​What are we hearing from candidates?
"I'm very eager and excited."
I've spent the last month talking with a lot of candidates — and a lot of soccer fans. The two groups have more in common than you'd think: both are running on genuine excitement, and both share the same defining trait — a willingness to engage. Whether fans made the trip into the stadium or just showed up downtown for the atmosphere, they chose to spend the time and energy to be part of it, and the payoff was real positive energy. I'm seeing the same with candidates — the ones who engage come to our conversations genuinely excited, eager to hear about opportunities and talk through what they want next. It's easy to look at either from the outside and talk yourself out of it — too expensive, too crowded, not enough jobs, too many layoffs. But the people leaning in are having a different experience. Lean in. Embrace the moment.

What are we hearing from clients?
"I'm ready for the rush, I think."
Our active clients are excited and prepared for a rush of candidates, much like many restaurant and bar owners are for the deluge of fans attending the soccer tournament. I talked to a bar owner before a 12pm match last month who slept upstairs in his bar after a particularly rowdy night of fans who partied late into the night. Groggy and still cleaning up from the night before, at 10am he had a smile on his face and was happy to meet the next wave of fans; ready to do it again. This is the same sentiment I'm feeling from my clients; eager to see candidates who want to interview, ready to fit interviews into their busy schedules. Not every restaurant or bar is seeing heavy traffic this World Cup, but like companies that are actively hiring, if they're open and prepared, they will benefit from the situation.
  
What are we feeling about the market?
An Underwhelming Showing
Job market performance last month mirrored how the United States' Men's Soccer team performed in their knockout game against Belgium: very underwhelming. Anyone who's followed any of the USMNT's high-profile matches of the past 20 years can tell you that when the bright lights are on, we whittle under the pressure. After a strong month of job creation in May, everyone was hoping we'd continue on that trend. However, June's BLS Jobs Report was very underwhelming. Job additions were low, and while unemployment ticked down slightly, that number is misleading as there are still few openings to pursue -- "Hiring levels are nearly where they were 11 years ago, when the labor force was nearly 13 million people fewer than it is today." However, like our soccer team, there is a positive spin when you zoom out. The USMNT won their group and advanced to the round of 16 - overall a positive result. On the hiring side, it's true this is the fourth consecutive monthly increase in jobs, an impressive turnaround from the slowdown from 2025. There's enough here on both sides to remain optimistic in the long run.

Recent Placements
Controller – Wholesale – Portland, OR
Controller - Manufacturing – Kent, WA 
Senior Accounting Manager – Manufacturing – Bellevue, WA

Think you won’t need interim accounting help this year? Think again!

It’s time to recognize the fact that your accountant probably won’t be around forever. With the trend of accounting professionals changing roles every 3-5 years and the ongoing accounting exodus that the industry is facing, the odds of your current accountant staying in their role for the next 3 years is only moderately likely, the next 5 years are very unlikely, and the next 10 years is almost certainly not going to happen.

​That means you need to be prepared to utilize an interim accounting services company sooner rather than later. Don’t put off for next year what you should address this year!

​The odds are that before the year is done, you may experience one of the following common scenarios that we see every day at organizations across the country:

Under Performance
We hear it all the time with new clients coming to us for help: “We hired what we could afford and the person we brought in isn’t doing the job well!”

Unfortunately, trying to hire an accountant for less than the fair market rate or hire an accountant fast is typically going to lead to poor hires. In some cases, these hires may be able to stick it out for a little while without raising any significant red flags, but as the 1-year mark approaches their employers will often realize that hiring them was a mistake. It is at this point that the employer will begin to face the reality that they need to make a change.

When your accountant isn’t performing up to par and the root of the problem is on their end (underdeveloped skills, poor work ethic, etc.) as opposed to the organization’s end (inadequate onboarding, lack of ongoing support, etc.), you are going to need to go down the path of implementing a performance improvement plan (PIP) and work with them to get their competency and output up to the level it should be. As you do that, you may need to bring in part-time accounting help to assist with the work so that your organization doesn’t fall behind on key deliverables like tax filings and financial reporting. If your accountant doesn’t turn it around, you will want to bring in an interim accountant to bridge the gap between letting them go and bringing in a replacement.

Unexpected Turnover
Historically, the rise in accounting turnover can be attributed to four factors – being overworked, a lack of support from leadership, feeling undercompensated compared to other industries, and a lack of respect as high-value contributors. Of these, burnout is the leading cause of accountants leaving their roles.

​Unfortunately, however, too often employers don’t realize that accountants are getting burnt out in their roles until it’s too late! In other instances, accountants are leaving for a better opportunity in another industry like finance or tech where there is more money to be made. In addition to leaving their roles to go elsewhere, there has been a significant uptick in accountants retiring over the last decade.

When the loss of your accountant is on their terms, not yours, you will need the ability to bring in an interim accountant quickly to keep things running smoothly until you can hire a replacement.

Short-Term Leave
Sometimes, leave happens unexpectedly even when an accountant is completely satisfied in their role – that's just the nature of life. Organizations need to be prepared for the possibility of losing their accountant without warning for a period to care for an aging parent, recover from a disabling injury, or overcome an illness. Planning before you need it is instrumental in minimizing the business disruption that can result from your accountant taking short-term leave.
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Jason McGill explains how important being prepared is when he recounts badly breaking his wrist in a CPA basketball league game and being unable to work productively afterwards, 

​If you need an interim accountant, please reach out to us! We offer interim accounting services to companies and nonprofits that need short-term accounting help. We can help you bridge the gap while you search for a new hire to replace a staff member or offer accounting support when your team is overwhelmed with added work related to a special project or audit. Find out how our team of interim accountants can offer their expertise to keep your organization moving forward today! 

