There are many variables that will determine the quantity and type of support staff needed for a firm. A small firm may operate quite efficiently with one or two administrative assistants doing all of the support functions. A large firm will have a support staff consisting of people with specific duties, such as receptionist, file clerk, typist, internal bookkeeper, and administrative assistants. In addition, they may have their own internal computer support personnel.

The first step is to identify the needs of your firm. List all duties that could be performed by support personnel. Even if you are not ready to turn a function over to someone else, if it is something that could be done by someone else, write it down. Revisit and modify this list at least annually—it will be your guide to effective support staffing. Typical support staff responsibilities include the following:

Group the duties you listed into positions and use this as a basis to write job descriptions. If you have existing personnel, start by aligning the current staff with what they do now. Whenever there is a perceived need for a replacement or additional support person, take the time to review the current structure and talents of the existing staff to determine if the "old" way is the best way. Gather input from the support staff. Assess if advances in technology and office automation have an affect on how people do (or could do) their jobs.

Be creative in assigning duties. For example, the receptionist often has free time; let him or her type the client billings and help with bulk mailings or anything else that can be done in between answering the telephone.

Determine the Qualifications Needed

Obviously, there are going to be different qualifications for each position on your support staff. It is important that you identify the skills, abilities, and experience required before you begin the recruiting process so that you can evaluate each applicant against the same criteria. Basic qualifications such as related skills and experience, interpersonal skills, education, and general characteristics are discussed below.

Related Skills and Experience

Interpersonal Skills

Education

General Characteristics

Sources for Candidates

The Selection Process

Related Skills and Experience

The ideal candidate would have prior accounting firm experience. The more skills that they have that are related to the position and the more experience they have in that type of work, the easier the training process will be. There are positions, however, in which the necessary skills are basic enough that you can hire a totally inexperienced person at a very reasonable cost and, over time, create a very knowledgeable and loyal employee.

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Interpersonal Skills

Support staff members represent the firm on many occasions and must be able to work with the professional staff, clients, prospective clients, all with a variety of personalities and needs.

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Education

Education requirements, if necessary, can be established for each position.

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General Characteristics

Discussed below are several general characteristics that would be desirable in a staff person. Included in the discussion are tips on how to identify these characteristics during an interview:

·         Flexibility and Willingness to Work Hard. Support personnel in many CPA firms are called upon to perform a wide variety of functions. Therefore, flexibility, both in terms of professional skills and willingness to assume tasks that may not fall specifically within the scope of the job title, are important qualities for support staff members. In addition, the workload of accounting firms is often more demanding than the workload in other organizations. Before making a job offer, inform candidates of these demands and that the position will require occasional overtime work. Support staff must be aware of these additional demands and should be depended upon to meet the special requirements of peak periods. During interviews, ask candidates to describe situations in which they had to meet deadlines, work overtime, or work under pressure. Responses enable you to measure the candidate’s potential for success in a CPA firm environment.

·         Ability to Comprehend and Carry out Instructions. It is essential for support staff to be able to understand and implement instructions with a minimum of explanation or repetition. Partners and other staff professionals can therefore more productively use chargeable time. Provide written or verbal instructions to candidates regarding a sample project and then ask them to complete the project following your instructions.

·         Thoroughness. Support personnel should have strong organizational skills and be detail-oriented. They must also be willing and able to complete assignments on time and be accurate and consistent in their work. Give candidates a "bad product" test (e.g., a financial statement with built-in errors) and ask them to locate and correct errors.

·         Sense of Discretion. Much of the work performed by support personnel in a CPA firm is confidential. Therefore, it is essential that support staff members possess the maturity to understand the sensitivity of the information and use discretion when discussing client matters. Relate a sample situation in which candidates must demonstrate discretion and ask them how they would react.

·         Ability to Establish Priorities. Support staff must balance demanding workloads and complete tasks in their order of importance. Therefore, they cannot expect to work on projects when it is convenient for them, and they must know how to prioritize assignments. The ability to prioritize tasks is of particular importance when the staff person is responsible to several supervisors. Ask candidates to prioritize a series of tasks likely to occur on the job.

·         Desire to Learn. As the workload and expertise of the firm increases, support staff often assume additional responsibilities. Support personnel should be willing to learn new tasks so that they can provide greater assistance to the professional staff. Also, to achieve the greatest benefit from the technological advances in office automation, you need support personnel who are willing and able to master specialized skills in an effort to increase the efficiency of firm operations. Ask all candidates to list computer or word processing skills acquired in each prior position.

One method used to determine these abilities prior to hiring is to provide candidates with several scenarios common to your firm (some of which have been noted above). Ask applicants to describe how they would react to each situation. This exercise can demonstrate their ability to function effectively within your firm.

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Sources for Candidates

Some common places to find support staff candidates are the following:

·         Run classified ads in your local newspaper or trade magazines.

·         Review your current support staff to determine whether this is a position that would be a promotion for one of your existing employees.

·         Let your professional staff, support staff, friends, and colleagues know what position you need to fill.

·         Establish a relationship with one or two employment agencies in your area. Consider temporary employment with an option to go permanent to gain the opportunity to verify a candidate's skills.

·         Place advertisements on your Web site.

·         Register at one of the many job-related web sites. If you use this option, be aware that you may receive applications from outside your area and the applicants may be looking for assistance with moving expenses.

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The Selection Process

There are a multitude of tools and services available to assist you in the selection process, including aptitude tests, typing tests, and personality profiling tools. Standardize your screening process so that the same tools are used on every applicant and be sure to become familiar and follow the rules and regulations of all government agencies that regulate employee testing (e.g., Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that all testing be job related.

Whenever possible, more than one person should interview each candidate. All interviewers should rate the candidate against the same criteria. In the case where the person will be working directly with other support staff (as part of a typing pool, in the internal accounting department, etc.), include existing staff in the interview process by allowing them to meet with any candidate who you are considering giving an offer to. You must, of course, coach them on what they can and cannot say or ask, but allow them to meet with the applicant, describe the job and perhaps give an office tour. This gives the staff the opportunity to determine if personalities mesh and lets them know that you value their opinion. Sample Interview Questions for Support Staff Candidates outlines interview questions.

Care should be taken not to drag out the hiring process. If you interview an applicant that meets your qualifications, make an offer. Make it on the spot or call them as soon as possible, making the offer contingent on verification of previous employment and other items on the employment application. Confirm all offers of employment, as well as rejections, in writing.

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