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5 Things to Consider When Hiring a Company Bookkeeper

On Behalf of | Dec 24, 2014 | Business Law |

Hiring the wrong bookkeeper could lead to serious legal trouble. From being accused of fraud to having an employee who skims from your company accounts, the bookkeeper you hire could determine a lot for your business.

You can avoid hiring the wrong person by considering just a few things, and possibly including your business attorney in during interviews as well as the selection process.

Experience

While asking about experience should be a no-brainer, you are not just inquiring about experience, you are asking about his or her background. This helps you determine if the potential bookkeeper has padded their resume (adding more years than they actually have) or if they have lied on their resume. Remember, 80 percent of resumes are lies. Also, inquire about their positions. For example, if the applicant listed him or herself in a “senior” position, ask what duties made them a “senior” and whether or not the past employer would refer to his or her position as “senior”.

Use Hypothetical Bookkeeping Issues

If you want to see how skilled the bookkeeper is, you may want to come up with a few sample problems for them (hypothetical of course) to solve. Do not use brainteasers, use real bookkeeping issues that might arise and ask for the applicant’s insight on how he or she would handle that situation. Be cautious about what you ask and if you can, have your attorney draft the questions. You do not want to be misconstrued as bias or accused of making “tests” that are too hard.

Negative Background

Ask the candidate if the applicant has ever been disciplined or reprimanded in a position. You can verify this information with the candidate’s past employers as well as references. If the candidate admits to a reprimand, ask for additional details and get as much information as possible.

Criminal Background

You do not have to ask this question in the interview; instead, you can ask it on the application and then does your own criminal background check to verify. It is most likely in your best interest to not hire a bookkeeper with a criminal background, especially if he or she has had a past fraud conviction.

Why Picking the Right Bookkeeper Matters

In the era of corporate fraud, more government agencies are spending their time looking for companies guilty of fraud. Your bookkeeper is your first line of defense against such accusations.

Accused of Corporate Fraud?

If you or your business is accused of corporate fraud, you need an experienced West Palm Beach business fraud attorney by your side. The attorneys from the Law Offices of Peter M. Feaman can help. We offer no obligation consultations and an aggressive defense that protects the well-being of your business. Call today for your appointment at 561-469-0019.