5 Qualities to Look For in a Professional Bookkeeper

Did you know that there are well over 1.6 million bookkeepers across the United States?

This role is essential for your business, but it can be overwhelming sifting through so many different resumes. If you know what you’re looking for, though, the process can turn out to be a whole lot easier.

Are you wondering what qualities are the most important? Keep reading to learn all about the 5 qualities to look for in a professional bookkeeper.

1. Perfect Organization Skills

When it comes to outsourced bookkeeping, organization skills are the bedrock. Without it, everything will fall apart. This is why you should ensure that whoever you hire has perfect organizational habits.

Not only does organization result in meeting deadlines but it also ensures that all the information is accurate. If there are accounting mistakes, for instance, that could snowball into a lengthy and expensive disaster. Plus, you need someone to rely on during tax season preparation.

2. Self-Accountability

It may seem like a given that a bookkeeper should have self-accountability, but that’s not always the case. The last thing you’d want to do is poke and prod your accountant to get their tasks done.

Rather, an accountant should always keep themselves busy without being watched and guided at all times of the day.

3. Honesty

Since financial planning and other tasks involve a lot of sensitive data, it’s essential to hire a bookkeeper who thinks of honesty as a virtue. Not only should they perform their duties within the rule of law but they should also be discrete with all of your information.

That way, you won’t have to worry about your bookkeeper leaking business finance data to a competitor or someone else, for instance.

4. Experience

While school can teach an aspiring bookkeeper many valuable skills, some things can only be learned through real-world experience. With this in mind, you should look for a bookkeeper who has at least a few years of experience under their belt.

This will allow them to be much more comfortable in their role. Plus, they should do an even better job than someone who is fresh out of school.

5. Cooperativeness

They say that a business is only as strong as its weakest link. If your bookkeeper isn’t a team player, then that could put a wrench in the gears of your whole operation.

It’s possible to play team-building exercises, but your bookkeeper should already have a willingness to cooperate.

Ready to Hire a Professional Bookkeeper?

Now that you’ve learned about the 5 qualities to look for in a professional bookkeeper, you can have much better luck during your hunt. Remember that you shouldn’t settle for anything less than the best.

Sterling is here to provide you with the highest quality tax and accounting services, including bookkeeping, controller CFO, tax planning, and much more. Our customers appreciate our attention to detail and our personalized touches.

If you want to know more about what we can offer your business, be sure to contact us with any questions you may have. We’re always happy to help out.