under 40” Award Winner
Lincoln Business Journal, June 1, 2008
The Lincoln Business Journal is pleased to recognize Kara Strong as a
“40 Under 40” award recipient. As branch manager for the Nebraska
division of Aureus Finance and Accounting, Kara led her team at the
Lincoln office to its highest revenue ever in 2007. Strong has managed
employees for more than seven years and is regarded as a key member of
the management team and a role model in the organization. Strong started
with Aureus as a recruiter in 1999 and recruited for all accounting
positions, from clerks to top executives. After serving as senior
account manager and sales manager, she was promoted to branch manager
for the state of Nebraska in August 2007. Today she trains, evaluates,
motivates, and monitors a staff of 10 employees. Strong is a certified
personnel consultant and is active with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
and the Society for Human Resource Management.
Carlson Expands Aureus Group, Develops Systems and Executive Search
Divisions
Midlands Business Journal, March 28, 2008
Before she began working for Aureus Group, Chris Carlson admits she
didn’t have a clue what the staffing industry was all about. Fourteen
years later, her accomplishments and leadership in the company certainly
wouldn’t suggest that. Carlson, regional manager, has played an
important role in growing Aureus, which is composed of three divisions,
from four to 40 employees since joining the company in 1994. “There are
three different teams that are part of Aureus Group – executive search,
systems and finance and accounting – and each team has experts in its
own marketplaces,” Carlson said. “I always talk about our three key
success factors – market penetration, people, and development and client
or candidate satisfaction. Everything I do is one way or another related
to those areas.” Carlson was introduced to the staffing industry by
Larry Courtnage, the founder of C&A Industries, Aureus Group’s parent
company. I definitely didn’t know what the staffing industry was about
when I joined Aureus,” she said. “Its ironic how it lends itself to my
personality and the strengths I honed in a big family – working in
teams, being able to collaborate and work together. My dad always said
‘Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you’ and working
among some really amazing people has pushed me to new levels.” The best
advice she has ever received, Carlson said, came from her mother and
father. “I was fortunate to have some amazing parents who taught me
strong work ethic,” she said. “My dad always told me to do what’s right
and that if I believed in something to stand up for it, even if I was
the only one standing. He told me to do things right not matter what the
impact is.”
Bull Markets, Bear Markets Fail to Impact Midlands Business Journal's
40/40 Event
Midlands Business Journal, November 9, 2007
The bulls charge, the bears snarl, but one things remains little changed
by time. That is the interest in the Midland's Business Journal's annual
event honoring 40 entrepreneurs, executives and professional men and women
under the age of 40. More than 130 nominations were submitted for the 2007
event from Greater Omaha, Sarpy County and Council Bluffs. Chris Carlson of
Aureus Group was named to the esteemed list. As regional manager, Carlson
has built the firm's Omaha market share and expanded its territory through
the Midwest. Carlson has consistently exceeded revenue growth objectives,
increasing her team's bottom line by 41 percent in the last year. Since
starting at Aureus as a business developer in 1994, Carlson has grown the
firm's service from four to 37 employees serving hundreds of clients. She
evolved the accounting division, expanding its niche to include information
systems and executive disciplines, and increased the executive search team
168 percent. People development has been a key part of Carlson's work. She
surrounds herself with smart people and empowers them to think for
themselves.
Companies Explore Solutions to Short Supply of Tech Workers
Midlands Business Journal, October 12, 2007
A recent nationwide survey of 1,400 CIOs at companies with 100 or more
employees showed that many believe their technical support teams are too
small to do the job optimally. Solutions to a shortage of technical people
include relying on contracted employees provided by staffing agencies on a
limited time basis, outsourcing various IT functions, revving up recruiting
and offering better salaries and benefits. "When the 2010 worker shortage
hits, it will eclipse the shortage we experienced in the late 1990s", said
Chris Carlson, regional manager of Aureus Group, a division of C&A
Industries. The shortage will be created by the retirement of baby boomers
whose number will greatly exceed that of young people replacing them in the
workforce. "In the late 1990s, technology lead the workforce revolution,"
Carlson said. Sizable starting salaries, big bonuses, ruthless competition
and unusual perks like taking your pets to work were fairly common, she
said. "Companies need to prepare for the coming shortage, especially the
decreased supply of knowledge workers with specialized skills," she said.
