This is episode 4 of CPA vs Ron Smith Season 2, where they discuss the requisites of temporary staffing for the tax season.
Ron Smith: Hey! Long time no see. How are you?
CPA: Hey Ron! I know. I know. But you know how busy it gets in the months leading upto the tax season. This is the first break I’ve had in weeks.
Ron Smith: I can imagine. Here, let me buy you a coffee.
CPA: I won’t say no to that.
(They both sit down)
Ron Smith: Tell me, have you ever considered hiring temporary offshore staff for the tax season?
CPA: I have looked into it as an option but honestly, I haven’t had the time to do a detailed research on the topic yet.
Ron Smith: I think that is the perfect solution to your problem. Since I know you have been interested in building an offshore team, I would recommend testing out the water by hiring a few staff for the tax season.
CPA: Hmm…and how do I go about doing it?
Ron Smith: Well, first and foremost, you need to plan in advance. That is what’s going to set you ahead of your competition.
CPA: Did you just say competition?
Ron Smith: I sure did. With more and more companies opting to hire offshore talent to get on top of their tax season workload, the demand for skilled offshore accounting and tax professionals is tremendous. This is especially true since the pandemic.
CPA: Firms have become a lot more accepting of remote working.
Ron Smith: Correct! So what happens is that great offshore workers get booked early and quickly. If you delay in pursuing them, you’ll be forced to compromise your idea of a perfect candidate. So it is best practice to analyse the needs of your firm at the earliest and go about starting the offshore process as soon as possible.
CPA: I understand. But Ron, what if the talent I hire decides to not show up when the time comes?
Ron Smith: I won’t lie to you and say that is totally unheard of. Though rare, we can’t totally rule it out as a possibility. Your offshore staff might have personal or professional reasons for backing out, which is something we can’t hold against them. But what we can do is take steps from our end to make certain as much as we can that such an incident doesn’t occur.
CPA: I guess that’s reasonable. What else?
Ron Smith: At Entigrity, we provide temporary staffing for a minimum of 13 weeks. Of that time, it’s essential that 1-2 weeks be dedicated to onboarding the staff successfully.
CPA: 2 weeks. Isn’t that a bit too much for a temporary staff?
Ron Smith: I know it might seem a bit excessive but trust me, you will be thankful for the time you invest in onboarding, when your staff is harmoniously integrated with your onshore team and working perfectly according to the needs of your firm. You offshore staff, realistically, needs that breather time to learn the nitty-gritty of your firm’s culture and style of working.
CPA: Ah yes. That makes sense. But having a process in place should help, right?
Ron Smith: Oh yes. Having a documented process for essential steps will make the entire journey easier for all parties involved. It’ll help save time, energy and other resources.
CPA: Thought so. What about hiring senior professionals for the tax season? Will hiring them be more beneficial as compared to a fresher or someone with medium experience?
Ron Smith: Oh no. I’ll be honest with you. Senior profiles are difficult to find year round but it is especially hard during the tax season. As you know, the ecosystem is young and senior professionals are always in high demand. Moreso, such individuals prefer a more permanent position than temporary ones. If the one rare senior professional is available, you can bet they’ll be hot property with firms lining up to snatch them up for themselves.
CPA: Oh well. I thought so.
Ron Smith: Yeah. But don’t worry though, professionals with 3-5 years of experience are very competent and eager to learn and do their part for your firm. You will find them being a lot more motivated and flexible than the senior counterparts. I would also suggest that you seriously consider retaining your temporary staff beyond the tax season. You have a great and competent professional, tailored to your needs. You needn’t invest on the hiring, interviewing and onboarding process all over again when the next tax season rolls around.
CPA: I’ll keep that in mind. That said, my coffee’s almost over and so is my break. I should get going now. Thank you for sharing your wisdom as always.
Ron Smith: It’s been a pleasure. Take it easy.
CPA: I’ll try to. Thanks for the coffee as well. Next time, it’ll be my treat.
Ron Smith: Haha. Sure. Bye!
CPA: Bye!
