Questions to Ask a Bookkeeper In An Interview

When looking for the right bookkeeper for your small business, there are specific questions you should ask a bookkeeper. Not all bookkeepers are created equal for small business owners. Today, we share the right questions to ask a bookkeeper in the interview process when inquiring about their services.

Things to do before you interview a bookkeeper.

Before starting, you should determine who your ideal candidate should be and what they should do for your business. The best way to do this is the write down the tasks you want them to do. Think back and find unique situations that were accounting error-related that occurred so you have an example if you need to explain to them the purpose of the need.

Bookkeeper Interview Questions

We divided the questions to ask into five sections: Background, Organization, Service, Process, and Logistics. It is a good idea to note each question and determine your ideal answer before the interview. These questions go into detail so you can truly feel confident in your decision.

Background Information to Ask

This section of common interview questions will help you get a background of the person.

Do you have a degree in bookkeeping? If not, how long have you worked in the industry?

What do you specialize in? How much experience do you have in bookkeeping services?

How long have you worked in the industry?

Is this your main form of business, or do you do other things?

Are you a part of any bookkeeper associations?

Do you have client referrals I can contact?

This next section is to find out how organized the person is because some can be disorganized, and when you need to get the information back, it may not be in a readily usable order.

Bookkeeper Organizing Questions to Ask

This section of questions will assist you in figuring out how the bookkeeper organizes their digital and paper files.

How do you organize my paperwork?

Are the files you collect on my business digital or physical?

Do you create folders or a bookkeeping binder?

Do you have a task agreement list that will spell out all the tasks you will be doing for my business? – The tasks agreement list helps draw the line between what they will do and what you will do.

The next set of questions is to help determine if they have the type of services you need and what specialties and industries they worked in.

Service Questions for the Potential Bookkeeper

Now, this section will help you figure out what services the bookkeeper offers that you can use.

What industries have you worked in? Is it my industry? And do you work primarily with product-based businesses or service-based businesses?

Do you perform accounts payable services like invoicing or payroll, as well as bookkeeping?

Do you offer payroll services? Is the service a separate price? What type of payroll services do you do? How about fringe benefits? Do you know how to do them?

Do you have an affiliation with a payroll company? What is their name?

Feel free to read our post if you don’t know what a bookkeeper does: what a bookkeeper can do for your business.

Questions about How their Process works

These questions help determine what their process is and how they work.

Please give me an example of how risky you are when it comes to your standards.

What software apps do you use? Are they online only or physically on a computer in your office? How proficient are you in …. bookkeeping software?

What are your routine daily activities? How will you contact me when you need more information? By text, by email, or by phone?

Below are the specifics and other bookkeeping service questions you may want to ask.

Logistics about their Bookkeeping Services

The potential bookkeeper will probably be a good fit if you get to this point. This set of questions will give you the details of what they do and what you can expect.

How many hours a week can you work on my tasks?

Do you do payroll services that involve fringe benefits?

How often do you bill? Is it a flat rate or by the hour? What is your rate?

Do you have a team, or do you do the work by yourself? Who will I work with directly?

What is your usual procedure for getting my bank statements or sending me the financial statements?

What accounting software do you use? Is it online or on your desktop?

How do you keep your computer safe? Are there processes in place that will keep my data secure?

Do you have tax accountants that you prefer to work with, or are you OK with working with my accountant?

And, lastly, do you do remote work, or will you be visiting my office?

REMEMBER: When you speak with a person, be sure to write down notes to remind you of the conversation. Then, take a day or two to think about it.

As they answer your questions, think about these areas.

Are they likable? Do they have soft skills that will work with you and your staff?

What are their communication skills?

How do they deal with

Do they answer the questions thoroughly, or are they short with you?

Are the answers seem detailed, or are they vague?

I hope these questions to ask a bookkeeper help you find a good fit for your business. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below.

If you want a free copy of these questions in a PDF format, sign up and get this, plus all our other ebooks!

Feel free to check out the following organizations to find the bookkeeper you are looking for.

NACPB

AIPB

Visit our bookkeeping posts to give you some more guidance before finding your bookkeeper.

How To Make Your Budget More Effective

A Complete Guide to Home Office and Business Deductions

3 Important Things You Need To Know About Data Entry

Business Tasks You Need To Do BEFORE Years End

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