The highest in demand skill sets are Java and .NET, Carlson said. "Database
administrators and business analysts are also high in demand," she said.
"The IT/IS professionals who have strong written and verbal communication
skills are hired and promoted quickly. Because of the talent war, companies
are becoming increasing flexible in offering flex time, virtual work force
options and casual dress codes."
Diverse Workplaces Being Sought by Nebraska Employers
Midlands Business Journal, July 27, 2007
Employers in Nebraska are working increasingly to create a diverse
workplace. Educating staff on how to work effectively in a diverse
environment may prevent discrimination and promote inclusiveness said Nuria
Archer, sales manager with AG in Omaha. Diversity is defined as the relative
uniqueness of each individual in the population, Archer said. Staff
retention, productivity and creativity have been found to increase in
organizations with a diverse workforce in which the individual differences
of employees are respected, she said. "Diversity in the workplace can also
enhance relationships with current and prospective customers, employee
recruitment, and the company's image in the community," Archer said.
Companies can identify diverse recruits by promoting themselves in the
community as a company that is actively seeking to recruit diverse
candidates. That can be done by participating in career fairs, conveying the
issue in recruitment marketing pieces, and communicating an intent to
recruit a diverse workforce. Increasing diversity in a company also means
that employees must be skilled at managing a multicultural work environment,
so some training may be required, Archer said.
Accounting Degree Is Highly Prized In Today's Job Market
Midlands Business Journal, July 13, 2007
Supply and demand may be in perfect sync in a few years, with the number
of college graduates with degrees in accounting matching the job market's
demand for their skills. Currently, however, companies looking for
accountants are competing for a short supply of candidates. It's a
candidate-driven market, especially for those job seekers who are degreed,
have at least two years of experience and have excellent communications
skills, said Chris Carlson, regional manager of Aureus Group. Most positions
are in one of three categories: business analyst, tax, and audit or cost
accounting. "Companies are looking for someone who will be a well-rounded
asset to the firm," Carlson said. Routinely, Aureus Group must recruit from
outside the Omaha area to fill local positions, Carlson said. "At any given
time, we are relocating a handful of people," she said. "We have better luck
getting people back to this area if they have roots here." It is not
uncommon for people to take a job elsewhere after graduating from college
and then to return to this area when they marry and have children, she said.
Youthful candidates for accounting positions tend to expect different things
from a job than their parents or grandparents did, Carlson added. "They want
a balanced life, flexibility and a clearly defined career path," she said.
"Intangible things matter, and companies get back what they give in this
respect."
IT Specialists Place High on Job Market's 'Most Wanted' List
Midlands Business Journal, June 29, 2007
Trends in the eastern Nebraska job market include a persistent shortage
of qualified candidates for specialized IT positions and a rush to fill an
increasingly broad range of call center jobs, some of which require higher
levels of skills and pay higher wages than ever before. Companies are
becoming more competitive in the salaries, benefits, and environment they
offer to attract qualified employees, said Chris Carlson. regional manager
of Aureus Group, which fills staffing needs through its three divisions,
finance and accounting, IT and information systems, and executive search.
Shortages of qualified candidates and the desire to retain employees who
have many opportunities may be causing some firms to reverse the trend of
the past decade and rebuild mentoring and succession planning programs, she
said. "They are finding that turnover costs a lot of money, Carlson said.
Several new formulas have been developed to help companies calculate the
cost of turnover, she said These formulas argue strongly the case for
creating incentives and making accommodations to retain good people.
Businesses still resist investing in internal training programs, she said.
"No one wants to train people," she said. "They put forth some valid
business reasons why this isn't happening. They say they don't have the time
to do it, but I believe that, increasingly, they don't have the time not to
do it." Candidates with excellent soft skills are highly prized at all
levels of employment. Carlson said. "More clients are flexible with tangible
skills and education but want the soft skills," she said. "The virtual
workplace is hard to implement in a team culture so may firms favor
candidates with strong interpersonal skills and are willing to reward them,
Carlson said. "I believe leadership is the key, and that means putting
others first and putting your resources back into people," she said.
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