Hire a Bookkeeper Top 10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring

Robert Half recruiters look for bookkeeping candidates who are self-starters with solid communication, organizational and customer service skills. Technology expertise typically includes experience and proficiency with applications such as Microsoft Excel or QuickBooks. This is vital information that directly relates to the https://www.bookstime.com/ core duties of the role. Ask the candidate to explain anything you are concerned about in the background report. Your bookkeeper will have access to highly sensitive information about both your company and employees. You must protect your existing employees’ confidential data by ensuring you hire a trustworthy employee.

Consider candidates with certifications like CPA or relevant degrees. Before diving into the hiring process, take the time to assess and define your business’s bookkeeping needs. Understand the volume and complexity of financial transactions and identify any specific skills or software expertise required.

Step 2: Assess technical skills

Hiring a bookkeeper ensures accurate financial records, timely tax filings, and compliance with regulations. Bookkeepers manage transactions, track expenses, and reconcile accounts, saving you time and reducing errors. Their expertise enhances financial insights, enabling informed decision-making. Outsourcing bookkeeping also allows business owners to focus on core operations while maintaining financial transparency. Avoiding these common mistakes when hiring a bookkeeper is vital for establishing a successful and productive working relationship.

Specify the skills, experience, and educational background you’re seeking to attract relevant candidates. Understanding the full range of services, a bookkeeper offers is crucial. Some bookkeepers provide additional services like financial analysis, budgeting, or payroll processing. Knowing their capabilities helps tailor their support to your specific business needs.

Hire A Bookkeeper

Use one of our recommended background check companies to make the process easier. If you opt to hire a bookkeeping employee and want more in-depth tips, check out our guide to hiring employees. Using your job board of choice, you can scan for bookkeepers in your area with the experience you seek. Most bookkeepers should have at least some experience with Microsoft Excel.

• All of the time you spend doing menial tasks, like making journal entries in a general ledger, can be redirected towards growing your business.
• If you don’t have rights to the software, you may have issues accessing your financial information if you don’t have access to the software your bookkeeper uses.
• A bookkeeper plays a crucial role in managing your money and making sure everything adds up.
• The Talent Acquisition team is dedicated to connecting people with exciting career opportunities and partnership within Intuit.

Take time to research compensation trends for bookkeepers before you launch a job candidate search. Our Salary Calculator provides real-world salaries by location and can help you determine what level of compensation bookkeepers in your city or state might expect to earn. An active membership in a professional group also helps a bookkeeper stay current with news, trends and best practices in the industry. Also, members sometimes carry professional indemnity insurance through these groups, which offers added peace of mind for you. The first thing to decide is whether you need to hire a bookkeeper full time or engage someone on a temporary or temporary-to-hire basis. You could use a specialized staffing agency to find skilled candidates who would be a solid match for your company until you’re ready for a full-time hire.

How to Become a Bookkeeper

When you need high-level business advice and official reports, then you need an accountant. Both professionals will be trusted with the details of your business finances so you can do what you do best — running your business. You should consider hiring a bookkeeper when you need ongoing support in these areas to ensure that your financial records are up-to-date and accurate.

• They keep good records so that if someone needs to check, like during an audit, everything is in order.
• If you’re ready to have bookkeeping taken off your hands for good, give Bench a try.
• Virtual bookkeepers must juggle multiple tasks within tight deadlines.
• Then, kickstart your bookkeeping career by signing up for an  Intuit Bookkeeping Certification.
• Paper-based bookkeeping means gathering your physical papers and records and reviewing them in person.