Originally published: 6/10/24
Updated: 7/8/26

1. If I don’t hear from my accountant, that means everything is fine and I shouldn’t worry.
2. If everything was going fine, my accountant would want to tell me. So, if I don’t hear from my accountant, something must be wrong.

From our experience, clients seem to believe one of these perspectives wholeheartedly – there’s very little in between. And yet, neither is entirely right.
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On the one hand, if you never hear from your accountant, that’s a troubling sign because you can’t be sure what they’re even doing on behalf of your organization. This kind of communication gap removes accountability, creating the opportunity for underperformance, mistakes, and even fraud to occur. However, hearing from your accountant constantly means they are spending their time talking to you instead of doing the work you have hired them to do, which is problematic (not to mention wasteful). Neither is a desirable scenario!

​How Often to Communicate
So, how often should you communicate with your accountant to find a balance between accountability and efficiency?

Unfortunately, there is not one correct answer to this question. The answer is more nuanced because the frequency of your communications will depend on factors like the specific activities the accountant is performing, how complicated the company’s financials are, and an individual business owner’s preference. At a minimum though, you should receive regular reporting. This is typically done monthly but could be done more often (weekly) or less often (quarterly) as specific business circumstances necessitate.

You should also get proactive communication when there’s a problem or item of concern. If you always need to ask about an anomaly or outlier, no matter how good the explanation is that you receive back, that should be a red flag that your accountant may not be managing your books as actively as you would like.

However, this just addresses how often communication should start with your accountant. Any time you reach out to your accountant, you should get a timely and thorough response back. If you initiate communication and don’t receive a response, or the response is vague and seems to skirt your question, that is cause for concern. An accountant, whether an in-house employee or third-party consultant, should be able to answer your questions and address your concerns with clarity and accuracy.

Frequency vs Quality of Communication
Remember, there’s more to good communication than just hearing from your accountant a lot. When your accountant communicates it should be easy to understand (even if you don’t have a strong financial background) and feel more like a conversation than just simply a statement.

How often your accountant communicates is important, but what they communicate is important too! Your accountant should be able to:

• Answer questions your questions directly and in detail.
• Explain any financial assumptions being used.
• Discuss how business changes will affect financials.
• Help develop sound business projections.
• Speak to what may be coming next.

An accountant’s communications should provide insight into the type of work being done and how the organization is performing. If you frequently need to ask, “What’s going on?” or “How are we doing?” then your accountant is probably not communicating enough for your company’s needs.

Fixing a Lack of Communication
If you don’t feel like you’re getting enough transparent communication from your accountant and they don’t seem willing to change, find an accounting services provider that will prioritize your needs. You should always be treated as an equal partner when communicating with your accountant, not an inconvenience.
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When you need an accountant that’s responsive to your needs, please reach out to us. We have a team of highly experienced accountants ready to come alongside your organization to provide as much or as little accounting help as you need. When you have a question or concern you will get a timely response from our team. We will work with you to ensure that you have as much access to your financials as you’d like. Whether you would rather be more hands on with the work being done or would like to take a more hands off approach, we can accommodate your preferences. Let our team set you at ease by partnering with your business or nonprofit the way you want to be supported. Find out more about how our outsourced accounting services can fit your needs! 

Originally published: 10/4/23
Updated: 7/1/26

​As recruiters, we often talk with clients that have an extensive list of everything they would like in their next hire. Sometimes this includes items that cause employers to voluntarily get in their own way of filling their open roles.

We hear things like, “We want an up-and-comer that can grow with the company” or “This person needs to be 100% on-site” or “They need to have an accounting degree.” While it’s good to know what you want, more often than not these kinds of limitations lead employers to pass on candidates who are actually well qualified for their roles. For this reason, it may be worth stretching your hiring parameters to get an open role filled.

Unemployment continues to be at near record lows (and it’s even lower in the accounting and finance field!), which means you need to be prepared to be flexible.

​Removing the assumptions of what you need from your mind may be the first step in the right direction of getting your role filled. Even if it feels a little bit uncomfortable at first, stretching is good for your hiring efforts!

​Stretching Hiring Parameters
We are going to look at three different ways employers can stretch their thinking around hiring. If you stretch your hiring parameters in these directions, you will likely get your role filled faster and with better, more qualified people.

Stretch Direction 1 – Being Open to All Kinds of Candidates
Being open to all kinds of candidates is perhaps the first way you stretch. This would look like expanding your hiring parameters to include:

• Late career professionals nearing retirement age.
• Employees who have done the same job for many years.
• Candidates who are experienced versus degreed.

​Late Career Professionals
Late career candidates have often been there and done that and can get the job done faster and more efficiently than the up-and-comer that employers are looking for to grow with the company. They are typically also more intrinsically motivated (love the work that they do) rather than extrinsically motivated (chasing after a higher salary).

​As Quinn Finnigan explains when discussing the benefits of hiring late career professionals, 

​Several factors have contributed to the growing share of older adults who are working, including changes in retirement plans from old-style pensions to 401(k)s as well as a rising retirement age requirement to receive full Social Security benefits.

Yet, sometimes employers are concerned about how long late career employees may want to continue working. However, hiring an earlier career candidate is no guarantee they will stay longer. As a matter of fact, they often want to move around to see different things and gain new experiences, which means they may be even more likely to leave than their older counterparts.

