Before interviewing candidates, it is very important to decide if you should employ a full-time or a part-time accounting assistant.
It is best to make a list of the tasks and duties your new accounting assistant will be responsible for. Should you only need an accounts assistant to assist with a few financial admin tasks a few days per week, a part-time or contract employee might be better than hiring a full-time accounting assistant. However, if your list of tasks is longer, a full-time employee can help meet your needs.
Accounting clerk: Responsible for performing data entry, maintaining accounting records, filing documents and assisting with accounts payable and/or accounts receivable. Typically focused on accounting tasks only, while accounting assistants also perform administrative tasks in addition to accounting tasks.
Bookkeeper: Handles financial analysis tasks, records transactions and may also be responsible for an entire company’s accounting duties. Bookkeepers usually need more experience that other types of accounting assistants.
Data Entry Clerk: Enters, processes and updates different kinds of data, usually in a company’s database. This is typically an entry-level role that requires minimal experience.
Tax accounting assistant: Assisting with tax-related tasks, such as payroll, tax returns and tax resolution.
A qualified accounting assistant candidate will have the following skills and attributes, as well as work experience that reflects:
- A working knowledge and understanding of programs like QuickBooks and Excel
- Ability to complete most tax filing forms
- General bookkeeping certification
- Careful attention to detail
- Positive attitude
- Ability to maintain consistency in the completion of routine tasks
What is the difference between accounting clerk and accounting assistant?
Accounting assistants and accounting clerks are similar roles. However, accounting assistants typically have more admin duties than accounting clerks do. For example, an accounting clerk may focus entirely on accounts payable tasks, while an accounting assistant may help with accounts payable and other data entry and admin-related work.
Do I really need an accounting assistant?
Whether or not you need an accounting assistant for your business depends on your budget, current staff and workload. For example, if your finance department or bookkeeper is overwhelmed with admin tasks and doesn’t have time to complete all of their duties, it may be time to hire an accounting assistant to help out. Accounting assistants can bring valuable skills, like attention to detail, and can speed up many processes that may be slowing business growth.
