Looking for a credit and collections clerk or manager? Before starting your search, get a sense of the competition out there. According to Burning Glass, a labor-insights provider, there have been 10,709 job postings for both credit and collections clerks and managers in the past 12 months. So while these aren't the most competitive roles to be recruiting right now, you still want to be in a position to bring the right person on your team.
First, here's a handy checklist for finding a credit and collections clerk or manager:
Want some help working through these steps? Below are tips and insights for each of the checklist tasks. Let's dig in.
"That's the way we've always done it" is a poor reason to resist change of any kind, but it's especially true in regard to hiring processes. Lengthy hiring cycles strain existing employees and risk important work falling through the cracks. And when it comes to credit and collections roles, which greatly impact your organization's financial health by maintaining the integrity of your client accounts, timeliness is everything.
So as a first step, examine your current hiring process using the diagram below to find out where "the way you've always done it" can be improved.
While there are many factors that determine the attractiveness of a job offer, a competitive salary is a guaranteed attention grabber. But what constitutes "competitive" for clerks will be different for managers, and level of experience makes a difference, too. For a refresher on what salary demands are for these roles, Randstad's salary guide is an excellent source for getting nationwide averages.
In addition to title and experience, a competitive salary can also vary greatly by region. For a more detailed look at up-to-date salary data in your specific area, check out our salary calculator.
The responsibilities of credit and collections clerks and managers can vary widely from company to company, so it's especially important to nail down exactly what it is you need in terms of skills and experience.
Of course, the right person must be able to keep customers and account managers happy by keeping accurate financial records. But beyond that, you'll need to have a discussion with appropriate parties — think business and hiring managers as well as team leaders — to come up with a list of necessary items (or "must-haves") — such as expert customer service and billing and invoicing experience — and ideal items (or "nice-to-haves") — like financial risk management skills or in-depth portfolio and project management experience.
Listed below are the most requested skills for credit and collections positions across the nation, based on the past 12 months of job postings:
customer service
credit risk
accounting
customer contact
customer billing
customer accounts
risk management
A good job description is like a welcome mat, inviting prospects in to consider all you have to offer and to imagine working for you. Here are a few tips for making sure your welcome mat gets the job done.
don't write like a robot
Yes, there are a lot of dry facts to cover in a job description. But that doesn't mean they need to be handled like an output of data. Simply put, an impersonal presentation makes for an impersonal experience for the job seeker. To pique the reader's interest by using accessible language and covering personable topics, like company culture and shared values.
Another surefire way to show you're a real live person writing the job description? Anticipate questions applicants will have: What's the outlook for career growth? Is there a clear path from clerk to manager or even an executive position?
Also, the responsibilities that can fall under the title of collections and credit clerk or manager span a wide spectrum, so be specific with what expectations will be. These are the elements that let a prospect know there's a human on the other side of the description, trying to find another human to join the team.
show how this job is meaningful
People want more than a paycheck from their work; they want purpose. If a candidate is seeking meaningful work, employers that can articulate that meaning from the outset place themselves at an advantage. A credit and collections clerk, for example, will definitely be looking for growth opportunities in the long run — to the manager level and beyond — so calling out how you prioritize internal advancement or your professional development offerings will be sure to stir excitement to apply. So be sure to highlight the shared values and vision that give your company a greater purpose, and then make clear how this specific position contributes to that purpose and the business's success.
make it easy to skim
The key to an eye-catching job description is to keep it skimmable. Here are a few tips on how to do just that.
These three pointers should set you off in the right direction, but if you're looking for more advice, refer to our guide to writing highly effective job descriptions.
Your company and its hiring needs don't exist in a vacuum. Whatever is going on in the industry at large will impact your recruitment efforts. Let's take a look at a few trends happening in the accounting and finance industry to see how they will influence the roles of credit and collections clerk and manager.
Despite advancements in technology that streamline actual collections, the responsibilities that credit and collections roles have in investigating potential risk of new suppliers and customers continues to be crucial.
The top three industries hiring credit and collections clerks and managers are: finance, insurance and real estate. Employers in these industries, therefore, should anticipate even higher competition for top talent.
The highest demand for credit and collections roles this past year was found in California, Texas and New York. So if you're in one of these states, you'll need to focus on distinguishing your offer from the pack during any talent hunt.
So, where are you actually going to find this talent you need? Who or what do you turn to to get the word out? While there are loads of options available — such as networking events, employee referrals, job fairs — not all yield the same crop. And when it comes to recruiting, by and large, you reap what you sow.
And what you're able to sow can vary greatly from company to company: everything from workforce size, recruiting budgets and specific hiring needs can influence how much you're able to diversify the approach you take. To expand your efforts, consider using a staffing firm, whose mission it is to find you the right fit for your company, not someone else's.
Moreover, when you're looking for someone who will be determining the creditworthiness of potential and current clients — a responsibility that certainly shapes your company's reputation and bottom line — having access to a staffing partner's prescreened and vetted talent, in addition to their industry experts ready to save the day, eliminates a whole lot of risk.
Want to learn more? Reach out to Randstad's accounting and finance experts today. Or, explore our on-demand talent pool through our Find Employees portal.