<p>We are in the process of trying to find a new in-house accountant. We are a small financial services firm, and we have a person in that position now, but she is extremely hostile and resents being asked to do anything that isn’t purely accounting related. The problem is, it’s a small office – we all have to work together – and there isn’t enough accounting work to keep her busy full time. Thus, I have asked her to do administrative tasks (following up on paperwork, sending out documents) that I have been doing myself, but which take up my time. As an owner, I feel if I’m paying someone to work for me, and I’m insanely busy while they have nothing to do, it is reasonable for me to ask them to help me out.</p>
<p>Question: am I totally off base in thinking an accountant would be willing and able to help out with other tasks? We make it very clear up front in interviews that the job is not just accounting. In a small office, we all wear many hats. But I am wondering if people who seek accounting jobs really want to do just accounting. Am I fooling myself into thinking we could find an individual who could do more than just accounting?</p>
<p>If I get a lot of responses saying it’s not realistic to get a multi-tasking accountant, the other alternative is to go to a part-time bookkeeper. I think we have maybe 1-2 days of accounting work a week – that’s it.</p>
<p>As long as you are paying the person they should be willing to do what is expected of her. I am an accountant and I work part time for my husband’s law firm. We have a book keeper who works full time and she does lots of other things besides book keeping for the same reason you mention above. Our firm is small and there are times when our paralegals and book keeper need to do clerical work. That is just the nature of small firms. </p>
<p>I suggest that you let her go and get someone else who is willing to be flexible about her work assignments. In our case our book keeper makes a book keeper’s salary (higher than a clerical salary). However, it is more efficient to have her do overflow clerical work on occasion than to hire a temp every time we have some overflow. Besides, she knows the firm and is more efficient with the clerical work than a temp would be.</p>
<p>Before I continue with this post please note I’m assuming you are paying this person the same rate every day right?</p>
<p>In that case, yes find a new person if she’s not working out. This is not an accountant problem, but more of a personal attitude problem. I worked as an hourly accountant in a small busines while in college, and what you described is exactly what all the accountants there did. In a small business, roles are naturally more blended so its perfectly reasonable to expect your emplyoes to be flexible.</p>
<p>^yes – we pay this person an annual salary – it’s $40k/year. I only mention that because I feel this is a decent salary. I’m sure she would like to sit there all day and stare into space when she’s not actively doing accounting work, but as one of 3 salaried employees, to me she’s not pulling her weight.</p>
<p>I think the basic question is whether employees are a good fit for the organization in which they work. I don’t think money or hours or assignments (or whatever) is a good measure if the fit isn’t right. In this case, it appears the fit isn’t right.</p>
<p>PS, My BIL had an technical assistant, very reliable and capable. But he talked non-stop, and my BIL needed quiet in order to work. (BIL was ADHD.) Bad fit.</p>
<p>I think it is perfectly reasonable to expect the accountant to do other tasks. It does sound like it is a question of not being a good fit. Just make sure you make it quite clear to the next person that this is part of the job description. (in fact make a job description and include this in it).</p>
<p>If I were hired in a similar type of firm, i would expect to pull my weight and be kept busy. Can’t imagine not pitching in to help elsewhere if there was not enough accounting work to keep me busy. I mean, i would want to rather than sit doing nothing.</p>
<p>A useful piece of advice when my wife opened her office: hire slow, fire fast. Assuming you can find someone else it is not in your best interest to keep this person around.</p>
<p>I have worked for small companies for a long time and everyone has to wear several hats.</p>