{"id":3298,"date":"2017-05-11T10:09:56","date_gmt":"2017-05-11T08:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmkedev.wpengine.com\/?p=3298"},"modified":"2022-02-04T14:01:07","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T12:01:07","slug":"how-to-hire-accountant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/how-to-hire-accountant","title":{"rendered":"How to Hire an Accountant for Your Organisation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every shilling counts in business. This is not news to you. Else, why would you be learning about how to hire an accountant for your business? You already know that the benefits of hiring a good accountant extend well beyond number crunching or tax codes<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Senior accountants and financial officers have intimate knowledge of how finances relate to everyday operations and are often the mental sparring partner for executives, especially the CEOs. Hence, it falls on your shoulders to hire the right person for the job. So how do you find the right accountant to empower your organisation? Read on for an overview of how to discover, engage and hire a talented accountant.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f4feff28cbd\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f4feff28cbd\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/how-to-hire-accountant\/#Step_1_Identify_your_finance_needs\" >Step 1: Identify your finance needs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/how-to-hire-accountant\/#Step_2_Write_an_effective_accountant_job_ad\" >Step 2: Write an effective accountant job ad<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/how-to-hire-accountant\/#Step_3_Shortlist_strong_candidates\" >Step 3: Shortlist strong candidates<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/how-to-hire-accountant\/#Step_4_Interview_potential_accountants\" >Step 4: Interview potential accountants<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/how-to-hire-accountant\/#Step_5_Hire\" >Step 5: Hire<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Identify_your_finance_needs\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Step 1: Identify your finance needs<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finance and accounting is a wide field of expertise. Before you write the job ad, you will need to understand what type of accountant you are looking for and what their job will entail.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If the role is not to be involved in the day to day but more monthly-based work, then hiring an accounting firm or a part-time accountant may be the better option.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If, on the other hand, you need daily support. Then at what level? A junior accountant is more than capable of processing payroll and paying vendors, but can they handle your tax filing needs or P&amp;L statements? To answer these questions, conduct a quick internal assessment by engaging the key stakeholders that are impacted by this hiring decision. Consider what your accounting needs are like now, and also, what they may be like in the near future. Not only will this create buy-in and clarity for the new role, but it also provides you with a list of \u201cmust haves\u201d for the position.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Write_an_effective_accountant_job_ad\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Step 2: Write an effective accountant job ad<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.savvysme.com.au\/article\/1298-what-makes-a-great-accountant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Good accountants<\/a> are precise by nature, they will appreciate an ad which appeals to that approach to life. To an accountant, an attractive job ad is detailed yet succinct. How do you achieve that?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Clear job title<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: \u201cAccountant\u201d alone is not going to make the grade. A good job title includes a general term, the level of experience and any relevant special requirements. For example, \u201cRegional Finance Manager\u201d, \u201cAccounts Assistant\u201d or \u201cSenior Auditor &amp; Compliance Officer\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Enticing job summary<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Your ad is seen by job seekers up against every other company trying to attract top finance managers. Ensure you stand out. What will make I, an accountant, want to work at your company? Be sure to connect your job summary with your <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/employer-branding\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">employer brand<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Clear job description<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Going beyond the general information about working for your business, the line manager and the existing team (if relevant), try to also be specific details on the role itself &#8211; the \u201cmust haves\u201d list you collected earlier. For example, mention not only the role responsibilities and tasks they will be tasked with but on what time basis. Remember to feature the technical details in the description, such as what software do they require experience in. As well as academic requirements, such as what certificates are needed or years of experience required. Being concise yet specific about the position requirements makes it easier for job seekers to determine if they are qualified, or if the job is a good fit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Below is an example of an effectively formatted job ad for your inspiration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3306\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Step-2-Write-an-effective-accountant-job-ad.png\" alt=\"Clear job advert\" width=\"848\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Step-2-Write-an-effective-accountant-job-ad.png 848w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Step-2-Write-an-effective-accountant-job-ad-770x465.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Step-2-Write-an-effective-accountant-job-ad-390x235.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But a well-written job ad alone may not be enough to make it effective. Finance assistants and manager positions are among the top 5 most sought-after roles to be staffed in Kenya. So you need to ensure your job post grabs attention. Using a platform such as the <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/employer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">BrighterMonday employer center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> allows you to not only reach qualified accountants but also offers options to help you stand out from the crowd. Such as branded employer pages, top of the finance &amp; accounting category ads as well as homepage logos. