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How to hire a Public Accounting: Audit, Tax and Advisory team
Start a Search Financial Headhunters Salary Guide
Financial Headhunters: Determine if your current audit and tax volume requires a partner track professional or an operational manager to handle existing client engagement schedules.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
01
Staffing Audit and Tax Functions
Your team needs specific technical alignment. Audit roles require deep knowledge of GAAP and GAAS across specific industry niches. Tax roles need deep knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code and state tax variations. Advisory roles focus on specific transaction outcomes and risk reporting. Audit staff must manage engagement timelines effectively. Tax staff prioritize complex filing deadlines. You need to identify if a candidate is ready for a partner track or is better suited for an operational management role.
Assess candidates based on their specific niche experience like construction or real estate. Review their capacity to lead multiple engagements at once. Ask for their track record in maintaining quality control during busy seasons. Check if they have experience with reviewer level tasks.
- 01Audit managers need to oversee SOX compliance or employee benefit plan audits.
- 02Tax managers require specific expertise in pass-through entities or trust and estate planning.
- 03Advisory staff need demonstrated competence in Quality of Earnings or valuation reporting.
- 04All candidates must show ability to manage engagement economics.
02
Specific Audit and Tax Workflow Scenarios
Ask direct questions about their technical history. How did you handle a recent complex audit finding? Describe your process for researching tax code changes. Tell me about a time an advisory engagement changed scope mid-project. Listen for specific technical steps and direct problem-solving. Look for evidence they understand the regulatory environment of your firm.
Follow up by asking how they communicate these findings to clients. Did they explain the accounting or tax impacts clearly? Did they propose concrete solutions or just identify issues?
Before interviewing candidates, we map their work history against your current project volume to see if they prefer deep technical execution or broader account management. We ask them to describe the specific documentation they used to move a client through a regulatory hurdle, focusing on the paper trail they personally created. You must decide whether you prioritize a hire who clears existing backlogs or one who improves current internal documentation standards. We identify if they have handled the same document volume as your firm, since high-velocity billable work requires a different approach than lower-volume, complex advisory reporting.
- 01Ask about managing multiple audit engagements simultaneously.
- 02Query their knowledge of specific industry niches like nonprofit or financial institutions.
- 03Require examples of navigating complex tax planning for individual and business clients.
- 04Inquire about their experience in acting as the lead on client engagements.
03
Avoiding Common Hiring Mistakes
How does the candidate demonstrate specific expertise in your audit or tax software? Does your policy require a CPA? If so, verify if the license is active.
Mistakes include failing to confirm their reviewer experience or assuming they can jump into partner track work without prior client-facing management.
- 01Ignoring technical niche fit for generic audit or tax experience.
- 02Overlooking the need for direct supervisory experience in audit engagements.
- 03Failing to confirm the status of their current CPA license.
- 04Neglecting to probe their role in managing client relationship expectations.
04
Credentials and Verification
The CPA license is an exam-based credential issued by state boards. It confirms basic accounting knowledge and ethics. It does not replace niche expertise. An EA license focuses on tax code competence. It is not equivalent to a CPA. Always verify current status directly with the state board or regulatory body. Check their license history for disciplinary actions.
Certifications in specific advisory fields like valuation or forensic accounting prove specialized training but not general audit or tax mastery. Verify these certifications with the issuing professional organizations.
- 01Verify CPA status via state board databases.
- 02Check EA status through IRS records.
- 03Distinguish between state-issued licenses and industry-issued certifications.
- 04Assess what a certification proves versus what it excludes.
05
Scoping Your Needs
Base your hiring level on the volume of work and the complexity of your client accounts. An audit senior manages day-to-day engagement steps. An audit manager takes responsibility for the overall file quality and client communication. Partners handle the firm-level risk and strategic client oversight. Match the level to the technical demands of your current portfolio.
For advisory roles, match the hire to the lifecycle phase of the project. A transaction manager requires high-intensity project work. A valuation manager needs precise analytical depth. Define the scope of client interaction before you search.
- 01Define if the role is operational or client-facing strategy.
- 02Set expectations for management of subordinates.
- 03Identify the industry niche requirement for each open slot.
- 04Determine if the role requires independent sign-off authority.
06
Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?
Questions people ask
What justifies hiring a manager over a senior?
Hire a manager when you need someone who can lead full engagement cycles, own client communication, and mentor junior staff without daily oversight from a partner.
When should I prioritize niche industry experience?
Prioritize niche experience when your firm works heavily in sectors like construction, nonprofit, or EBP where specific regulatory and accounting nuances dictate the audit or tax outcome.
How do I check a CPA license properly?
Always go to the issuing state board website directly. Do not rely on candidate self-reporting. Look for current status, expiration dates, and any active disciplinary remarks.
Why is the CPA license critical for audit roles?
The CPA license confirms the candidate has met strict education, testing, and experience requirements necessary to sign off on audit reports and provide reliable assurance services.
What is the best way to test for reviewer experience?
Ask for specific examples of how they identified errors in subordinate work and how they corrected the final engagement deliverable before presenting it to a partner.