A remote accountant empowers a growing business to access a talented professional rapidly. You may need an interim accountant while you look for a permanent addition to your management team.
Similarly, your startup or medium-sized business might choose to rely permanently on contracted financial services as part of your growth strategy. Instead of enticing the right person to move to your area, you can access someone with the right skill set to ensure accurate financial records and reports.
Contract accountant services can solve problems in many situations. You can successfully add a remote accountant to your team with the right steps. Your mutual success depends on careful management of the onboarding process.
Why You Need to Get Onboarding Right
Poorly executed onboarding leaves new people adrift in an unfamiliar organization. A person will struggle to understand what needs to be done and where to find information. Consequences of mishandled onboarding include:
- Diminished trust
- Bad morale
- Reduced efficiency.
Inevitably, work quality suffers, and the person is prone to leaving in frustration.
To get the onboarding of a remote accountant right, start by preparing a written statement that outlines your expectations for the position. This gives both parties a shared way to measure progress and results.
You’ll serve your interests well by investing some time upfront introducing the contractor to your accounts and other key individuals. This jumpstarts your accountant’s ability to manage relationships and be productive quickly.
Overall, your company will benefit when contractors or new employees are informed of your organization’s systems.
Communication Is the Foundation of a Good Company Culture
People feel comfortable in work settings where they know what’s happening and who can answer questions. A company that values communication has taken the time to document its processes.
Success also comes from designating specific platforms for messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing.
Which communication platform you use is less important than establishing that everyone uses the same system. This builds an information infrastructure where people can locate what they need to know and leave notes about work performed.
A shared communication system makes it easier for a remote accountant to learn how to communicate within the company. This reduces friction that can delay project completion or cause misunderstandings.
Best Practices for Virtual Meetings
When you contract for financial services, the accountant will engage with the client virtually. The remote nature of the arrangement highlights the need to conduct virtual meetings efficiently and thereby promote productivity.
Distribute an agenda before the meeting. The document helps everyone, especially the person onboarding, digest the subject matter and discuss it effectively.
If possible, avoiding having a group in a conference room conversing with a single virtual attendant is nice. Virtual meetings work better when each participant attends separately via a virtual connection. This format visually and psychologically places everyone on an equal footing.
This is of particular importance during onboarding sessions. The new person can better take in individual faces and names and not feel like an outsider.
You should consider using headsets if you’re not doing so already. They improve sound quality and help ensure everyone involved hears the important topics on an agenda.
Discover How to Thrive With Accountant Services From OSMEAC Solutions
From startups needing financial forecasting to established companies that don’t want to rush their hunt for a CFO, OSMEAC Solutions fills the financial services gap. Our accounting experts work nationally and can help you thrive from contract financial services that are there when you need them.
