Industry & Insights - Michelle Stepek on SHRM Prep and Campus Recruiting

Summary

In this insightful interview, Jay Krueger of Walsh College speaks with Michelle Steppic, Talent Acquisition Manager at Doran Mayhew, about her experiences with the Sherm prep class and its impact on her HR career. Michelle shares her journey of passing the Sherm exam, which certifies her in human resource management, and discusses the benefits of the certification for her professional development. Additionally, she provides valuable insights into campus recruiting, the qualities sought in candidates, and the importance of networking and follow-up in the job application process.

Takeaways

• 😀 Michelle Steppic is the Talent Acquisition Manager at Doran Mayhew, focusing on campus recruiting and onboarding new hires.
• 🏢 Doran Mayhew is a midsize CPA and advisory firm specializing in public accounting services, looking for accounting majors and finance students for internships and full-time positions.
• 🎓 The company values candidates with a solid educational background, a minimum GPA of 3.0, and relevant work or leadership experience.
• 🤝 Communication skills and preparation are crucial for students at career fairs, including having questions and following up on LinkedIn.
• 🔎 Students should research the company before attending career fairs, showing interest in Doran Mayhew's culture, opportunities for advancement, and future goals.
• 🗓️ The recruitment timeline typically starts with career fairs in September, followed by first-round interviews within two weeks, and internships beginning in January.
• 📚 Michelle recently passed the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) exam, enhancing her HR knowledge and credibility.
• 📈 The SHRM exam is a comprehensive 4-hour test covering HR knowledge and situational questions, preparing HR professionals for various scenarios.
• 📚 Michelle attended a 10-week SHRM prep course, which was conducted online and helped her dissect and understand HR concepts and scenarios.
• 💼 The SHRM certification benefits Michelle's career by providing a well-rounded understanding of HR beyond her focus on talent acquisition and recruitment.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the discussion between Jay Krueger and Michelle Steppic?

The main topics are the SHRM prep class and Michelle's experience in HR, particularly with campus recruiting at Walsh College.

What is Michelle Steppic's role at Doran Mayhew?

Michelle Steppic is the Talent Acquisition Manager at Doran Mayhew.

What services does Doran Mayhew provide?

Doran Mayhew is a midsize CPA and advisory firm that provides various public accounting services, including audit, tax, and advisory.

What qualities does Doran Mayhew look for in students during campus recruiting?

Doran Mayhew looks for students majoring in accounting, with an interest in obtaining their CPA, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and some type of work or leadership experience.

How does Michelle suggest students follow up after meeting recruiters at a career fair?

Michelle suggests that students follow up by sending a message on LinkedIn, mentioning where they met and expressing their interest in staying connected or inquiring about opportunities.

What are some good questions for students to ask recruiters to stand out?

Students can ask about the company's culture, opportunities for advancement beyond an internship, and the company's goals and future direction.

What is the timeline for Doran Mayhew's recruitment process after a career fair?

After a career fair, interviews typically happen within the first two weeks, starting with a first-round interview with Michelle, followed by second-round interviews at the Troy location, and then a decision on an offer.

What is the SHRM exam, and why is it important in the HR field?

The SHRM exam, offered by the Society of Human Resource Management, is a certification that enhances credibility and knowledge in HR, covering various topics like benefits, compensation, and labor laws.

What was Michelle's experience with the SHRM prep class at Walsh College?

Michelle found the SHRM prep class at Walsh College very helpful. It was a 10-week online course that covered the material and practice questions, which prepared her well for the 4-hour exam.

How does the SHRM certification benefit Michelle's career?

The SHRM certification provides a thorough understanding of various HR aspects, making Michelle a well-rounded HR professional. It also opens opportunities for further career advancement beyond her current role in talent acquisition.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction and HR Recruitment Insights

In this introductory paragraph, Jay Krueger welcomes Michelle Steppic, a talent acquisition manager at Doran Mayhew, to the Walsh College Creator Lab. They discuss Michelle's role in HR, focusing on campus recruiting, internship programs, and full-time hire positions. Michelle highlights the importance of onboarding new hires and her involvement in the early stages of employee engagement. The conversation sets the stage for a deeper dive into recruitment strategies and the impact of the Sherm prep class on Michelle's professional development.

