How to Hire Staff Accountants in San Francisco
Current Environment
Accounting is a system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions. For as long as civilizations have been engaging in trade or organized systems of government, methods of record-keeping, accounting, and accounting tools have been in use.
Hiring qualified people to manage the finances of a company is an incredibly important decision for any organization because they are so involved in the everyday aspects of all things financial. Especially as taxes become more complex and challenging, accountants can and will continue to play an important role in the overall lifecycle of a business.
History
The history of the field of accounting and the recording and management of financial activities dates back to the dawn of civilization. While fiance has roots in scientific fields, such as statistics, economics, and mathematics, it also includes non-scientific elements that liken it to art.
As the complexity of financial instruments, transactions, stock markets, reporting requirements, and regulation has increased, the need for specialized roles in finance and accounting has grown.
Will COVID-19 Affect the Accounting Field?
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected employment and the job market. Depending on who you talk with, accountants are concerned about their job security; however, the further into the pandemic we got, it became clear that accounting roles were going to continue to be in demand. In fact, a recent survey indicated that accounting roles would be amongst the top three priority positions that employers are looking for amid COVID-19.
2021 has seen a mix of responses as economies start to open up once again now that the distribution of the vaccine has increased. There is much to be hopeful about. The role of the staff accountant will continue to be important in helping economies – big and small – to recover and prepare for the future. In fact, with the right talent, preparation and insights, Staff Accountants can help their companies successfully navigate their through the current crisis—and emerge stronger.
How will Hiring staff accountants Help Your Company?
Staff accountants can do more than just bookkeeping and accounts payable/receivable. staff accountants can actually help your company increase profits. Get your accountant involved in helping you grow your business profit early. While the company’s leadership likely knows quite a lot about the inner-workings of the business, staff accountants can contribute years of valuable experience in growing business profits for numerous other business owners they have helped already.
Some of the ways that staff accountants can help to maximize company profits are as follows:
- Analyze profits
- Negotiate with suppliers
- Reduce bad debts
- Eliminate unprofitable products and services
- Restructure financing
- Maximize pricing
- Review labor costs
- Track advertising investments
- Plan for profit
- Identify valuable customers
Before we get to exactly how to hire the best accounting staff, let’s review some of the details…
staff accountant Details
Responsibilities
Staff accountants perform a wide range of duties related to financial records and taxation. Some staff accountants work under a CPA, helping them with organizing financial documents, staying compliant with government regulations and preparing tax returns for clients. Others work for companies, usually under a senior accountant, doing things like payroll, receivables and financial statements.
Here are some additional job duties:
- Examine financial statements to ensure that they are accurate and comply with laws and regulations
- Compute taxes owed, prepare tax returns, and ensure that taxes are paid properly and on time
- Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency and use of accepted accounting procedures and identify potential risks for fraud
- Organize, analyze, and maintain financial records
- Assess financial operations, identify risks and challenges, and make best-practices recommendations to management
- Suggest ways to reduce costs, enhance revenues, and improve profits
Looking for another position? View other positions we place in San Francisco, California.
Education
Most positions require a Bachelor’s degree, while some staff accountant positions require a CPA, and/or even an MBA and significant experience in the financial industry (5+ years) may be able to use their years of experience to replace the degree. While candidates can complete a degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, or Accounting, a wide variety of degrees may qualify someone for the role, depending on their previous experience. staff accountants don’t necessarily need to be CPAs, though many choose to pursue certification because it enhances their knowledge and marketability in the industry.
Top Schools – US News & World Report rankings
Top Schools
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University of Texas at Austin
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BYU-Provo
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign