RECRUITMENT GUIDE
Accountant
The role of an accountant is to monitor and manage the inflow and outflow of money within a business. They must keep financial records to ideally ensure that revenues are greater than expenses, and that overall the business is profitable.
An accountant is an essential team member in any organization. They must implement budgeting strategies, and analyse profits and losses to make sure decisions are made based on accurate information, and that all decisions benefit the health of the business. Accountants can also work for individuals as well as businesses, to perform tax returns, help manage their finances and make educated recommendations.
Day-to-day tasks of this role:
- Collects and monitors invoices and receipts.
- Creates financial reports and records, such as balance sheets and profit and loss statements.
- Creates budgets based on revenues and expenses.
- Create financial records for clients and customers.
- Prepare tax return statements.
Recruitment Process
UNDERSTAND THE ROLE
Skills profile for an Accountant
To be an accountant it is usually required that an applicant has obtained a Bachelor degree in accounting, or financial planning. Relevant industry training and on-the-job experience is also favourable. There are some common skills required for this position.
An accountant must have very strong interpersonal skills. They must have strong stakeholder management skills with internal and external parties, and have the ability to communicate effectively with individuals who don’t understand finance. They must also have the ability to communicate unpopular and uncomfortable information with others, whilst still maintaining positive relationships.
It is also important that an accountant has extensive data analysis skills. They must be able to analyse financial data to make decisions in a company, as well as understand the numbers and figures presented to them, and what these numbers mean for their organisation.
An accountant must also be knowledgeable regarding financial literacy. They must display competence with financial literacy, as well as keep updated with changes in the market to ensure they fully understand their role after such changes have occurred.
Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position.
SOURCE APPLICANTS
Accountant Job Description
Summary:
- Why is this role being filled?
- How does this role fit into the organization and the team?
- What makes your company unique?
- What would it be like to work for you?
Requirements:
- What technical skills are needed for this role?
- Which soft skills are applicable?
- What are the nice-to-have experiences of your ideal candidate?
- Include availability preferences in this section
Responsibilities:
- What are the key deliverables for this role?
- What does the day-to-day of this role look like?
Benefits:
- Compensation & bonuses
- Employee benefits & perks
- Ongoing training benefits
PRO TIP #1
It is important to include the specific details regarding the roles of an accountant in an organisation in the job application to ensure that the business can hire the applicant who is the perfect fit. This includes listing the programs and software used, and the way in which financial records must be made and filed. It also includes ensuring that the job application is clear in describing the nature of the role, such as if the accounting role is for a business, or involves working one-on-one with clients.
PRO TIP #2
Ensure that the entire recruitment process from job description to assessment to interview reiterates your company vision and values. This will help you identify the right people for the role, and applicants will know whether your company is the right fit for them.
SKILL ASSESSMENT
Sample skills assessment
Question 1
Accountant
Question Type: Doc
Describe your experience with different softwares. Which is your preferred and why?
Question 2
Interpersonal
Question Type: Text
How do you simplify complex information for clients or internal stakeholders?
Question 3
Financial Literacy
Question Type: Video
Describe a recent change to the accounting industry and how you ensured you learnt this to serve your clients/the business?
INTERVIEW
Interview guide for an Accountant
Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The PDF interview guide contains structured questions against each of the competencies for this role.
This interview guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the Vervoe skills assessment. Where a candidate has scored Low – Medium on a skill, focus on asking more questions from that skill to gain deeper insight into their level of competency.
PDF INTERVIEW GUIDE
Get your copy of the interview guide to complete the hiring process. Includes questions against each of the skill competencies for the role.
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