05:00

📚 Doran Mayhew Overview and Recruitment Process

Michelle provides an overview of Doran Mayhew, a midsize CPA and advisory firm specializing in public accounting services. She mentions their focus on recruiting accounting majors, finance students, and those in the Masters in Taxation program at Walsh College. The paragraph delves into the qualities Doran Mayhew looks for in potential hires, such as a strong academic background, relevant work experience, and leadership qualities. Michelle also discusses the recruitment timeline, starting with career fairs in September, followed by interviews and offers, with internships typically beginning in January. She emphasizes the importance of students showing interest and following up after career fairs, particularly through LinkedIn connections.

10:03

🎓 Sherm Exam Preparation and HR Certification

In this segment, Michelle shares her experience with the Sherm exam, which is administered by the Society of Human Resource Management. She describes the extensive preparation required for the four-hour exam, covering various HR topics. Michelle enrolled in a 10-week Sherm prep class, which was conducted online and focused on dissecting textbooks and practicing questions. The class helped her understand the material deeply and prepare for both knowledge-based and situational questions on the exam. Passing the Sherm exam has certified Michelle as a professional in HR, enhancing her credibility and knowledge in the field. She discusses the benefits of the certification, such as access to continuing education credits and networking opportunities within the HR community.

Keywords

💡Walsh College

Walsh College is an educational institution where the interview takes place. It is a significant setting in the video, as it hosts the career fairs and recruiting events that are central to the discussion. Michelle Steppic, the talent acquisition manager at Doran Mayhew, visits Walsh College for campus recruiting, indicating its role in connecting students with potential employers.

💡Talent Acquisition Manager

A talent acquisition manager is a professional responsible for attracting, identifying, and hiring talent for an organization. In the video, Michelle Steppic holds this role at Doran Mayhew, where she is involved in campus recruiting, internship programs, and full-time hiring, highlighting the importance of this position in connecting the college with potential job opportunities.

💡Doran Mayhew

Doran Mayhew is a midsize CPA and advisory firm that specializes in public accounting services. The company is mentioned as a place where many Walsh College alumni work, and it actively recruits accounting majors, finance students, and others from the college. This keyword is crucial as it represents the employer perspective in the discussion about career opportunities and recruitment.

💡HR Team

The HR team, or human resources team, is responsible for managing personnel functions within an organization. Michelle Steppic is a member of Doran Mayhew's HR team, focusing on talent acquisition. This team plays a critical role in the hiring process, from initial recruitment to onboarding, as discussed in the video.

💡Campus Recruiting

Campus recruiting refers to the process of hiring new graduates directly from colleges or universities. In the video, Michelle Steppic discusses her role in campus recruiting at Walsh College, emphasizing the importance of this method for filling internships and full-time positions at Doran Mayhew.

💡Internship Program

An internship program provides students with practical experience in their field of study, often as a stepping stone to full-time employment. The video mentions Doran Mayhew's internship program as a way for accounting and finance students to gain hands-on experience and potentially transition into full-time roles.

💡Career Fair

A career fair is an event where employers meet potential employees, typically students or recent graduates. In the script, career fairs are highlighted as opportunities for students to introduce themselves to recruiters like Michelle Steppic and for recruiters to identify promising candidates.

💡LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform often used for career development and networking. In the video, Michelle Steppic advises students to follow up after career fairs by connecting with recruiters on LinkedIn, demonstrating the platform's utility in modern recruitment practices.

💡SHRM Certification

The SHRM Certification, offered by the Society for Human Resource Management, is a professional credential that validates HR knowledge and skills. Michelle Steppic recently passed the SHRM exam, which is a significant achievement in her career, indicating her commitment to professional development and expertise in the HR field.

💡SHRM Prep Class

The SHRM Prep Class is a course designed to prepare individuals for the SHRM certification exam. Michelle Steppic enrolled in this class at Walsh College, which was conducted online and involved intensive study and practice to ensure she was well-prepared for the certification exam.

💡Public Accounting

Public accounting refers to the practice of accounting services provided to the public, often involving auditing, tax preparation, and financial advisory services. Doran Mayhew is described as a full-service firm in public accounting, making it an attractive employer for students pursuing careers in this field.

