Accounting Recruitment

Several accounting companies and job seekers are beginning to turn to accounting employment agencies for their recruiting needs.  There are three types of employment services that individuals and organizations commonly use.  Employers experiencing uncommon peaks in business, unexpected employee absences, or special projects that demand extra assistance generally turn to temporary accounting employment services.  These services not only help employers through stressful times, but they also allow entry level candidates the opportunity to experience multiple occupations while obtaining a supplemental income.  Another option is an accounting staffing agency, which offers a slightly different service to candidates and employers.  Candidates who are seeking mid-level, permanent accounting position are the typical applicants.  These firms offer long term positions; so many employers utilize their pool of associates to fill vacancies in less time, sometimes at greatly reduced costs.  Highly skilled openings often require the assistance of accounting recruiters.  Recruitment firms spend a large amount of time finding the ideal candidate for each company.  Experienced accounting professionals will compete for the positions that are offered because they are direct hire positions that generally offer a greater starting wage. 

All of the aforementioned agencies generally offer similar benefits such as screening candidates, conducting interviews, administering necessary assessments, and completing background checks and/or drug screenings.  Interviews usually follow a strict schedule which includes the discussion of an applicant’s goals, personal attitude, and their employment and educational background.  Companies generally seek employees who are detail oriented, patient, precise, and use discretion when dealing with confidential information.  Interview questions are generally designed to showcase candidates with these qualities.  Common interview questions are as follows:

1. What are your goals in both the short and long term?  
2. What is the greatest adversity you have overcome in your life to date? 
3. What are your feelings about your current/previous boss?  
4. What do you know about our organization and/or the position offered?  
5. Why should I hire you instead of the other applicants?

The majority of employment agencies offer assessments tailored to the specific accounting position available.  Tests may cover topics like software knowledge over accounting systems such as Peachtree or Lotus, alpha/numeric data entry, mental aptitude, and/or personality.  Assessments are commonly standardized and cover only the necessary duties of the position.  For more information on accounting recruitment, please visit the following sites:

• Assessment Systems Corporation
• PC Skills Testing & Training Solutions
• Background Check Gateway
• Recruiter Training Products
• Training Systems

For an alternative to recruitment services, please visit iHireAccounting, an online accounting job board.