Hire an experienced Assistant Accountant - tailored Recruitment Services

In any business, the accounting department is often viewed as the backbone of the company, but who is the backbone of the finance team?

Often overlooked but undeniably essential, the Assistant Accountant handles a wide range of duties relying on their time management, communication, and attention-to-detail skills. They are vital in providing accurate financial data to their managers.

Throughout this blog, we will explore what an Assistant Accountant role looks like, why your company needs to have one, and the key skills to keep an eye out for when you are hiring.

What is an Assistant Accountant?

An Assistant Accountant job description is multi-dimensional. They are the quiet achievers who are relied upon to maintain financial records and feed transactional data to the general ledger and balance sheet. They provide an extra set of hands and eyes to the senior members of the accounting team.

Depending on the size of your team and business, the Assistant Accountant role can be divided into seven main areas:

1. Data Entry and Record-Keeping: Accurately inputting financial data into the software and spreadsheets, and updating ledgers and journals
2. Payables and Receivables: Managing invoices, payments and receipts.
3. Reconciliations: matching bank statements, intercompany transactions, balance sheets and ledgers
4. Assisting with Financial Reporting: Working with Senior Accountants on financial statements and other reports
5. Tax Compliance: Assisting with preparing tax returns and compliance
6. Auditing Support: Gathering financial information for external and internal auditors
7. Financial Analysis: Helping to identify trends, discrepancies and anomalies in data
   
   

Why hiring the right Assistant Accountant is essential for your business 

An Assistant Accountant plays a pivotal role in the smooth operation of any finance department. They are responsible for handling critical functions such as financial data entry, reconciliations and supporting senior accountants with reporting and compliance.

By having the right Assistant Accountant, your business can benefit from improved accuracy in financial records, enhanced compliance with tax laws, and valuable insights derived from close interaction with the data. This ensures your senior accountants can focus on more complex tasks, while an Assistant Accountant provides essential support for day-to-day operations.

Here are some of the reasons why you need an Assistant Accountant:

• Workload Management: They can help to distribute the workload within the finance team, allowing qualified accountants to focus on more complex tasks
• Accuracy and Compliance: They are critical in maintaining financial records and compliance with regulations and tax laws
• Financial Insights: They can provide valuable data insights from handling it close-up; and helping with ad-hoc analysis to make informed financial decisions
• Cost-Effectiveness: Rather than relying on a qualified accountant or expensive accounting software, the yearly salary for a degree-qualified or part-qualified Assistant Accountant has remained relatively stable
• Longevity: They are usually taking their first leap into their careers, investing time and support into an Assistant Accountant could lead to a longer tenure within the business and familiarity with the team and processes. They are a great option for progression in your team as you know they are a good culture fit and you get to retain their knowledge as they develop.
  
  

Our proven process to recruit top Assistant Accountant talent

We have a step-by-step process designed to recruit the best Assistant Accountants for your team:

1. Understanding Your Needs: We start by thoroughly understanding your company’s requirements, including the skills, experience, and culture fit you’re looking for in an Assistant Accountant.
2. Candidate Sourcing: Leveraging our extensive network and proprietary tools, we source top talent from diverse backgrounds, ensuring a pool of candidates that meet your criteria.
3. Screening and Interviewing: We meticulously screen each candidate, assessing their qualifications, work experience, and suitability for the role. We also conduct structured interviews to evaluate their competency in time management, communication, and financial analysis.
4. Shortlisting the Best Candidates: We provide a shortlist of highly qualified candidates who align with your company’s needs, allowing you to make an informed hiring decision.
5. Ongoing Support: Our relationship doesn’t end with placement. We offer continued support to ensure a smooth onboarding process and long-term success for the candidate and your business.
   
   

Key skills to look for when hiring an Assistant Accountant

When hiring an Assistant Accountant, certain skills are essential to ensure they can effectively contribute to your business. Here are the key attributes to look out for:

Attention to Detail – Financial records are at the core of any functioning accounting team’s success; they must have a meticulous eye for detail to ensure these records are up-to-date and error-free.

Organisational Skills and Time Management – With varying tasks and competing deadlines, they must be able to manage and prioritise tasks, especially during month-end and year-end periods.

Analytical Skills – Whilst they do not need to be working across complex analysis, having an analytical mindset is crucial in allowing them to identify discrepancies and trends in data for the team.

Communication Skills – This is a highly interactive role, dealing with colleagues, clients, and auditors. Effective communication and confidence in their communication is key.

Knowledge of Accounting Principles – Usually garnered through their studies (Degree or Professional Qualification), a strong foundation in accounting principles, credits vs debits, and regulations is essential for feeding into their financial reporting duties.

Technology Proficiency – They may not have used your specific software previously if they are beginning their career, however, Excel proficiency and learning agility around software tools is a must.

How to assess these skills during the Assistant Accountant hiring process

When interviewing potential Assistant Accountants people tend to stick to “tell me about your experience to date” as a leading question – which is a good way to discover what they have done up to this point. However as junior candidates are not as experienced in interviewing, it can be much more effective to structure your interview questions to get the best possible answers from them. The following example interview questions can aid you in assessing their skills on a deeper level:

• “How do you prioritise tasks when you have multiple deadlines to meet?”
• “Can you provide an example of a time when your attention to detail prevented a financial discrepancy or error?”
• “Can you share an experience where you had to manage a tight deadline? How did you ensure everything was completed on time?”
• “Tell me about a time you had to communicate financial information to a non-finance team member or client. How did you approach it?”
• “How do you utilise Excel in your daily tasks?”

By asking a range of situational, behavioural and competency-based questions (more examples here), you can further understand a candidate’s suitability for your Assistant Accountant role, and identify the perfect fit for your accounting team.

How we help you find the perfect Assistant Accountant for your team

We make the recruitment process seamless by handling all the heavy lifting. From identifying top talent to screening candidates for technical skills and cultural fit, we ensure the candidates we present are ready to excel in your organisation. Our expertise in the accounting field allows us to tailor our approach to your specific needs, ensuring a successful hire who will contribute to your company’s long-term growth.

Summary

An Assistant Accountant is an invaluable asset to any organisation’s finance team and can play a huge role in its stability and growth. By further understanding the role, recognising its importance and identifying the right skills you need, you can build a well-rounded accounting team vital to your company’s success.

Ready to hire? Submit your vacancy for an Assistant Accountant today

If you’re ready to find the perfect Assistant Accountant for your team, don’t hesitate to submit your vacancy. Our expert recruitment team is ready to assist you in filling the role quickly and efficiently, so your finance department can continue operating smoothly.

Contact us today and let’s start and find the right fit for your business.