Highlights

Introduction of Michelle Steppic, Talent Acquisition Manager at Doran Mayhew.

Michelle's role involves campus recruiting, internship programs, and onboarding new hires.

Doran Mayhew is a midsize CPA and advisory firm specializing in public accounting services.

Doran Mayhew recruits accounting majors, finance students, and MBAs interested in CPA.

Michelle emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience in public accounting.

Recruitment events are held at Walsh College, focusing on accounting and finance students.

Students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and relevant work experience are preferred.

Leadership experience and involvement in student clubs can help candidates stand out.

Effective communication and preparation are crucial at career fairs.

Following up after a career fair, especially on LinkedIn, is highly recommended.

Michelle suggests students ask about company culture, advancement opportunities, and firm goals.

Students should research the company before attending recruitment events.

The recruitment timeline from career fair to internship typically starts in January.

Michelle recently passed the SHRM exam, enhancing her HR credentials.

The SHRM exam is a 4-hour test covering extensive HR knowledge and situational questions.

Michelle took a 10-week SHRM prep course to prepare for the exam.

The prep course involved dissecting practice questions and learning from others' perspectives.

Certification by SHRM enhances credibility and provides opportunities for professional growth.

Michelle's certification helps her in understanding various aspects of HR beyond her current role.

Doran Mayhew recommended and supported Michelle in taking the SHRM prep course.