Employees in Same Job Forever
Another candidate often overlooked is the “Steady Eddie” that has been in the same role forever. Employers might think someone who has been at the same level for a long time is not who they want to hire because that person must not be very industrious if they have never been promoted. However, employers need to realize that not everyone wants to climb the corporate ladder. Some people are perfectly content staying at the same level, and they do an excellent job there.

For whatever reason, although they are proud of their work and excel at it, they aren’t interested in the next level. Maybe they are secondary income earners so they don’t need the highest salary possible, or they like feeling comfortable with the same tasks, or they just want to do a great job of what’s in front of them without taking on more. Maybe they would rather do the hands-on work of the role instead of managing others who are doing it.

Everyone has different motivations, and it doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t perform. Instead of looking at staying in the same role as a negative, view it for what it is – a firm dedication to their employer and the role day in and day out.

Non-Degreed Candidates
​Lastly employers may pass up on non-degreed candidates even though they have held similar roles and have experience that is right in line with the requirements of the role. This is another group that may be worth a second look because their experience may serve as their education.

Look at whether the candidate holds a degree in an adjacent area that may benefit them in the role. Just because their diploma does not have an accounting or finance discipline listed doesn’t mean it’s useless. If they don’t have a degree at all, look at their work history. They may have comparable (or greater) years of experience in a family business or another type of organization that has given them transferable skills instead of a degree, and that can be extremely valuable too!

Additionally, some employers may feel like they need an accountant who holds a CPA license to get the kind of experience they are looking for, when they really don’t need a CPA at all. Before requiring a particular degree or license, try to understand what you hope to accomplish with that requirement so you can determine if another kind of candidate could also fit the bill.

Stretch Direction 2 – Being Open to a Hybrid Work Environment
These days many candidates simply are not open to working 100% in-office and are only looking for hybrid or remote opportunities. Some are willing to be in the office every day but only during the hours when their kids are in school. Others may be coaching their kid’s sports team and need to leave early some days.

​When thinking about how to rethink your hiring expectations ASP’s Recruiting Services Leader, Quinn Finnigan, hits the nail on the head in saying, 

​Many employees need flexibility to care for their children or aging parents. Some are fed up with the hassle of commuting and sitting in traffic, while others may just not want to be in the office every day. By not allowing for flexibility in location and schedule, employers could be missing out on the perfect candidate.

Stretch Direction 3 – Open Mindedness to Matching your Company to a Candidate
This is the most difficult kind of conversation to have, but it’s important nonetheless. You need to be realistic about the type of candidates who are going to be attracted to your company.

​It’s just a fact that “grade-B” companies won’t get attention from “grade-A” candidates just like “grade-B” candidates won’t get attention from “grade-A” companies. If your company has some challenges or limitations to consider such as budget constraints, poor work/life balance, or no room to grow, know that you may not get everything you are looking for in a candidate. The opportunity and candidate must align for there to be a match.

Getting Hiring Help
When you need help finding candidates for your open role, experienced accounting and finance recruiters can help! Leaning on someone who is working with hiring organizations every day and continuously talking to candidates will give you a greater perspective to better understand what you truly need versus what is nice to have so you can stop looking for unicorn candidates. They inherently understand the hiring market better than an individual organization because they are so continually immersed in it.  

Top recruiting companies will also understand where to look for candidates and how to present your role to them to give you the best chance at hiring success. This is especially important when you are stretching your hiring parameters because it requires a “thinking outside the box” kind of mindset that they have finely honed over time. 

Use our accounting recruiting services today! At The ASP Team we work with all industries and all kinds of organizations from small businesses and emerging companies to Fortune 500 firms. We place qualified candidates in accounting and finance roles at public and private companies as well as nonprofit organizations. Contact us today to find out more!

Originally published: 5/13/24
Updated: 6/24/26

About the Author
Joss Stokke – Recruiting Services Leader
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​Joss joined The ASP Team in 2022, bringing with her over 6 years of experience in accounting and finance recruiting and financial services recruiting.

Joss’s prior 15-year accounting and finance career, with experience in tax, audit, SEC reporting, management reporting, investor relations, treasury, mergers and acquisitions, financial performance and analysis, budgeting, forecasting and valuations, makes her uniquely qualified in assisting both clients and candidates in filling accounting and finance positions.
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She began her career in public accounting at EY in Atlanta, Georgia. She worked there for six years before joining a Fortune 100 company where she held a variety of corporate accounting and finance roles, eventually growing into the Director of Finance.

“Start with the core of the onion.” This is a mantra I use when talking to hiring managers about who they want for their job opening. This means starting with their most ideal candidate and working through different profiles. Most hiring managers are looking for either the next “up and comer” or someone who is established and has a solid 20 years left in the tank. As we work through candidate profiles, inevitably the recommendation is to always hire the person who can add the most value in the position.
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In the world of non-executive accounting and finance recruiting, the ‘core of the onion’ answer is never “I’d love someone who is late in their career.” There is often a stigma attached to late-career candidates that is uneducated at best, and at worst tantamount to ageism. But late-career candidates should be considered equally with all other candidates. Understanding why first starts with thinking about a professional’s career trajectory. 

Career Stages
Professional careers can generally be broken into three stages. If the average career is about 40 years you can think about each third as roughly a 13-year period. Being aware of these stages helps to understand their unique direction, motivation, and mindset in evaluating their fit for any position.

