This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Interview Questions (Hiring The Right Accountant Part 4)

When you’re hiring an accountant, resumes are helpful. So are references. But nothing beats meeting prospective accountants in person and interviewing them. To be fair to each candidate and to be certain you choose wisely, use a standard list of questions during each interview. Take notes. Be sure to ask the same questions of each candidate so you can easily compare their responses. And be careful to ask only job appropriate questions. You can’t ask about someone’s ethnicity. You may not ask about people’s private lives.

Here are some questions to consider with suggestions on what to listen for:
Tell me about your background

Listen for experience that relates well to your need or your company’s need.  
What services beyond the usual reporting and number-crunching will you provide?

Have in your mind the additional services you want or need. Do you want an accountant who can serve both your individual and business needs? Are you looking for an accountant who can also function as a business advisor?

How can you help my business (or me) make more money or save more money?

Good accountants will share stories about how their services reduced a client’s tax bill or decreased the business’s operating expenses or produced other positive results. Give the candidate time to consider this question carefully.
Do you believe I’m paying too much, too little or just the right amount of taxes? Why?

This question assumes you’ve already shared some information about your financial situation with the candidate. Before the interview consider sending the accountant some financial information or a tax return that you don’t mind making public. Ask about that document during the interview so you can evaluate the candidate’s thought processes and analytical skills.
Who are your other clients?

Look for candidates who work with companies or people you know and respect.
Without revealing any client’s identity, can you share with me a success story you’ve had?

The answer here may overlap with the answers to previous questions. That’s okay. You want to give each candidate multiple opportunities to prove they’ve been successful in the past.

What separates you from other accountants? Why should I use your firm?
Everyone’s different. You don’t want to hire someone who implies that accounting is just accounting and there are no differences in accounting services. You may have to probe to get a good answer here. One follow up question is: If I spoke to the clients who love using your firm what would they specifically tell me?

What other credentials and experience do you have?
You want the full picture of all the expertise each accountant brings to the table.

What’s your policy on returning phone calls, e-mails, and texts?
Make sure before you start a business relationship that your expectations on communication frequency and any other issues important to you match what the accountant will deliver. 

Will my company and/or I be serviced by you, a partner, or junior accountants?
In big firms sometimes you meet the star accountant in the interview but later discover someone who isn’t star-quality will be working on your account.

How are your fees calculated? Do you charge for every phone discussion?
Get a good grasp of costs. Collect this fee information in a format that will make it easy for you to compare with the cost of other accountants.

What can I do to help you with your work and keep your fees to a minimum?
Service providers tend to love this question. It shows you want to be a good client for them.

Do you perceive any conflicts of interest?
You may not want to hire the accountant who works for your main competitor.
(If the candidate is a CPA) How long have you been a Certified Public Accountant and what other licenses do you hold?

Again, you want to be thorough. The more you know about each accountant the easier it will be to choose among them.

How have you integrated computers and the Internet into your practice, and has it enabled you to do more for your clients at less cost?

Is the accountant using up-to-date software and processes? Does it seem like the accountant continues to learn and hone his craft? Will the accountant’s technology match up easily your technology?

Don’t only use my questions. Add your own. Ask the questions most critical to you in the first half of the interview so you’ll be certain to cover what’s most important.

Was this post helpful? Do you have comments? Feel free to write a comment below or contact me, Gene Offredi, CFP, RFC.  Visit  my website www.summitinvestorcoach.com or  my blog www.summitinvestorcoach.com/blog/. Or call me at 203.453.1017.



We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?