Transcripts

welcome to the Walsh College Creator lab

my name is Jay Krueger and today I have

with me Michelle steppic Michelle

actually comes to us for a couple

different things uh but she is on the HR

team over at Doran Mayhew and we are

going to talk today about the Sherm prep

class what that's done for you and then

also you uh have the opportunity to come

in and talk to a lot of our students for

on campus recruiting so I want to talk

about that as well so first let's kick

off and I will let you introduce

yourself and talk to us a little bit

about what you do all right thank you so

much for having me so uh my name is

Michelle steppic I am the talent

acquisition manager at Doran Mayhew I'm

a member of our human resources team um

right here in our Troy office which is

right down the street um so with my role

I um really do a lot of Campus

recruiting um I'm here at Walsh um a

couple times a year at least we're

filling our internship program summer

program um and then I'm also working on

our full-time experience hire positions

and I spend a lot of time onboarding our

new hires so I'm very involved on the

front end with all of our employees

which is a lot of fun as well and I have

been with Doran Mayu now um coming up on

four years this fall nice nice we uh we

love Doran Mayu we have a lot of alumni

over there and you guys come and get a

lot of our students so uh tell me a

little bit about what is what is Dorne

Mayu what does the company do and uh and

then we can dive into what it's like to

recruit our students over there so we

are midsize CPA and advisory firm um

really specializing in all types of

Services Public Accounting Rel ated um

we um usually are recruiting your

accounting Majors here at Walsh however

we have a couple Finance we've had some

um people that have gone through the

Masters in taxation program here which

is very unique we've had um some MBA

students as well um so we are full

service firm anyone that's looking to

get into public accounting get their CPA

the internship program is a great way to

really get started in that nice um and

we provide a really great hands-on

experience to anyone that's really kind

of interested in that field for sure so

you come to a lot of our uh recruiting

events that are here so when you come on

to campus for those events what are the

what are some of the qualities you look

for in the students yep so we're usually

looking for accounting Majors here and

there we will dip into finance a bit but

primarily students that are going into

accounting and that have an interest in

the CPA World okay so if they are on

that path or if they're looking to kind

of get their MBA or maybe a master's

degree um pursuing their CPA eventually

um we have a couple other requirements

you know that they've taken Intermediate

Accounting they have you know a certain

GPA which is usually a 3.0 or higher and

then have some type of you know work

experience or leadership experience on

their resume if there's any type of

student club or organizations they're

part of that always really helps stand

out too sure for sure so um so beyond

the educational aspect what is something

that student can do to stand out to you

at a career fair um really they

communication being prepared at the

career fair um coming with questions

obviously giving me a resume introducing

themselves you know some of the simpler

things um but following up after a

career fair is huge um reaching out on

LinkedIn meeting you know your

connections and you know networking with

them um and then you know showing

interest in our opportunities and you

know following through with our

interview process and that's really a

lot of my job is to get candidates

through that that's great so you so when

you're on campus you're looking for that

first level of do an introduction get

them in involved and see you know have

those conversations from there um and

then when you talk about followup so you

mentioned LinkedIn what's what's a way

that somebody could follow up on

LinkedIn that would feel I I know so I

have uh I have a sister right now who's

going through this entire process she's

fresh out of college and going through

this and one of the things she says is

she's like isn't it weird if I just if

I'm just reaching out to these people on

LinkedIn I only met them for 5 minutes

right what is a way that that as a

recruiter and somebody in your role that

you would receive a message and that

doesn't feel strange right yeah usually

it comes from the student and they'll

say like hey Michelle it was great to

meet you at Walsh college at meet the

firms would love to stay connected with

you or I just submitted my application

for an internship love to hear back um

and I'll do the same too if there's a

student that really stood out to me I

will go and message them connect with

them on LinkedIn and say like Hey Jake

it was great to meet you at Walsh you

know I'd love to stay in touch about

opportunities um feel feel free to you

know connect with me and reach out if

you have any questions um and that's

totally normal totally normal no that's

that's a great way to do it so what are

some questions that that students can

come in so what one of the things you

said was it stands out when they come in

with good questions what are some of

those good questions yeah I would say

you know asking about Doran Mayu and

maybe like what our culture is like what

are the opportunities um for advancement

Beyond an internship we're really trying

to look for students that are more

long-term and you know beyond the

internship like it is great when when

they spend you know three to four months

with us but like beyond that like what

does a potential path look like um you

know what are the advancement

opportunities what are like the goals of

Dorne Mayu and like where do you see the

firm going just kind of showing more of

a a deeper interest in The Firm instead

of like what do you know what internship

do you have for me well and dor May has

been around for a long time so there is

a lot of history there as well so would

you look for them to come in with a

little bit of knowledge of who who you

are yeah I would definitely expect that

they know that we're size firm we're

located based here in Troy but we do

have other locations now we are you know

been around since like the 1930s but you

know if you've done a little bit of

research you can see that we've grown to

like Grand Rapids now Houston Texas some

locations in Florida and I would

definitely expect that a student knows

I'd say a little bit of inform atast a

little bit yeah for sure for sure it

would definitely help them stand out so

uh so that's incredible and I I look

forward to the the new upcoming season

of career fair season where we start

bring bring them in what when you have

them come in and you're talking to them

what is the timeline like from from that

career fair that first introduction to

the time where they actually get

involved with orm you yeah so usually a

lot of career fairs happen in September

it's a busy time of year with a lot of

schools doing their Career Fairs or meet

the firms so we meet you on campus um if

you're interested and you're ready to go

um interviews are usually happening

within the first like two weeks or so um

and that's with me so I do every first

round interview virtu and I meet the

