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What Qualities Look for In A Professional Bookkeeper
So, you’re looking for a good bookkeeper? As a business
owner, you want reliability, integrity, professionalism, and a good work ethic
in your employees or outsourced help. Not to mention, you want them to know
what they’re doing.
When conducting interviews, you need to know the qualities
of a good bookkeeper to ensure they are the perfect fit for your business. In
this article, we’ve listed a few critical things to look for when hiring a
bookkeeper.
When is the right time to get a bookkeeper?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for this. Having a
bookkeeper is definitely beneficial, but it’s unnecessary if you can manage
your books effectively by yourself. We’d suggest using your capacity to gauge whether
or not you need a bookkeeper.
Consider this: if you can effectively do your bookkeeping
every month without missing deadlines or incurring penalties on tax, then
maintain your course of action. However, if things are too busy, which is a
good sign for business, then you’ll need to consider hiring a bookkeeper.
Characteristics to look for in a professional bookkeeper
Want to know the difference between your average bookkeeper
and a professional? First off, you’ll always look at their qualifications and
experience, but the next key factor is their character. Are they professional
through and through? Or are they just good on paper?
Here are some of the top qualities you want to look for in a
professional bookkeeper:
- Pays
attention to detail - In business, admin errors can lead to serious
financial consequences, and you need a bookkeeper who has an eye for
catching mistakes before they start costing you money
- Is
trustworthy - A bookkeeper handles sensitive financial information, so
they need to be a person with integrity
- Has
industry experience - Hiring someone with a lot of experience shows
they have valuable expertise, and you won’t have to worry about teaching
them all the ropes
- Has
good communication skills - They need to be able to understand financial
jargon and communicate information of this nature clearly
- Has
experience with technology - With how much tech is used in today’s
business world, having an up-to-date bookkeeper will help you stay ahead
of the curve
- Has
good time management skills - A big part of a bookkeeper’s job is to
ensure the business meets deadlines, which means they need to be able to
manage their time effectively
- Has
good problem-solving skills - One major difference between a good
bookkeeper and a professional bookkeeper is their ability to pick up on
issues quickly and provide solutions. You don’t just want someone in this
position who is only there for the pay needs to be innovative, adaptable
and solution-oriented
Why should you get a professional bookkeeper?
Hiring a professional bookkeeper is a smart move for any
business. They bring accuracy and expertise, ensuring your accounts are managed
correctly and that they comply with the latest tax laws.
This not only saves you time but also reduces stress, as you
won’t have to worry about financial discrepancies or missed deadlines. They can
also provide valuable insights into your business's financial health, helping
you track income and expenses, manage cash flow, and identify cost-saving
opportunities.
As your business grows, they can scale their services to
meet your needs, ensuring your financial management keeps pace with your
expansion. Think of getting a bookkeeper as making an initial investment
that’ll benefit your business’s financial health, efficiency, and overall
productivity.
Helpful questions to ask when hiring a bookkeeper
Tackling interview after interview can be tedious,
especially if you don’t know what questions to ask. Here are a few questions
that’ll keep your interviews running smoothly and provide you with the info you
need to assess candidates:
- What
salary are you anticipating?
Getting an understanding of how much they expect to get paid
will paint a good picture for you of their understanding of industry standards
and even their own opinion of their worth. This will also help you budget
accordingly and choose a person that fits into your budget well.
2.
Are you qualified and registered?
Getting a qualified and registered bookkeeper is always a
must. We’d suggest not even considering individuals without qualifications
unless in unique circumstances. There are certain tasks bookkeepers need
qualifications or certifications to perform. Finding a professional bookkeeper
who has these skills would mean that they could hit the road running when you hire
them.
3.
Describe your level of experience.
Ask if they’ve ever done professional
bookkeeping before. Bookkeeping services differ with different industries.
Some bookkeepers are more experienced and offer comprehensive services like
managing supplier bills and payments, creating invoices, checking transaction
codes, filing taxes, preparing financial documents, and interpreting reports.
Getting the full scope of what a candidate is capable of will help you make a
more informed decision about them.
4.
How would you deal with sensitive company
information?
This isn’t the most common question, but it’s a good one to
ask because it’ll put them on the spot, showing you how well they deal under
pressure. Data protection is also an important concern when sharing sensitive
company information. Bookkeepers should have a good understanding of how to
safeguard data.
5.
Describe your work ethic.
You want a bookkeeper to have a good, consistent work ethic.
By consistent, we mean that they work at a steady pace, meet deadlines, and
produce good quality work at a similar standard every time.
6.
Do You Know My Industry?
This is quite an important question. Professional
bookkeepers who have experience in the same industry as you will be an asset to
your company. Because they’re familiar with the industry, they won’t need to go
through as much training. They’ll also know how to deal with certain procedures
and even have experience that adds to your operations.
Final thoughts
