GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNTANTS
What is a general ledger?
A general ledger is the primary accounting record for an organization. It contains all the transactions occurring within a company including balance sheet accounts (e.g., assets, equity, liabilities) and income statement accounts (revenues, expenses).
Here’s a quick overview of the skills you should look for in general ledger accounting professionals:
- General ledger accounting
- Double-entry bookkeeping
- Accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Zoho Books)
Why do you want to hire general ledger accountants?
The trick to finding top general ledger accountants is to identify your needs. Is your goal to generate balance sheets and income statements from a balanced general ledger? Will you need expertise with certain software such as Zoho Books to manage your general ledger? The cost of your project will depend largely on your scope of work and the specific skills needed to bring your project to life.
HOW TO HIRE GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNTANTS
General ledger accountants can give you a bird’s eye view of all the transactions occurring between accounts within your organization.
So how do you hire general ledger accountants? What follows are some tips for finding top general ledger accountants on Upwork.
How to shortlist general ledger accounting professionals
As you’re browsing available general ledger accounting consultants, it can be helpful to develop a shortlist of the professionals you may want to interview. You can screen profiles on criteria such as:
- Organization fit. You want a general ledger accountant with experience managing accounts for a similar type of business or nonprofit.
- Project experience. Screen candidate profiles for specific skills and experience (e.g., maintaining a general ledger in QuickBooks).
- Feedback. Check reviews from past clients for glowing testimonials or red flags that can tell you what it’s like to work with a particular general ledger accountant.
How to write an effective general ledger accounting job post
With a clear picture of your ideal general ledger accountant in mind, it’s time to write that job post. Although you don’t need a full job description as you would when hiring an employee, aim to provide enough detail for a contractor to know if they’re the right fit for the project.
An effective general ledger accounting job post should include:
- Scope of work: From general bookkeeping to financial statements, list all the deliverables you’ll need.
- Project length: Your job post should indicate whether this is a smaller or larger project.
- Background: If you prefer experience with certain types of organizations or accounting software, mention this here.
- Budget: Set a budget and note your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.
Ready to launch your general ledger accounting project? Log in and post your general ledger accounting job on Upwork today.
>- Identify your project needs, whether it’s balancing the general ledger or producing financial reports.
- Define the scope of work and write a detailed job post. Be specific about deliverables (e.g., prepare a chart of accounts for your organization).
- Review proposals and shortlist potential general ledger accountants for unique skills needed to bring your project to life (e.g., maintaining a ledger manually via Excel).
- Interview general ledger accounting talent to gauge whether they’re the right fit for your project.