Early-Career
Candidates in the first third of their career span college graduates through to their first one or two manager-level positions. People in this stage are very much still working on the building blocks of their profession, and it’s likely their career trajectory is still somewhat uncertain. Given this, they are usually more highly money motivated than more experienced candidates as they have not yet realized their earning potential. They can possess a very driven mindset as they may have ample time and energy to work without any family obligations yet. Furthermore, these candidates can be a blank slate.

The public accounting model is one example of a large hiring force who has realized and taken advantage of the first third candidate type for decades.

Mid-Career
Candidates in the second third of their career span many titles and levels within organizations. One thing they have in common is they know pretty well what path they’re on, though they have likely not realized their full potential and are still perfecting their craft. These professionals have likely made a handful of job changes already, have experienced the rigors of the professional world, and know where they want to top out. People in this mid-career stage are usually most motivated by opportunity to learn, grow and realize their potential. Though they very likely have not yet topped out their compensation potential, they’re probably comfortable enough not to chase money. (Let’s just say they’re not regularly eating top ramen and living with three roommates anymore.) Mid-career candidates are very highly productive because this is usually when people start families. They have extra motivation to succeed and are usually hunkered down and building for their future.

Late-Career
Candidates in the last third of their career also span many titles and levels within their organization (in fact, likely more than candidates in the mid-career stage group). These professionals know very well who and what they are, whether they’re a Billing Specialist, a Senior Accountant, or a Corporate Controller. They are comfortable in their own skin and know their strengths and weaknesses inside and out. Having lived a lot of life, usually they’ve realized that adding value to any situation is most important to them. This means late-career candidates are driven to be in an environment they want to be while sacrificing some things that were important to them earlier in their career, not devoting their precious energy in an environment that doesn’t suit them.

Why Consider Late-Career Candidates?
There are many reasons to prefer an early or mid-career candidate, none of which are covered here, and each are legitimate and unarguable. But for anyone who has roundly refused to consider late-career candidates, it is helpful to consider the current labor situation. If you’ve tried hiring in the last five years you’ve likely experienced demand being much greater than supply. Alex de Soto, a Partner and Executive Recruiter at CFO Selections, explains that there has been a sharp decline in the number of people obtaining accounting degrees between 1998-2008. This means there are simply fewer candidates who are in their mid-career stage in the market currently.

If you’re a company looking to hire in Accounting and Finance, it’s hard not to think of your opening as just another one of the millions of job openings out there: hiring in the sector with the lowest unemployment in the nation and in a sector that will only get tougher over the next decade. It likely would not hurt to set your hiring standards apart from your competitors. It can help to look back at what motivates the “core of the onion” candidates you’re seeking. If you cannot compete with your competitors at the top level on total compensation or growth opportunity, it’s time to consider late-career candidates.

Remember, a candidate in the last third of their career is likely a subject matter expert. Review the candidate’s resume for a group of responsibilities and skills that show a pattern of specializing in an area that is meaningful to you. In addition, late-career candidates often have much more lived experience and bring much needed perspective, patience, and gained wisdom to many situations, whether in a manager role or as an individual contributor. Lastly, with so much emphasis on the value of DEI these days, we’d be remiss not to mention that their lived experience means late-career candidates can be considered diversity candidates as well.

Late-Career Hiring Myths
While we’re addressing confronting ageism, we’d be remiss if we didn’t cover some common objections to hiring a late-career candidate:

• “I don’t want to hire someone who is overqualified”: The true risk in hiring someone who is overqualified is spending the time and energy to train them and then they quickly get bored and find a new, more challenging job in a short period of time. However, this is unlikely if the candidate feels they are adding value, which goes back to their motivation. Dive into what truly motivates any candidate in their work and ensure your job can offer that.
  
  
• “A late-career candidate will cost too much”: Many of these candidates are empty-nesters (or close to it) or have settled into a certain lifestyle, meaning their earning requirements are different than those earlier on in life. And if this doesn’t ring true, as always, return to motivation. If your role offers a late-career candidate the opportunity add value, we’ve seen candidates take a lower offer to be in a situation that fits them the best.
  
  
• “A late-career candidate doesn’t have the ability/desire/time to grow and develop”: More experience in life means better ability to grow and adapt. Perhaps what is perceived as an inability to change is really just a better ability to accept and deal with change.
  
  
• “A late-career candidate might retire suddenly, leaving me in a bind”: This is a legitimate concern. However, we’ve seen many high-caliber employees simply not want to retire because they love working! How many years would you be happy with any candidate giving you? Is it 3 years? Maybe 5 years? Most late-career candidates understand the importance of being forthright when interviewing and entering a new company. To ensure there is alignment, a valid question to ask during an interview is “How many years do you see yourself in this role?”

Not every late-career candidate is right for you. Whether you’ve never realized an existing unconscious bias against late-career candidates or understand that it’s time to change your hiring practices given the tight job market, there are great reasons to strongly consider this large pool of extremely talented candidates.

Now, the hiring process these days isn’t easy no matter who you’re looking to hire. As always, people are people and there will be nuanced differences in working with any candidate at any stage. But a good accounting recruiter can help you navigate your concerns in considering a late-career candidate. If you need help hiring an accounting or finance role, please contact us today! Having worked with and gotten many hired in this tough market, we’d love to have that conversation with you. 

Originally published: 3/21/22
Updated: 6/16/26

About the Author
Quinn Finnigan - Recruiting Services Leader

Quinn is a native Washingtonian, born and raised in Tacoma and Lakewood. Having lived and traveled all over the world with stints in Portland, OR, Salzburg, Austria and Maui, HI, he returned to his roots in 2008 and now lives with his wife and two children in Issaquah.

