If you’re relatively new to the role of being a manager in practice, your first recruitment project can feel pretty daunting.
Get it right and your team will be super impressed with your HR knowledge and ability to find the right piece for your firm’s puzzle.
But get it wrong and your firm will be left with a big and expensive headache that isn’t easily fixed.
So today on the blog we thought we’d share our top 5 tips for first time recruiters in accountancy practice.
1. Start out by creating a really well planned project.
It’s rare that the people you’ll need to work alongside to recruit a first-class accountant have buckets of free time to shortlist, interview and then second interview, so sit down and prepare a timeline and project plan. Start with the time you’d like your new recruit to start (be realistic – you may want them to start asap but it’s likely that most candidates will have a chunky notice period.)
Then diarise their start and induction and then work back in time to block out second interviews, interviews, shortlisting, closing dates and time to let your job advert circulate. Make sure that everyone who needs to be involved has time allocated.
2. Next up, clearly define the role that you’re searching for.
Create a first-class job description which showcases your firm and the package of benefits you have on offer as well as the job details.
Include a list of expected roles and responsibilities (and be sure to add a line that refers to ‘other tasks as required’ or similar) and then create a person specification and list the skills, qualifications and attributes that are essential for the role and those that are desirable.
3. Once you have a brilliant job description, work on condensing it into a punchy (and legal) job advert. Remember that if you work with us, our team of professional recruitment copywriters will be on hand to get your advert written in no time at all.
Your job advert needs to state the nature of the role (part time/full time/short term/permanent etc) and then pick out the key perks and requirement of the job and ensure it’s written in a way that the candidate can’t wait to email, call or click on a link to find out more.
4. Shortlist well and legally.
When the closing date for your job has passed, get together with your shortlisting team and whittle down the applicants. Make sure that you don’t discriminate against any protected characteristics (once again we’re always on hand to support our clients and ensure they don’t fall foul of this).
5. Create a brilliant interview process.
Depending on the level you’re hiring at, consider ways that you can really drill down to find out if a candidate is the right fit for your firm.
If you’re interviewing for an entry level accountant then a simple question and answer session with the odd scenario thrown in might suffice. But if you’re interviewing for senior leaders, then personality tests, case studies and other ways to find our more about the candidate might be a good idea. Remember that the logistics behind interviews can often be tricky so make sure you have someone on hand to support you practically on the day.
As you can see, overseeing the process of employing brilliant new recruits is no small task and it can feel daunting if it’s the first time you’ve done it. The very best firms understand that recruitment is a really big issue that they can’t afford to get wrong which makes the decision to outsource to us, often on a retained basis, a complete no brainer.
‘If you want to make sure that your first recruit in your new role as a hiring manager in practice isn’t a complete disaster, we’d urge you to contact us today. We’ll take care of the legalities and ensure you’re only presented with candidates with a legal right to work in the UK and with career history that checks out. We know your time is precious and your reputation matters.’
Garry Howling, MD
For more support on the complex process of recruiting talented accountants, dive into our Employers’ Hub where you’ll find plenty of case studies, articles and ideas to help make your recruitment process a smooth one.
And to discuss working with the very best recruiters in the UK, reach out for an informal discussion on info@publicpracticerecruitment.co.uk
