Maggie Shea, CPA

"That sentiment was echoed by Maggie Shea, managing partner of StaffBuffalo, a recruiting firm.

Shea said companies used to be leery of hiring people with online degrees but it’s barely a consideration for clients anymore. She said some of the world’s most prestigious colleges have online MBA programs including Cornell University.

“An Ivy League or just really well-regarded school carries more weight because of their reputation,” Shea said. “It’s the brand recognition that people… Show more

"That sentiment was echoed by Maggie Shea, managing partner of StaffBuffalo, a recruiting firm.

Shea said companies used to be leery of hiring people with online degrees but it’s barely a consideration for clients anymore. She said some of the world’s most prestigious colleges have online MBA programs including Cornell University.

“An Ivy League or just really well-regarded school carries more weight because of their reputation,” Shea said. “It’s the brand recognition that people get excited about.”" Show less

Maggie Shea heads StaffBuffalo. It’s an agency that connects employers with job seekers. She believes that recent college graduates, like Kimberly and Jenna shouldn't have a problem landing a job. “It is absolutely a great time to not only move back to Buffalo, but to get started right out of college.”

"There are a lot of headwinds in the local accounting market, said Maggie Shea, managing partner of StaffBuffalo, which specializes in placing candidates into accounting and finance jobs.

In particular, seasoned managers at CPA firms seem to be frustrated by the lack of support for the rigorous jobs and seem to be seeking an exit from public accounting in unusually large volume.

“I’m not sure if it has anything to do with millennials wanting work-life balance, because working for… Show more

"There are a lot of headwinds in the local accounting market, said Maggie Shea, managing partner of StaffBuffalo, which specializes in placing candidates into accounting and finance jobs.

In particular, seasoned managers at CPA firms seem to be frustrated by the lack of support for the rigorous jobs and seem to be seeking an exit from public accounting in unusually large volume.

“I’m not sure if it has anything to do with millennials wanting work-life balance, because working for public accounting firms does grind you into the ground.” Shea said. “It’s an interesting dynamic because we’ve never seen so many managers wanting to leave.”

There is never-ending demand for college graduates in the accounting field, but Shea said the job market changed as employers seek soft skills to complement traditional accounting aptitude.

She said she counsels college students to soak up as many internships as possible.

“Nobody wants to hire someone as an accountant if they don’t know how to use Excel in a work environment or what a real balance sheet looks like,” she said. “Students looking to get into the accounting field need internships, and if they’re not doing that, it’s going to limit their post-collegiate opportunities.”" Show less

It's not easy to build a business from scratch.

But two years ago, Maggie Shea saw an opening in the local recruiting world and ran with it.

Shea, now 31, now runs thriving StaffBuffalo, with five employees, including Shea and her cousin, Lauren Lewis, who is also a partner in the business.

Shea, a certified public accountant, graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor's degree in accounting and minor in mathematics and spent three years at large public… Show more

It's not easy to build a business from scratch.

But two years ago, Maggie Shea saw an opening in the local recruiting world and ran with it.

Shea, now 31, now runs thriving StaffBuffalo, with five employees, including Shea and her cousin, Lauren Lewis, who is also a partner in the business.

Shea, a certified public accountant, graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor's degree in accounting and minor in mathematics and spent three years at large public accounting firms before transitioning to recruiting and human resources. She was working at another local staffing firm during a leadership change, and saw an opportunity for a Buffalo-based staffing agency that specializes in accounting and finance. StaffBuffalo has since branched out to legal, healthcare, human resources and administrative jobs, though their initial focus is still the company's specialty.

Shea said the company places a heavy emphasis on technology, with applicant tracking and customer relations systems, but the key in Buffalo is face-to-face interaction.

"The biggest thing is getting my recruiters and salespeople out there and talking to people," Shea said. "Buffalo companies don't want to rely on technology. They want a person to talk to and meet with."

Two years ago, Shea and her husband, Andrew, purchased an office building at Main Street and Humboldt Parkway that had once been home to the Sisters Hospital Foundation, which now works out of Catholic Health's downtown Buffalo headquarters. They have been steadily at work converting the building into offices that fit the firm's needs.

Shea said the initial goal for StaffBuffalo is to continue establishing the firm's presence in the Buffalo market before branching out regionally. Show less

MAGGIE SHEA, CPA

Maggie Shea, CPA is the owner of StaffBuffalo, LLC which specializes in executive, permanent, and temporary placements, primarily focused on placing Finance and Accounting professionals. Maggie recognizes community involvement is key to her and her business success. An avid volunteer herself, she encourages her team to do the same and is known to occasionally shut down the office for her team to participate together in volunteer events.