​A proud alumnus of The University of Portland, he received his undergraduate degree in Accounting and began his career at Deloitte in the audit practice for three years prior to taking a “quarter-life crisis” break to live and play in Maui. After a year of fun and soul searching (surfing and sailing) he returned to his accounting roots and for the next seven years grew professionally in corporate accounting and finance working for the Seattle Seahawks and Amazon.
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Quinn actively sought out the recruiting industry in 2015 seeking to redefine his definition of career success and has been serving Puget Sound based middle market companies helping them fill Accounting and Finance positions through contingent placements for over five years. Having found his passion and expertise, he greatly enjoys serving Pacific Northwest based organizations with ASP and CFO Selections.

What are we hearing from candidates?
"I’m getting interviews."

​The anemic hiring market seems to be picking up. Candidates are seeing open positions and interviewing for multiple opportunities. However, they report companies being very particular and the process being very slow, with a lot of time passing between rounds of interviews. This is not leaving them with a sense of being wanted and making them rethink the role and company.

What are we hearing from clients?
"I want to see more candidates."

Clients are moving slowly and intentionally. In the past, speed of hiring was a focus. Whereas now, wanting a candidate that checks off everything desired for a position is the focus. This includes both technical and soft skills, and culture fit continues to be of high importance. Because clients are wanting to see more candidates, their slower pace is causing them to lose candidates they are interested in and have most of the items on their desired list. These candidates are getting other offers and withdrawing from the process. Also, their offers are coming in higher, in addition to faster. Clients are willing to let positions sit open longer, which is putting a strain on the rest of the finance and accounting group.
  
What are we feeling about the market?
Better with the uptick in May jobs.

​The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its May report showing 172,000 jobs were added to the economy while unemployment stayed the same at 4.3%, This increase in jobs, although not roaring, came in well above expectations and follows two months of positive job growth. Although job adds were much stronger than expected, the BLS also published five alternative measures of labor underutilization in addition to unemployment, and each one shows a growing number of Americans have experienced employment conditions that have left them underemployed or sidelined. Additionally, wage increases continue to be lower than inflation.

ASP Hiring Statistics
44 - Average Days to Place
$162,000 - Average Placed Controller Salary
27% - Percent of Diversity Hires
97% - Percent of time we get interviews for our clients

Your accountant just gave notice, what do you do now?

Hopefully, your accountant gave you more than the obligatory two weeks, but regardless of what the timeframe looks like, the steps are the same:

1. Try to ascertain why they are leaving
2. Work on hiring a replacement
3. Handoff information
4. Part on good terms
5. Remove system access

​Time is of the essence in this situation, especially if it coincides with a closing period or tax season, so you should get started immediately!

​Understand Causality
Hiring a new accountant should be your top priority, but before you hastily post a stock job description online or start calling your colleagues for recommendations, pause for a moment to try to understand why your current accountant is leaving.

Ask for feedback even if you know the reason has nothing to do with your company because former employees (or those on their way out) will typically be more honest than current employees since they have nothing to lose. The information you gather will help inform your hiring of a replacement.
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Determine if there was anything you could have done to keep them, such as offering:

• Better benefits
• A more competitive salary
• Greater opportunities for advancement
• More flexibility (schedule, location, etc.)

When posting the job opening pay particular attention to anything your former accountant mentioned as an impetus for leaving to avoid ongoing turnover issues or a reduction in the applicant pool. (For instance, remote work has become a requirement for many office employees these days, which means that if the role does not allow for this option, the applicant pool can shrink dramatically.)

Start Looking for a Replacement
Begin looking for a replacement right away to avoid a gap. Customize the job description for the current role instead of just reusing the job description you posted the last time you hired an accountant. Incorporate the feedback you receive from your current accountant and make changes to the job description as needed throughout the process if you determine that you need to refine your expectations for the right candidate.

If you plan on using an accounting recruiter, start the conversation as early as possible in the process to speed up hiring. The sooner a recruiting company can be brought up to speed and given your desired characteristics in a new accountant, the sooner they can begin looking for the perfect candidate for the role.

Include your accountant in the hiring process, if appropriate. Your accountant can help define the intricacies of the role to write the job description and screen applicant resumes while looking through the critical lens of an industry professional. If possible, set up interviews with top candidates while your accountant is still with the company so they can help conduct the interviews as well and give their input on who would be the best fit.

Ideally, you will be able to bring in a new accountant before your accountant leaves so that they can train their replacement and transfer any relevant information to set up the replacement for success and minimize the effect on the business.

Initiate a Transfer of Knowledge
Whether a replacement is hired before your accountant leaves or not, ensure your accountant transfers account logins and ownership, as well as other knowledge to make the transition smoother.

The more ingrained your accountant is in the overall financial matters of your company, the more important this step will be. In smaller businesses, accountants can play a bigger role in the overall management of the company than their counterparts at larger organizations, making this a more involved process.

Avoid the kinds of headaches that can result when key personnel leave the company and inadvertently take critical information with them. The last thing you want to deal with is being locked out of a bank account or your accounting system. Remember, account ownership transfers can take time when waiting on banks or other financial institutions to confirm and authorize changes.

Preserve the Relationship
Former employees can either contribute to building up a brand’s reputation or tearing it down, which makes treating employees well as they transition out of the organization a key HR strategy. This is an even more salient point in tighter professional circles, like those that finance and accounting professionals are a part of, because there tends to be increased information sharing about employers.   

