Industry Insights

Proctoring — the act of supervising exams to prevent cheating — has evolved from in-person monitoring to sophisticated online methods. With remote work and online hiring assessments now common, ensuring test integrity has become critical. Employers must confirm that candidates complete tests honestly and without outside help, as misuse of tools like Google or AI can distort results. Accountests notes that cheating attempts are rare but detectable through test data patterns.

Hiring accounting graduates is tricky since they often lack real-world knowledge, so success depends on their ability to learn quickly, think critically, and adapt. A Critical Reasoning Test helps firms spot these traits by showing how candidates handle data, ambiguity, errors, logic, and communication. Without it, firms risk misstatements, rework, missed deadlines, and rigid thinking. Using such tests is an easy, cost-effective way to ensure new hires meet expectations and develop into strong professionals.

This blog reflects insights gathered from webinars and workshops with aspiring partners, Managing Partners, and HR teams. It identifies six key personality-related obstacles that commonly hinder accountants' progression toward partnership and offers guidance on how to address them.

In leadership and high-accountability roles, especially within professional services, Drive and Motivation are key indicators of long-term success. These traits, though essential, are often difficult to measure objectively during hiring or development processes. The Accountests Personality Profile Questionnaire (APPQ) offers a robust solution by assessing Drive and Motivation through the Big-5/OCEAN personality model. It helps employers pinpoint candidates who are not just capable but also intrinsically driven to succeed.

The blog emphasizes the importance of testing and assessment in hiring decisions, particularly for support-level roles that are often overlooked despite their significant impact on business operations. While businesses commonly invest in assessments for middle-level roles (e.g., managers, accountants), and sometimes neglect higher-level roles due to overreliance on track records, they rarely assess support staff, citing cost concerns.

The blog discusses the impact of remote work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, on employees and businesses. While some employees thrive in remote settings, others miss in-person interactions. Employers now face the challenge of assessing whether candidates are likely to succeed in remote or hybrid roles, especially when face-to-face interactions might be limited.

The blog discusses how Hancock Askew & Co., a firm with a growing Client Accounting Services (CAS) practice, transformed its approach to team structure and talent management using skills and personality assessments. These assessments provided data-driven insights, leading to the reorganization of the CAS practice into three distinct roles: Doers (focused on accounting tasks), Minders (managing workflow and quality), and Finders (handling client onboarding and business development). This reorganization improved job satisfaction, role clarity, and client service.

To successfully provide these services, firms may need to upskill their staff or hire industry-experienced professionals. Temporary secondments to client sites can also help staff gain valuable insights. For more information on transitioning to controllership services, the blog suggests contacting Deb Defer at Woodard.

The introduction of proctoring in our online tests marks a significant advancement in ensuring integrity and security. Utilizing AI technology, proctoring offers enhanced monitoring capabilities, extended testing durations, and comprehensive detection of cheating behaviors. By embracing this innovation, we reaffirm our commitment to providing trustworthy solutions and fostering transparency and trust in online assessments.

Explore the advantages of incorporating pre-employment assessments in accounting and bookkeeping firms' hiring practices. Research indicates that candidates who perform well in assessments are more inclined to complete them, enabling firms to pinpoint high-quality applicants efficiently, thus enhancing the hiring process.

A Disputes Tribunal ruling mandated a company to pay a former accountant $14,000 in wages despite significant financial losses attributed to his performance. The ruling highlights the importance of robust recruitment procedures and pre-employment testing to avoid "bad hire" scenarios.

Explore the intriguing results of ChatGPT's performance in a Debits & Credits Test, shedding light on its understanding of essential accounting and bookkeeping concepts. Learn how AI's proficiency in handling debits and credits could potentially reshape the future of the accounting industry.