Best Practices of Best Florida Companies

Mike Vogel | 8/1/2010

Finding New Employees

Jennifer Johnson, marketing director at CPA firm Cross Fernandez & Riley: “We would rather pay our employees than an outside agency” to find new workers. [Photo: Gregg Matthews]

The right fit goes a long way toward having happy employees, so smart hiring practices are a must. Behavior-based interviewing is important, experts say. Many of our Best Companies find it cost-effective to offer bonuses to existing employees when they refer someone who is successfully hired. Managers reason that referrals save on the time and cost of interviewing scores of applicants and that current employees know best who will be a good fit for the organization. The bonuses ranged from a couple hundred dollars at many places to a max of $8,500 at Orlando CPA firm Cross Fernandez & Riley (No. 7, Midsized) for help in hiring a senior manager. "The bonus was a result of a very tough hiring market for CPA firms for most of this decade," says marketing director Jennifer Johnson. She says the firm found top candidates often came from referrals from existing employees. "We would rather pay our employees than an outside agency, and it does cut down on recruiting time."