Part of the how to hire cluster in the employment knowledge graph — connected to occupations, documents, hiring guides, career guides, country guides and employment law.
Scope the role first
Accounting roles span bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, management accounting, financial accounting and audit. Decide which responsibilities the role owns, the reporting standards it works to, and the level of qualification or professional membership the work requires in your jurisdiction.
Set out the accounting systems and software in use, the volume and complexity of transactions, and how the role interacts with auditors, tax advisers and management. A precise scope helps you attract candidates whose qualifications and experience genuinely fit.
Where to find candidates
- Professional accounting bodies and their member job boards.
- Finance and accountancy recruitment specialists.
- Referrals from your finance team and professional contacts.
- University and trainee schemes for entry-level and part-qualified hires.
- Workforce-matching platforms for permanent and interim cover.
- General job boards for bookkeeping and accounts-support roles.
How to screen and shortlist
- Match qualification level and professional membership to the role.
- Confirm experience with the relevant standards, ledgers and reporting.
- Check familiarity with the accounting software and systems you use.
- Look for accuracy, attention to detail and a clean, clear CV.
- Verify references and, where relevant, professional standing.
- Confirm right to work and any background checks for finance roles.
How to interview
- Use a practical exercise such as a reconciliation or a short scenario.
- Ask how they have handled month-end, reporting or audit pressure.
- Probe judgement on accuracy, controls and ethical questions.
- Explore communication of financial information to non-finance colleagues.
- Assess familiarity with the standards and systems the role requires.
- Include a finance lead who can judge technical depth.
Documents, checks and onboarding
- A job description specifying duties, standards and qualification level.
- An offer letter confirming role, reporting line and start date.
- An employment contract covering terms and confidentiality of financial data.
- Verification of qualifications, professional membership and right to work.
- Reference and background checks appropriate to a finance role.
- An onboarding plan covering systems access, controls and procedures.
Common hiring mistakes
- Confusing bookkeeping needs with a qualified-accountant requirement, or vice versa.
- Failing to test practical accuracy with a realistic exercise.
- Overlooking software and systems fit for the day-to-day work.
- Skipping reference and professional-standing checks for finance roles.
- Ignoring communication skills for roles that report to management.
- Onboarding without proper systems access and a controls briefing.
Export, edit and share documents
The documents, policies and templates this involves can be exported, edited, signed, stored and shared as PDFs with the HELPERG PDF Editor.
Workforce communication tools
Employers, agencies and recruiters often need candidate screening calls, international candidate calls, recruitment coordination and team collaboration. TwinPhone provides browser calling, virtual numbers and international business communication workflows.
Managing invoicing, expenses and employer admin?
Related tools from the HELPERG ecosystem that may help with this:
- Cash Workspace — Finance templates for freelancers and small businesses — organise invoices, expenses, forecasts and fiscal records, with accountant-ready exports.
Need hiring support?
Tell us about your workforce needs. We can help connect you with recruitment and staffing partners that match your hiring requirements — HR helper group is a matching platform, not a recruitment agency, and makes no placement guarantees.
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