Obviously, if your accountant is leaving the company on bad terms preserving the relationship may not be possible. However, if your accountant is leaving due to a circumstance that is outside of your control or to pursue a better opportunity, staying civil will benefit you both. Your accountant may be instrumental in filling their old role or making future hires by drawing on their own professional network.

Remove Access
As a reminder, any time an employee leaves, regardless of what the circumstance is, their access to systems should be revoked as soon as their employment ends. This is not a point that specifically applies to accountants, but it bears repeating because having unnecessary users increases your security risk even if no one has any malintent because one of their logins could be compromised. And, in instances where former employees do have bad intentions, being quick with removing access closes that door before any harm can be done.
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Need help finding a staff accountant, senior accountant, accounting manager, or senior accounting manager? We can help! Contact our recruiting team to start the process on hiring a new accountant right away. 

Originally published: 4/19/21
Updated: 6/5/26

When a company is undergoing a significant shift, like a big cultural change or a change of ownership, a financial assessment can give them a comprehensive picture of where they are financially to aid in their strategic planning. A business financial assessment helps with decision-making related to everything from short-term cash flow management to long-term vision-setting.
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Recently, more companies are bringing in consulting accountants and fractional CFOs to assess their current financial position than ever before. Let’s take a closer look at what a financial assessment includes and who is best poised to conduct one.

Analyzing Financial Health
As the name would imply, a financial assessment, first and foremost, analyze a business’s financials.

Financial statements like the company’s balance sheet, P&L statement, and cash flow statement should be examined by an experienced professional to look for problems and identify areas where the business can improve its financial position. These financials can then be used to generate important profitability, liquidity, and debt ratios that help to put the business’s performance into perspective relative to the industry.

Common ratios to track include, but are not limited to:

• Net profit margin
• Gross profit margin
• Coverage ratio
• Current ratio
• Quick ratio
• Debt-to-equity ratio
• Debt-to-asset ratio
• Inventory to net working capital
• Inventory turnover
• Total asset turnover
• Average collection period
• Return on assets
• Return on equity

​Of course, if the company has not been regularly generating financial statements or ongoing errors have compromised their accuracy, the first thing a professional will do is prepare them. Afterwards, the financial analysis component of their role can be fully realized.

An accountant will analyze the financials to look for things like:

• Whether the books are being kept in accordance with internal controls measures
• Where AR (accounts receivables) delays are causing cash flow issues
• Bank and credit reconciliation discrepancies
• Gaps in payroll filings that need to be fixed
• Where the company’s tax burden can be reduced

A CFO, on the other hand, will oversee FP&A (financial planning and analysis) activities, such as:

• Forecasting
• Strategic planning
• Improving data accuracy and ensuring data integrity
• Risk mitigation

This kind of financial assessment can be done as a one-time “check-up” or regular activity, depending on what you are looking to accomplish. A one-time assessment can be used to facilitate a business sale or accompany a funding request like when applying for a bank loan or approaching a potential investor. When assessments are done routinely, trends can be identified to inform ongoing operations decisions as part of overall strategic planning.

Note: keep in mind, a financial assessment is very different from a business valuation. An assessment gives an indication of how a company is doing financially and whether it is on track to hit its goals, whereas a valuation will attempt to determine how much a business is worth based on its fair market value. The latter is a much more formal evaluation and requires the expertise of a valuation expert.

Software & Technology
A financial assessment may include a non-numerical component as well, examining areas like software platforms, app integration, workflow automations, communication tools, and other technology. Looking at these areas can help to identify places where your team can be more accurate and efficient, both of which can result in significant business wins.

Understanding where to use automation is one area where a career financial professional can add considerable value by:

• Eliminating tedious tasks
• Streamlining bookkeeping activities
• Managing payroll and benefits
• Meeting important filing and reporting deadlines
• Detecting and preventing fraud

As a result, automation can free up personnel to do more sophisticated value-add activities, reduce burnout, improve job satisfaction, improve communication, de-silo teams across the organization, and drive revenue growth.

People & Processes
When a financial assessment is being done by a senior manager or executive, it may also offer the perspective of how staff can be better utilized to improve financial outcomes. In much the same way that utilizing the right tools or technology can improve business output, having the right people and processes in place is critical to moving the organization towards its long-term goals.

Understanding which roles are critical and what current staff is capable of can help to identify staffing gaps that need to be filled to kickstart or maintain revenue growth. An experienced financial professional can identify areas where additional staff should be hired and where existing staff should be reequipped to better serve the company.

Who Does Financial Assessments?
Knowing what you want to get out of the process will help determine who you should hire to do a financial assessment.

If you are looking for a financial assessment in the strictest sense of the word, a consulting accountant will have the experience-level and skillset needed to do the job. However, if you are looking for a broader analysis of everything adjacent to the company’s finances, an executive level role will be a better fit. A CFO will have the business acumen needed to oversee and analyze accounting and finance as well as everything affected by these areas.

Depending on how intensive your needs are, you may hire an accountant, financial analysts, controller, or CFO to conduct a financial assessment for your business. When it comes to FP&A, a financial analyst or hybrid accountant is typically brought in to do the work “in the trenches” while a CFO will oversee not only these efforts but also all other accounting and finance activities.

Now, that is not to say that in either case, you need to carve out a full-time, in-house position. A project-based role or a part-time outsourced role may fit the bill if you need help with a limited engagement or on a less-than-full-time basis.
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Find out how our expert senior managing accountants can help your business. We can provide a one-time financial assessment or ongoing an analysis of your business financials to improve cash flow, budgeting, internal controls, tax preparation, or reporting.

