Staffing Success Magazine (January–February 2011)

Juggling Family and Finance

Meet National Staffing Employee of the Year Debby Johnson

When debits equal credits, Debby Johnson is a happy woman. Why shouldn't she be? For a certified public accountant, balancing equals nirvana. To have found a way to achieve that same balance in her life, between work and family, equals happiness, plain and simple.

It's an equation that would not be possible if it weren't for the staffing industry. Since 2008, Johnson has been a professional financial contractor for the Parker & Lynch division of Accounting Principals, an international accounting and finance professional staffing firm with offices in Richmond, VA, where Johnson and her family live.

"Temporary work has been terrific for me and my family. We value the time that we can all be together. My husband, Bruce, commutes to work outside Richmond, so he isn't available for the kids' doctor's appointments, school meetings, and other activities. For me, being able to have that flexibility with my work schedule is crucial. All three children are at different schools this year also." Nikki, 12 years old, is in middle school; Brad, 9, is in fourth grade; and the youngest, Maddox, just started going to preschool three days a week.

"Our life is hectic but manageable," Johnson says. The statement serves as family motto for good reason. Managing family and work life is something Johnson does with grace and ease, says Jennifer Dodge, managing director for Accounting Principals and Parker & Lynch.

"She's a real ball of energy. She is constantly on the go with her family—always running someone here or there for their many activities. What's so great about her is her ability to organize her day so that she can completely focus on the task at hand when she is in work mode. Her multitasking abilities are excellent."

It is Johnson's ability to continuously juggle the demands of work and family life that inspired Dodge and Accounting Principals to nominate her to be the 2011 National Staffing Employee of the Year, an honor she accepted at Staffing World^® 2010 in Las Vegas in October.

Johnson manages to create flexibility for herself and her family at the same time she consistently meets deadlines, delivers a quality work product, and exceeds the expectations of her assignment managers. "Debby is a great example of how a professional woman can manage her family and also be a valuable asset to corporate America," Dodge observes. "Debby is there for her family and her children, but she is also there for the people who rely on her every day at work."

Her ability to mesh the consuming demands of her profession and her family is one of the reasons she was selected as the staffing employee who best personifies one of the industry's five key messages: jobs, flexibility, bridge, choice, and training.

Dream Job, Dream Family

Johnson, who moved to Richmond from Binghamton, NY, when she was 5, is what she likes to describe as "a retread." She got a bachelor's of business administration in finance from James Madison University. After working for a while, she realized that what accountants did was her idea of a dream job.

Johnson pursued a baccalaureate certificate program at night while working full-time during the day. She received a post-baccalaureate certificate in accounting from Virginia Commonwealth University, then she earned her CPA designation.

In 1999, Johnson turned to Accounting Principals to find a new job. "Richmond is such a small town in some ways," explains Dodge. "I knew Debby when she came to us because Bruce and I had worked together when I was in finance, earlier in our careers. Bruce introduced us when Debby was looking for a career move. You have to love Richmond and our wonderful small-town feel."

Not every contract employee and professional recruiting firm can boast of a working relationship and friendship that goes back 11 years. It's "wonderful," Dodge observes. "Long-term working relationships require a lot of trust in each other. We are always very honest with each other, and this allows us to successfully find the win–win for both Debby and our clients."

That honesty makes Johnson very easy to work with, because the company can easily find a good match for her skills, experience, and temperament. "Debby is always very up-front with us about what she is thinking or how things are going on an assignment. If consultants aren't honest, we may make the wrong fit," Dodge notes. "I like that she gives us feedback from her interviews and tells us problems she foresees. That way, we can make the best match."

Johnson also enjoys the history she has with Accounting Principals and Dodge. "I love working with Accounting Principals because I have built a relationship with many of the people there. They know what I want in terms of an assignment, and I feel they look out for me and call me when that perfect opportunity comes along."

Through her work as a contract employee, she gets the fulfillment of work and the paycheck that goes along with it while also having the flexibility of easing back on work when her life demands it. "Temporary work has afforded me with the opportunity to pick and choose assignment types and the length of each assignment." For example, Johnson wants to be home with her children in the summer. "If I were a regular employee, I wouldn't have the luxury of taking off three months at a time. Temporary work offers me this flexibility."