students from there if things are still

going well I'll send everything over to

our hiring managers kind of give them my

recommendations say hey I really

recommend you know XYZ for a second

round come on in you know to the office

um and then our second round interviews

are done um in our Troy location with

the hiring team of the group that

they're pursuing whe that's audit tax or

maybe advisory okay um and from there we

make a a pretty quick decision on an

offer and then all of our internships

typically start in January so there is

usually some type of like period where

you know they're just kind of offer

accepted keep in touch but they're not

really working for us okay okay but

that's good though so there would at

least be the communication of this is

upcoming yes just be yeah so that's cool

very cool well I I do look forward to

having you guys continue to be part of

the Walsh Community as as far as the as

far as the career Affairs go now let's

go into more of your side of things on

the HR side so you just recently uh

passed your Sherm exam which

congratulations that is such an

incredible thing um and so tell me you

you came to Walsh and took the Sherm

prep class I did tell me what that was

like so I enrolled in the Sherm prep

class that started this past February it

was a 10-week prep course which was

actually done um online this year so

this was a zoom class um it was every

Wednesday from 6:00 to 10: um for about

10 weeks okay and so throughout the 10

weeks we were going over information in

the the books we were learning the

material we were also going through

practice questions and really kind of

diving in and I would say dissecting

some of this to really help prepare us

for the exam so okay so tell me because

that sounds like a like a lot it so so

tell me what is what is the shm exam and

what does that do for somebody in the HR

space yes so this is um Sherm which

stands for Society of human resource

management and so um I just passed the

um certified professional certification

now I am certified by Sherm um and there

is a pretty lengthy exam uh to this it

is about a 4-Hour exam there's four

textbooks involved and so throughout the

prep course they are really preparing

you to help you know pass this exam and

then beyond that now I am certified in

you know in sherm and so I can take

additional like continuing credits um

really helps with credibility and just

kind of you know standing out in the

World furthering my Knowledge and Skills

and really meeting a lot of people

through shm too yeah so this is a this

is a an industry title that is very

highly known yeah so I know that uh our

Walsh Leadership Academy just got

approved into the uh Sherm uh uh

continuing education credits which

that's an incredible thing but I didn't

realize what all that meant and now how

long is this exam it sounds like it's

extensive it is really extensive I'm not

going to lie um so it's a 4-Hour exam

you have um exactly the four hours to do

it you may take a break throughout if

you want to the timer's counting down

you go to a testing center and they

check you in and then you are on your

way for the next four hours um answering

a series of Knowledge Questions so this

is just testing you know did you

memorize the material do you know the

material and then there's situational

questions where it's going to give you a

scenario an HR scenario and then it's

going to give you responses of you know

how would you best handle this what's

the next best step you know what would

you do in this situation wow so those

situational questions was were they were

tough but um the prep course really

helped a lot with that okay what kind of

stuff would you do in the prep course

that would prepare you for those

situational questions because those seem

like the part that would really give you

things I those those are definitely

tough I'm not going to lie um but we

would go through a question and um our

instructor would read it for us we'd go

through it and then we would usually

either like knock out a couple that we

knew weren't the answer it's all

multiple choice

we knock out a CP that we knew itn't and

then we narrow down to like knowbe and

we' all have to really participate and

let the instructor know like why did we

think it was this answer so it was

really helping me to learn from other

people like wow okay they think like

this but I'm thinking this way right so

we would you know kind of dive into that

um you know why do you think this and

then we'd come to a conclusion and

sometimes we were wrong and sometimes we

were right but it really helped to kind

of like pick apart each response yeah no

that's that's an incredible way and and

it's it's interesting that you every

industry I feel like has their thing

their certification thing we had

somebody in here before talking about

the CPA exam which is extensive and is

is you know crazy but it sounds like

this is right there this is very intense

as well yes so now what so you talked a

little bit about what this does for your

career what now on a personal level do

you hope to be able to do beyond what

you've done so far yeah so it really

helped me have like a a more thorough

understanding of HR because my job is so

focused in Talent acquisition and

recruitment but there are so many other

pieces of HR involved I mean we were

looking at benefits and compensation

employee relations labor laws there's a

ton of things that go into that

Performance Management and I don't

really necessarily deal with that stuff

every day um other people on my team do

but um I don't really have you know much

dealings with let's say benefits and

compensation in my role um so it really

kind of helped I guess set a foundation

for me and I can I'd say participate a

little bit more in other aspects of HR

and it helps me just kind of I'd say be

a better well-rounded professional you

know when I'm talking to candidates it's

very helpful and knowledgeable to know

that type of stuff so I'm excited to

kind of build upon that and maybe get

into you know maybe something else

Beyond recruiting one day yeah no it

sounds like it really made you a very

well-rounded HR professional now

abolutely so it's incredible well you

know Michelle I I really appreciate you

chatting through this because I think a

lot of people don't realize one how

extensive that Sherm exam is that's that

sounds like a pretty intense thing but

then also to know that there is the

resources to get you in a space where

you can feel good about going into that

exam feel confident going into that you

know the right answers and uh I I think

it's going to be perfect I think there's

going to be a lot of people excited to

know that there's a resource out there

for them uh to better themselves in

their HR career yeah so thank you so

much absolutely thank you yeah it was

great to have um the support from Walsh

obviously and through my company as well

I was actually recommended to take this

course through Doran Mayhew my my

manager previously took it here when it

was offered only in person pre-co days

and um she said it really helped her and

I would say the exact same thing I don't

know if I would have been as successful

without the course so love to hear that

love to hear that very helpful yes thank

you so much yeah no problem

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