Maggie and her team at… Show more

MAGGIE SHEA, CPA

Maggie Shea, CPA is the owner of StaffBuffalo, LLC which specializes in executive, permanent, and temporary placements, primarily focused on placing Finance and Accounting professionals. Maggie recognizes community involvement is key to her and her business success. An avid volunteer herself, she encourages her team to do the same and is known to occasionally shut down the office for her team to participate together in volunteer events.

Maggie and her team at StaffBuffalo take pride in volunteering on various Boards and for events throughout the year! StaffBuffalo is built around the motto that their work is done “to make people happy”, which translates from work to volunteering and vice versa. The team works with companies and people to make career matches, and in turn, they make the managers and employees happy. The team is further solidified by their extensive involvement in the community.

The StaffBuffalo team participates in “Cooks for Kids” and ran the 5k at the Ronald McDonald House Charities. They volunteer for NextGen (aka YCPAs of the NYSSCPAs) at the annual NextGen Golf Outing, the annual Taste of Buffalo, and volunteered at Evergreen Health Services in preparation for Pride Week, which included running in the Gay 5k. The StaffBuffalo team also volunteers for the Finance Team at the Promise Shop for the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure WNY, plants trees in the community through Re-Tree WNY, and donates blood and platelets for Roswell Park. They volunteer for and help coordinate the Annual Parkside Tour of Homes and help fundraise, plan, and attend events for Child & Family Services, Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance (AFWA), and WNY Human Resources Young Professionals (WNY HR YPs). The team also works closely with B Team Buffalo, where they volunteer for the groups largest event, City of Light, participated in a Buffalo park clean up, and volunteered for one of their other signature events, Send Hunger Packing. Show less

Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with AFWA Member and small business owner, Maggie Shea, CPA. In this interview, Maggie discusses her challenges when starting a new business, the importance of a great support system, a passion for volunteer work, and her advice for others considering entrepreneurship.

Tell me a little about your background – what brought you to the point when you decided you would start your own business?

We launched StaffBuffalo on April Fools Day in… Show more

Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with AFWA Member and small business owner, Maggie Shea, CPA. In this interview, Maggie discusses her challenges when starting a new business, the importance of a great support system, a passion for volunteer work, and her advice for others considering entrepreneurship.

Tell me a little about your background – what brought you to the point when you decided you would start your own business?

We launched StaffBuffalo on April Fools Day in 2015 and it has overall been a success! I am a 30 year old CPA (Certified Public Accountant) with Big Four and local public accounting experience in NYC, BVI, and Buffalo, NY. My goal is and always has been simple but important: to make people happy. That simple goal is my life’s passion.

Originally, I started out as a Public Accountant for 3 years, until deciding that I wanted to help Accounting/Finance professionals figure out what they wanted to be when they grew up! I started at a local recruiting firm, where I learned a lot and found out that I love helping people and their career goals!

Read more here: https://www.afwa.org/2016/05/12/staffbuffalo-small-business/ Show less

The next generation of behind-the-scenes movers and shakers is rising up with fresh passion, bounding energy and unbridled drive — without them, the "new Buffalo" wouldn't have begun to take hold. Whether they're shepherding along the Queen City's entrepreneurs, reimagining what it means to be a full-service marketing agency or coming up with creative ways to match superstar workers with the companies that need and deserve them, the next generation of leaders in their fields is coming up fast… Show more

The next generation of behind-the-scenes movers and shakers is rising up with fresh passion, bounding energy and unbridled drive — without them, the "new Buffalo" wouldn't have begun to take hold. Whether they're shepherding along the Queen City's entrepreneurs, reimagining what it means to be a full-service marketing agency or coming up with creative ways to match superstar workers with the companies that need and deserve them, the next generation of leaders in their fields is coming up fast. Here is a look at one such standout; Maggie Shea started StaffBuffalo in 2015 after the recruiting firm she was managing had a leadership shift, drastically changing its office culture. In her own venture, building a vibrant culture was a priority for Shea.

Employees are required to stay home when they're sick and are welcome to bring their pets to work. Workers are encouraged to volunteer, network and join boards on company time.

The approach has paid off.

Not only does the office environment help Shea retain top talent, it helps her employees build relationships in the community that are vital to their jobs. In this tight job market, StaffBuffalo is tasked with finding the best workers for its employer clients. Often, those workers are already employed, so socializing and volunteering alongside other people in the business community is the best way to find them.

Shea also teaches employers how to make their workplaces more attractive to potential employees. Show less