Originally posted: 10/22/21
Updated: 5/29/26 

What are we hearing from candidates?
"Yes, I'll consider it."
Professionals today generally fall into two categories: those happy where they are and those open to opportunities. A couple years ago, the latter category of candidate could be pretty picky, able to craft their ideal position and wait for it to come to them. Today, however, we're talking to more and more candidates who are expanding their boundaries of what they'll consider. This is in reaction to a sticky job market (see below).

If you're on the market, either actively or passively, consider expanding your parameters like many others are today - you could find something great out there.

What are we hearing from clients?
"I'm channeling the Rolling Stones."
Did you ever think a song from 62 years ago would be resonating with hiring managers in the year 2026?! Well that's the case today. With the increasing number and quality of interim options and the importance of making the right hire, companies are happily singing the Rolling Stones' classic from 1964 Time Is On My Side.

Clients have been happy to take their time to review candidates, set up interviews, and make hiring decisions. There are numerous factors playing into the continuing draw-out hiring process, but the risk remains constant; high quality candidates do not wait around once they're active in the market. Maybe that wasn't the case in 1964, but it sure is today.
  
What are we feeling about the market?
"Need GPS"
If you're a job seeker (active or passive), you may look at the most recent BLS jobs numbers out for April and see 115,000 jobs added and low, steady unemployment and think to yourself, "I can navigate this market." But those numbers are misleading and several other indicators tell a truer story.

The labor force participation rate continues to fall, which means fewer people are competing for the same number of jobs. Hiring remains concentrated in just a few sectors (you're sitting pretty if you're in healthcare) and white-collar hiring is still sluggish. If you're thinking about navigating the job market, hopefully you realize it's not clear sailing. You'll need the GPS accuracy and precision of a good recruiter to help you get through this fog.

Recent Placements
Controller – Construction – Auburn
Senior Accountant – Real Estate – Seattle 
Controller – Manufacturing – Tukwila

​The role you need depends on your business needs, so let’s look at common business triggers that most likely require needing the next level of financial role, and what kind of activities and responsibilities each role typically includes. We’ll start with bookkeeper and work our way up to Chief Financial Officer (CFO). 

Bookkeeper
If you’re starting up your business or you’re tapped out on trying to do your own accounting for your small business, you likely need a Bookkeeper!

If you’re starting a new business or have an existing business and you’ve outgrown using your bank account and spreadsheets to track your financial transactions, then it’s time to hire a bookkeeper.  Most likely you would start with a fractional bookkeeper (not full time), paired with a CPA Firm that can advise on taxes and recording more complex transactions such as debt and equity. Your financial transactions should be reviewed by your CPA Firm, an owner, or a fractional Controller or CFO.  A bookkeeper often has an AA degree or less. 

A Bookkeeper will typically handle the following:

• Recording Day-to-Day Transactions: A bookkeeper focuses on recording daily routine financial transactions into the accounting system such as customer sales and receipts (accounts receivable), purchases and supplier and vendor payments (accounts payable), and employee payments (payroll) into the organization's accounting system. They ensure that all financial data is accurately entered and classified into appropriate accounts, typically using QuickBooks, Xero, or a similar basic accounting software system.
• Bank Reconciliation: They reconcile bank statements with the organization's financial records to identify any discrepancies.
• Running Reports: They may generate basic cash basis financial reports such as trial balances, income statements, and balance sheets.

Accountant
If your business is growing in size and complexity, and your bank or investors are asking for more than a P&L statement, you likely need a degreed Accountant, Staff to Senior Level.

When your business is growing and your bank or your investors want financial statements that are GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) compliant financials instead of cash basis financials, you will need an accountant. However, an Accountant still needs oversight and guidance, and their work needs to be reviewed by another qualified person if the financials are being sent to an external user. The qualified reviewer may be an owner, a fractional or full-time Controller or CFO depending on your size, or possibly a CPA Firm.  An Accountant has a BA degree in accounting and may have a CPA.

The difference between Staff and Senior accountants is typically the number of years of experience – often an accountant will move up from Staff to Senior accountant over time, or it may also mean a promotion to Senior accountant once a BA degree or CPA is earned. 

In addition to the above, an accountant can provide the following:

• Monthly GAAP Financials: Develop and follow monthly close processes including reconciliation of accounts from Cash to GAAP basis. 
• Complex Transactions: Accountants handle more complex financial transactions, such as adjustments, accruals, and depreciation.  Depending on their experience level, an accountant may be able to produce financial reports such as a Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement.
• Consolidation:  Consolidating multiple locations or entities requires knowledge of things such as intercompany transactions that need to be eliminated.  An Accountant will likely be able to assist with this, depending on their experience level.
• Mentoring: An Accountant may also provide guidance and mentorship to less experienced staff, including bookkeepers and beginner accountants.
• Process Documentation & Improvement:  They may be involved in identifying process improvements within the accounting department and helping to implement them.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Depending on the organization's size, they could collaborate with other departments or teams to provide financial insights and information.

Accounting Manager
If with your growth, you are hiring more people to process a high volume of transactions and need someone to oversee the team, then you likely need an Accounting Manager!

