What Accounting Firms Should Look for in New Hires

Selecting a new employee is a challenging and exciting time for any company. And while people may think accounting firms have it a bit easier (after all, the main thing you need to do is check your new hire’s accounting skills) they really don’t.

Besides accounting skills, new hires need to fulfill a lot of other criteria. And just like with any other firm, those criteria, especially soft skills, are sometimes very hard to measure.

While each accounting firm is different and has specific requirements for each new position, there’s a list of common criteria you can tick off when choosing your new employee. This is especially important if your new hire comes straight out of university and has no real work experience to speak of.

It goes without saying that your new hire’s accounting skills should be exceptional (unless you’re hiring for a non-accounting position, of course). But it’s just as important that the candidate has other skills and interests.

Moreover, you never know what additional skills come in handy when dealing with clients. For example, an employee’s old summer job as a waiter becomes quite valuable if you land a client who runs a restaurant.

This is why it’s important for new hires to be as tech-savvy as possible, at least when it comes to spreadsheets and accounting software. Make sure your employee-to-be has a sound knowledge of accounting platforms and is able to learn new skills quickly.

While we all know the trope of the accounting genius who solves complex problems within seconds but doesn’t know how to ask for a coffee, your new hires (or at least some of them) should have better communication skills than Rain Man.

On the one hand, accountants need to work with clients, most of whom have little to no accounting knowledge. This means that your employees should be able to explain complex issues in plain language, not to mention offer valuable advice without causing confusion or irritation.

On the other hand, your new hire will have to work with your old employees. Both of these require above average communication skills, as well as an ability to work in a team. Make sure you check your candidates’ communication skills before choosing your new hire. Maybe introduce them to the team before hand.

Is your new hire planning to pass the CPA exam? While it’s understandable if an accountant straight out of university doesn’t have a CPA exam under their belt (especially if your state requires a certain amount of work experience before a candidate can even apply to take the exam), you should know if your new hire wants to take it or not.

All in all, most skills can be learned and expertise is gained over time. When looking for a new employee, the most important thing for you to consider is how well each candidate could do the specific tasks required by the job, and whether they could fit in with your existing team.

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