As her family expanded, her children's needs multiplied. Johnson enjoys spending time with her active crew and being available to help take them to the clubs, sports, and other activities that fill their days. "One thing about Debby that is funny and wonderful is that whenever I call her on the days she's not working for one of our clients, she is in the car taking one or more of her children somewhere," laughs Dodge.

The flexibility that temporary employment offers gave Johnson the chance to give her husband the best gift ever—she arranged a surprise trip to celebrate a milestone birthday. Together with a friend whose husband had a birthday on the same day, Johnson planned a Disney Cruise Line trip for the two families.

"It was one of the most memorable vacations we ever had," Johsnon gushes. "We had an absolute blast. We ended up spending one of the days in Nassau, Bahamas. We went to the Atlantis Resort for the day, and my 3-year-old still says it was the best day of his life. We had access to all of the water park activities. Spending this time with my family and the bonus of really good friends sticks out in my mind as the best vacation that I have ever been on."

When her husband made a career transition, Johnson could increase her consulting hours. As he settled into a new position, she returned to more flexible hours so that she could spend time with her kids. When her mother became ill in the summer, Johnson was able to take a break from working when her assignment was over. "It gave me the time I needed to spend with her. That wouldn't have been possible if I was in a regular position."

Johnson also thinks about a day in the future when she may want to return to the workplace as a full-time regular employee. "Working in temporary positions is a great way to see what a company is like and if it is someplace that I would like to work."

Filling in the Gaps

Johnson's consulting résumé has included everything from providing accounting services for small businesses to filling varied interim accounting and project needs for a global financial services institution in Richmond. Whether it's cleaning up bank account inventories, conducting research, or data mining, she has the experience and skills to get it done.

She has also assisted with very complex derivative accounting and systems issues. "One of her strengths is that she can really understand the gaps in a process," Dodge says, "and she is able to track down the missing and needed information across the client's organization."

"She's a rock star," laughs Dodge. "No, really, that's how one of our clients described her." It may not be the typical view of a CPA, but it fits Johnson to a tee. "She has incredible problem-solving skills, and she gets the big picture from a business perspective so she can identify potential problems that others may not see."

Johnson says her strengths and skills are rooted in her enjoyment of her work. "I like how the accounting information is a puzzle that needs to be figured out and everything must balance. I also love financial reporting. With temporary work, I have had such an array of assignments, that there is no chance of being bored. As a contract employee, I can network, and it adds a variety of experience to my résumé."

As a consummate multitasker and someone who cares deeply about taking care of her responsibilities, Johnson values her role as a temporary employee. "All of the assignments have been rewarding and satisfying in that I was brought on to do a project or function that the regular employees couldn't get to, and I was able to do that job and make contributions that would hopefully help out others later. One of the most rewarding things about temporary work is when a company I have worked for calls Accounting Principals and asks for me, by name, to come back for another assignment. I would say that is better than any annual review that regular employees get."

Making It Work

"Contract work is a viable and enjoyable way to work," Johnson says. "It is becoming such a great faction of the work force. You don't have to have a permanent job to do good work and get accolades for that work."

A typical contract role for Johnson starts out as a two- to three-month assignment, but all her assignments have extended beyond that initial period. One lasted 15 months, she notes. It would have gone longer, but that was when her mother got sick. "The assignment I'm on now is supposed to last three months, and that would be my shortest if it doesn't extend."

One of the remarkable things about Johnson, says Dodge, is that even when emergencies like illness come up, she makes sure that the client is satisfied and wraps up her work. "She flexes her schedule based on the needs of the business. I remember one week where she basically worked until about 10 at night three days in a row. The deadlines needed to be met, and Debby flexed her schedule to make it happen," says Dodge. Johnson is as dedicated to getting the job done in her workplace as she is to taking good care of her family.

"Debby gets the big picture so she can identify potential problems that others may not see. She doesn't just plug numbers; she thinks about what is going on and identifies additional areas that may need attention. She sees things through to completion. But she doesn't stop there. She delivers a complete, well thought-out work product that may go beyond the original work assignment."