How to spot your next accountant superhero

Looking for a new accountant to join your team but unsure how to best go about it? Having a clear idea about your new hire’s must-have skills is the perfect first step on your recruitment journey.

To kick-start the process, please consider our list of the key requisite skills below.

1. Robust analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills – Accountants must be able to aggregate and analyse complex financial information quickly and effectively. They have to spot emerging trends and identify anomalies. Their critical thinking and problem-solving skills equip them to ask the right questions and find solutions to issues, often within tight timeframes.
2. Meticulous attention to detail and a natural flair for maths – With so much at stake, there is no room for error in financial reporting, analysis, and forecasting. A strong attention to detail and a well-developed talent for maths are therefore essential skills for this role.
3. Solid organisation and time management skills – The ability to multitask numerous projects and ensure the timely delivery of financial reports is essential.
4. Strong communication and presentation skills – Accountants have to gather, share and deliver financial information with their colleagues, C-suite level executives, clients, and investors. This requires excellent spoken and written communication and presentation skills. They may be responsible for obliging departments to reign in their spending so diplomacy is also vital.
5. Up-to-date, robust technical skills – Accountants need to be able to perform tasks using specialised accountancy software – such as FreshBooks, Xero, and QuickBooks – and Enterprise Resource planning programmes. This reduces the opportunity for human error and optimises process efficiencies.
6. Up-to-the-minute expertise on accountancy regulations and standards, plus a strong sense of integrity – An accountant’s compliance with professional standards, laws, and regulations have to be constant and faultless. They must also have a strong code of ethics.
7. Flexibility – The ability to adapt quickly to changes in regulations, client needs and accounting software is equally important for this demanding role.

And there you have it – the standard list of common hard and soft skills required for accountants to execute their role successfully and help your business to thrive. You will need to edit the list for the specific role, company, and industry that you’re recruiting for before you get to work on your killer job description.

If you’d like any expert guidance crafting that description – and ensuring it’s both seen by and attracts best-fit candidates – please get in touch. We have been connecting companies to talented accountancy professionals for over three decades. We know who they are and how to reach them. And we will quickly present you with a short list of great, pre-vetted matches for all your exacting requirements.

Please get in contact with us today at 020 7092 3911 or email us at info@ablrecruitment.com to learn how we can save you time and money in your talent search while also ensuring great hiring outcomes. Quickly. Cost-effectively. Expertly.