When you have more than two to three people in accounting processing your transactions, they likely need oversight and guidance. An Accounting manager oversees multiple accountants and bookkeepers.  There are two types of Accounting Managers:

1. The non-degreed, former bookkeeper who has good people-management skills and has worked their way up to a reviewing/managing role in a high-volume business.
2. The degreed Accounting Manager who is on a career path to Controller+ and excels in reviewing/managing but also handles more complex work than people below them.

An Accounting Manager is a go-to person for the business owner. They know more, at a higher level, than the other accountants on the team.

An Accounting Manager will typically handle the following:

• Day-to-Day Operations: Accounting Managers oversee the day-to-day operations of the accounting department. They manage accountants and bookkeepers and ensure tasks are completed accurately and on time.
• Task Delegation: They assign responsibilities to the accounting team, monitor progress, and ensure that deadlines are met.
• Staff Development: Accounting Managers provide coaching, training, and performance feedback to their team members, helping them grow professionally.
• Problem Resolution: They address issues that arise in day-to-day accounting operations and work to resolve discrepancies or errors.
• Reporting: While not as high-level as the Controller's financial reporting, Accounting Managers may prepare reports for internal use.

Controller
If your business is very complex, operating in multiple states, multiple entities, multiple lines of business and you need someone to oversee your growing accounting department and manage risk, then you likely need a Controller!

Because your business is becoming more complex, your accounting, reporting, tax and compliance needs are as well. The bank or investors may want more oversight of your accounting.  At this point, you should be working with a solid CPA firm on tax strategy and compliance, as well performing an audit or compliance review which may be required by your bank or investors. Internal controls as well as formalized processes and procedures become more important at this stage, which means you may need a Controller to supervise and lead your accounting team and help with these more complex needs.   

If you’re a very large company, you may need a Controller.  If you’re a smaller business that needs someone with a title higher than Controller, you might change the title to Director of Finance or Director of Accounting. Controllers often have a BA and CPA and may have started their career in a CPA firm. 
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A Controller will typically handle the following:

• Financial Operations: The Controller is responsible for managing the day-to-day financial operations of the organization. They oversee accounting and financial reporting.
• Financial Reporting: Controllers ensure accurate and timely financial reporting in compliance with accounting standards and regulations. They prepare financial statements and provide them to internal and external stakeholders.
• Internal Controls: Controllers establish and maintain internal controls to safeguard assets, prevent fraud, and ensure the accuracy of financial data.
• Process Improvement: Controllers often identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve efficiency within the accounting department.
• Audit and Tax Compliance: They work closely with a CPA firm to ensure the organization adheres to relevant financial regulations, tax laws, and reporting requirements, as well as managing financial audits to provide necessary documentation and address any audit findings.
• Budgeting: Controllers often play a role in the budgeting process, ensuring that budgets align with the organization's financial goals and constraints.
• Financial Analysis: While CFOs focus on strategic financial analysis, Controllers may also engage in financial analysis to support decision-making and provide insights to management.
• Collaboration: They collaborate with other departments, such as finance, treasury, and operations, to ensure accurate financial data exchange and reporting.

​Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
If your business is very complex, operating in multiple states, multiple entities, multiple lines of business and you need someone to help you strategize and plan for the future, then you likely need a CFO!

A CFO is integral when you have a solid accounting team that is handling everything, but you need someone in your court to bounce ideas off, strategize about the future of your business and operations, or maybe help you decide if merging, acquiring or selling your business is a good idea. Most often a CFO will have started their career in public accounting and moved into a Controller role, and then will have been mentored by a CFO who may be retiring or leaving and take over as a new CFO.  

A CFO will typically handle the following:

• Strategic Leadership: The CFO is a high-level executive responsible for leading the organization's overall financial strategy. They work closely with other executives to align financial goals with the organization's strategic objectives.
• Strategic Planning and Analysis: CFOs are heavily involved in financial forecasting, budgeting, and long-term financial planning. They provide insights and recommendations to the organization to guide financial decisions.
• Investor Relations: CFOs often interact with shareholders, investors, analysts, and the financial community to communicate the company's financial performance and future prospects.
• Capital Management: They manage the organization's capital structure, including decisions about raising funds through equity or debt, and assess the best ways to allocate resources for growth.
• Risk Management: CFOs play a role in identifying and managing financial risks, including market risks, regulatory compliance, and other factors that could impact the organization's financial health.
• Mergers and Acquisitions: CFOs may be involved in evaluating potential mergers, acquisitions, or divestitures, assessing the financial implications and potential synergies.
• Strategic Partnerships: They collaborate with external partners, such as banks and financial institutions, to secure funding, manage relationships, and negotiate favorable terms.
• Coaching & Mentoring: They provide guidance to the accounting team to help them grow, develop and learn. 

Keep in mind that with all these positions you can always start with someone fractionally or part time and develop that role into a full-time position as your business grows. If you need bookkeeping services or a part-time accountant, The ASP Team has a team of experienced accountants to help. On the management side of things, if you need a fractional controller or consulting CFO, the CFO Selections team has extensive experience to offer. Both companies offer the customized accounting and finance solutions needed to meet your business where it is at any stage and help it grow to the next level.

Originally published: 9/21/23
Updated: 4/13/26
 
About the Author
Jen Girard

​At CFO Selections, Jen focuses on helping businesses succeed and grow by matching each company’s unique financial needs with the right resources and solutions.
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Jen has more than 25 years of professional services experience focused primarily on consulting, client service, engagement management, and talent acquisition.  She has served clients ranging from startups to those in extensive growth stages, and those experiencing M&A transactions. Her industry focus has included technology, real estate, construction, transportation, manufacturing, and distribution.