Looking to hire an accountant? Hiring the right people is so important. For founders and CEO’s this can be difficult, you don’t always have an expert on your side to assess the quality of each candidate that walks through the door.
Step 1 of course is ensuring they are a good culture fit.
Alongside that, here are some technical questions you can ask them to ensure they are good at the job as well as being a nice person.
1. Ask them how they keep up to date with the latest regulations and tax laws.
The rules are constantly changing, what you should look for here is a proactive answer that shows this person or team won’t miss any important updates.
2. Understand their workflow.
A big portion of an accountants job is organization. They should have a workflow and software to ensure they are never missing any detail.
3. Ask them to explain a profit and loss and balance sheet to you.
Even if you already know the answer, this is a good way to test how they explain slightly more complicated concepts. Ideally, they are able to explain these reports easily and with patience.
4. Inquire about a line item on the balance sheet.
One of the things I see a lot is accountants who don’t understand the meaning behind the debits and credits. Each number tells a story about your business. They should be able to explain this to you easily.
5. Understand how in depth their management reports go.
Depending on your business needs, you may need anything from a quarterly profit and loss account to a weekly accounts payable report. Make sure you understand what level of service they provide so you’re not shocked when month end comes around.
6. Hire an accountant with a good SLA.
Accountants are notorious for taking weeks to respond to queries. At Cooper Financials we have a maximum of 24 hour respond time to combat this. Ask them what theirs is to ensure it fits your businesses needs.
Looking to hire an accountant but not sure where to start looking? Schedule a free consultation.
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