How to Build a Strong Bookkeeping Team

As a seasoned professional in the industry, with 24+ years of recruiting highs and lows, I’ve learned that while recruiting and building a cohesive team can be daunting, the rewards of having a supportive, skilled, and dedicated team are immeasurable.

Recognising the Right Time to Expand Your Team

I’ve been reminded on many occasions just how essential it is to be proactive when recruiting, and recognise the early signs that you need additional support. This helps ensure that you find the best person for the job, give them the best opportunity to succeed in the role, and get everything in place before your resource gap becomes a problem.

Some of the things to look out for include:

1. Capacity: When you (or your current team) are maxed out, struggling to meet client demands, or showing signs of burnout, it's a clear indicator that it's time to recruit.
2. New projects: If you foresee new clients or big projects that your current team can't handle, it's crucial to start the recruitment process early and future proof your business.
3. Skills gaps: Technological advancements, changes to industry standards, or evolving client needs can result skill gaps in your team, leaving you unable to service clients effectively, or take on new dream clients. Identifying these gaps early allows you to recruit the right talent, with the right skills, or build the necessary training in to their onboarding and development plan.
4. Team dynamics & performance: If you’re team isn’t working harmoniously due to a personality or performance issue, and you’ve been unable to address it through training and development, it may be time to bring in fresh talent to maintain a positive and productive work environment.
5. Long-term business goals: If your long-term goals include scaling or growing your business, you will inevitably need to recruit. Expanding your team is essential to manage the increased workload, support larger client bases, and ensure sustainable growth. Your recruitment strategy needs to align with and support your business objectives to set the foundation for future success.

Recruitment: Attracting and Securing the Right Talent

Recruiting can be a lengthy and intricate process. From defining job roles and crafting advertisements to interviewing and onboarding, each step demands time and commitment. However, this investment is crucial to avoid the pitfalls of hiring in haste.

My Top Tips

1. Start early: Recruitment is time-consuming. Begin the process well before your team reaches breaking point. This foresight prevents stress and ensures continuity in service quality.
2. Define your ideal candidate: Know exactly who you want to hire. Create detailed job descriptions and scorecards outlining the necessary skills, experience, and character traits. This clarity helps in attracting the right candidates and ensures a good fit for your team.
3. Understand your recruitment ‘why’: Be clear about why you need to recruit. Whether it's to handle increased workload, cover a skills gap, or manage new projects, understanding the root cause guides you in finding the right person for the right role.
4. Avoid desperation hires: Hiring out of desperation often leads to poor fits. If the right candidate doesn't surface immediately, revisit your job ad, and be patient. It's better to wait for the right person than to deal with the fallout of a bad hire.
5. Skills test: Implement skill tests in your recruitment process. This ensures that candidates possess the necessary skills and can perform the tasks required. It's a reliable way to validate their capabilities before making a hiring decision.
6. Set realistic recruiting and onboarding milestones: As mentioned, it takes time to recruit the right candidates. It also takes time to onboard them and embed them in the team. I usually allow approx. 6 months for this process – 3 months to recruit and onboard, and 3 months to ensure they have the resources and support they need to succeed in their role, meet their KPIs and become a valuable part of the team.

Building a team comes with its own set of challenges, from recruitment to onboarding, ensuring team cohesion and managing ongoing development. However, once you get it right, the rewards far outweigh these hurdles. 

If you'd like to learn more, the Academy has an entire module dedicated to providing you with the insights and resources you need to develop a strong bookkeeping team, including things like:

• Recruiting - How to Attract & Secure the Right Person for the Job
  • How to identify your recruitment needs
  • How to create a Job Scorecard and Job Description
  • How to conduct a talent search
  • How to interview, test and check candidates
• Onboarding - How to Set Your Team Up for Success
  • How to create an Onboarding Plan
  • How to create an Induction Checklist
• Building a Global Workforce
  • How to build a global workforce
• Profit Sharing and Incentives