Mishandling incoming and outgoing payments is a quick and surefire way to derail a company's budget (and reputation). That's why high-quality accounts payable/receivable clerks are critical to your organization. And if you're currently looking to fill this position, data from Burning Glass shows you're in good company: In the past year there have been more than 63,000 job postings for accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) clerks, and each has taken an average of 22 days to fill.
Considering how important clerks' daily responsibilities are to the financial health of your company, you want to be sure you hire the best candidate possible. But what's the best way to go about this?
Here are the simple steps we recommend for finding a great hire:
Keep reading for more detailed guidance and advice on each step in the checklist.
While the average of 22 days to fill an accounts payable or accounts receivable clerk position is fewer than other roles in the accounting and finance industry, don't assume that figure couldn't use some improvement. After all, if incoming payments and employee paychecks are falling through the cracks due to an open position, your company has much bigger troubles coming down the pike. Use the below diagram to identify where your hiring process could be streamlined for efficiency.
Accounts payable and receivable clerks have expert number-crunching skills, so you can expect them to have a grasp on what makes for a good salary. Now let's make sure you do, too. Take a look at Randstad's salary guide for compensation data on this and other in-demand positions.
The nationwide averages in our salary guide are a great starting point, but since salaries vary from region to region, make sure to take advantage of our salary calculator to get accurate and up-to-date compensation information specific to your market.
Are you looking for one clerk to handle all incoming and outgoing payments? Or someone to manage just the payable accounts for a single high-priority project involving multiple vendors and contractors? Talk to hiring and business managers, as well as any other relevant parties like your payroll manager, to list the experience and skills that will be most valuable to your specific clerk need.
Next, split the list into "necessary" and "ideal" categories. For example, three-way match mastery may be nonnegotiable, while accounting management experience or QuickBooks expertise is nice to have, but not necessary to fulfill the role's responsibilities. This helps both to quickly rank applicants and get an idea of what would be a good salary.
To jump-start your specific list, take a look at the most sought-after skills for an AP/AR clerk:
accounts payable/accounts receivable
accounting
data entry
customer billing
financial modeling
invoice processing
expense reports
customer checkout
If crafting the job description is a tough task for you, you're not alone. Many people find it to be a challenge. Apply these three tips to your writing, though, and you'll be on the right track.
don't write like a robot
Job descriptions are often reused and repurposed to the point that they read like an impersonal copy-and-paste exercise. And while a description like this may cover the necessary information, it isn't very engaging. Ground your description in the aspects of the job that appeal to the person. Highlighting company culture, opportunities for growth and the specific platforms you use for payment reconciliation are great ways to invite the applicants to envision themselves at your organization for both the day-to-day and the long-term.
show how this job is meaningful
A sense of purpose and meaningful work are increasingly pivotal factors when choosing an employer. What's the organization's social impact? How do your vision and shared values shape business decision-making? Use your job description to demonstrate the shared purpose that drives the entire company.
It's also your chance to show how you view this role as meaningful to the organization. Handling financial transactions is no small matter: AP/AR clerks are often part of challenging projects and are integral to ensuring a company is in the black. Plus, they'll be immersed in your organization's financial tracking system, which they'll leverage to develop insights into needed improvements and efficiencies. Be sure to emphasize the value of the work they bring to the table.
make it easy to skim
Job seekers don't want to play a word find or read a novel to get at the heart of a job posting. Write the description in personable sentences (remember, no robot-speak!) and short paragraphs to keep the need-to-knows and marketable nice-to-knows in focus. Then, use bullet points to lay out key information that doesn't require excess explanation, such as desired skills and experience, basic expectations and salary and benefits information.
These pointers make for the foundation of a solid job description, and should help increase the number of applications coming your way. If you'd like more comprehensive help, be sure to consult our guide to writing highly effective job descriptions.
Changes in the accounting and finance industry will have a direct impact on hiring. So companies need to make sure they have a grasp on where the industry — and the accounts payable/receivable clerk position, specifically — is headed in order to future-proof your recruiting efforts.
Below are a few current trends relevant to AP/AR clerk positions:
Finding accounts payable/receivable clerks that are reliable and ready to handle your company's financial transactions is a serious task. Given the great responsibility these clerks have, it's crucial that candidates possess not only the needed skills, but have the right mindset and understanding of their duties — after all, it's your bottom line that's on the line.
Working with a professional staffing firm is a great way to ensure your applicants are all high-quality candidates. Everyone in the (deep!) talent pool is prescreened and vetted to minimize the risk of a bad hire, while maximizing the efficiency of the hiring process as a whole.
Intrigued? Satisfy your curiosity and browse available prospects in our Find Employees portal. Or, reach out to our accounting and finance experts at Randstad today and we'll get you on your way to hiring the best-fit AP/AR clerk for your organization.