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Shortlist_strong_candidates\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Step 3: Shortlist strong candidates<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As CVs begin to roll in, you need a system to quickly and effectively classify them. Either to reject the candidate or review, shortlist, offer and hire. This can be easily managed if there are only a few applicants, but what about the more common situation where you could have a very large number of submissions?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The simplest way, utilise filters. You know your requirements. So if a candidate\u2019s profile is not going make the grade, why spend your valuable time reading their resume? BrighterMonday offers this filtering functionality in the employer centre, so you only need to read the CVs of candidates who are qualified for your role.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 640px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-3298-1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Filter-edit-1-video-with-no-logo.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Filter-edit-1-video-with-no-logo.mp4\">https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Filter-edit-1-video-with-no-logo.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Interview_potential_accountants\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Step 4: Interview potential accountants<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When interviewing for any position, you should talk about what the candidate knows about the company, their relevant experience and how they would handle real-world scenarios. But how do you customise this for a finance manager position? Ask questions to shed light on the three basic areas of expertise:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Business development<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Accountants are knowledgeable of your business environment, tax situation and financial statements. This puts them in a unique position to pull all the pieces together and provide unique insights into business plans. Ask a question on what they have recommended in their past roles and how did that impact the business.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Record keeping<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Finance managers should be empowered to optimise your organisation&#8217;s recordkeeping processes in order to easily assess profitability, monitor expenses, track against a budget, alter to trends and quickly produce financial statements. Ask your candidates about what tools they have used in the past and how they have contributed to streamlining systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Taxation, auditing &amp; other technical skills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Interviewees should demonstrate their knowledge not only of tax compliance but also tax planning (how to reduce the overall tax burden) and the ability to handle different levels of audits. This will help you to understand if you hire this accountant, what can be done in-house and what must remain outsourced. If you are looking for a senior role, for these highly technical questions, it is best to have another senior accountant from your company participate in the interview or if this is not an option, have an external specialist assist in assessing competence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, it is not only technical skills that matter. Also, ask questions to reveal the applicant&#8217;s core values. Finance managers must work collaboratively, demonstrate strategic thinking and but most important of all, be trustworthy. How can you assess honesty? Seek out detailed information on their previous roles during the interview process and then fact check it when you call the candidate\u2019s references.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_5_Hire\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Step 5: Hire<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This may seem like the easiest part. You make your offer, the chosen candidate accepts and you begin onboarding. And it can be that simple for the top applicant. But what about all those other candidates who applied? As a hiring manager, you need to consider your employer reputation. And this means, contacting those unsuccessful candidates. Now don\u2019t get me wrong, I am not suggesting you contact every applicant in all cases. But at least send a \u201cthank you for applying\u201d email to those who made it into your review processes. Not only is this common courtesy so the candidates are not left wondering, it assists your business standing. You don\u2019t know when you will need to hire in that field again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3278\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Your-email-inbox-in-not-the-answer.png\" alt=\"Managing job applications\" width=\"848\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Your-email-inbox-in-not-the-answer.png 848w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Your-email-inbox-in-not-the-answer-770x465.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Your-email-inbox-in-not-the-answer-390x235.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you have been using your email inbox only to manage applicants, this may seem a daunting task. But if you used the <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/employer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">BrighterMonday employer center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> candidate workflow, identifying and sending an email to unsuccessful applicants is quick and easy. Simply click the candidate profile, which you have previously categorised during the recruitment process, and hit \u2018email applicant\u2019 button.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What\u2019s more, if you had applicants who may not have been suitable for this role, but could be a good company fit for future roles, you can save them into candidate pools and contact them as roles become available. Meaning you can hire without ever having to post a job ad!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check it out for yourself by <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"http:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/employer\/sign-up\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">creating an employer account<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every shilling counts in business. This is not news to you. Else, why would you be learning about how to hire an accountant for your business? You already know that the benefits of hiring a good accountant extend well beyond number crunching or tax codes Senior accountants and financial officers have intimate knowledge of how [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":168,"featured_media":3305,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"content_author":[],"class_list":["post-3298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3298\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3298"},{"taxonomy":"content_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_author?post=3298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}