As we continued navigating our restructuring, it became clear that the communication gaps I mentioned earlier had more profound consequences than I initially realized. While our core team didn’t necessarily need constant check-ins, I made a critical mistake in not providing clear guidelines for the new roles and expectations. The team member promoted to Client Accounting Services Manager was tasked with leading the offshore team, overseeing their training and growth, while also maintaining her regular client work. Unfortunately, without clear boundaries, she ended up dedicating most of her time to training the offshore accountants—who should not have required such extensive hands-on support.
I relied on assumptions instead of data. While we tracked time as part of our KPIs, I neglected to pull and review the reports, assuming the offshore team would quickly adapt. This experience highlighted the importance of consistently reviewing KPIs for bookkeeping firms to identify inefficiencies and ensure alignment with business goals. Initially, for the first three months, I closely monitored progress, and everything seemed on track. However, as soon as I shifted my focus elsewhere, things began to change. It took over a year for me to recognize just how far we had strayed—a costly oversight that highlighted the importance of consistent follow-up, clear expectations, and proactive leadership.
Reflecting further on our restructuring journey, I realized that our hiring process played a significant role in the challenges we faced. We partnered with an offshoring firm that provided accountants trained on QuickBooks Online (QBO) and Dext—our core software—who operated from a Canadian-based home office. I was assured that they were well-versed in Canada-specific accounting, and initially, everything seemed to align well. However, once the offshore team grew comfortable with us, they began to adopt an accountant’s mindset rather than a bookkeeper’s.
As a Canadian bookkeeping services firm, our focus is on audit-proofing our clients’ books—leveraging my extensive experience in tax and audits since 1997. The offshore team’s shift in approach clashed with our core values. They began relying heavily on cash coding and matching transactions with similar amounts, even if they were dated months apart. When I analyzed these discrepancies, it became evident that the root issue was a lack of familiarity with the Canadian business landscape. They didn’t have the context needed for Canadian suppliers and vendors—something we might take for granted, like knowing Staples as an office supplies store.
This gap in understanding made it clear that our services require more than technical knowledge; they demand cultural familiarity and a specific mindset dedicated to detail and compliance. These challenges underscored the importance of aligning processes with clearly defined KPIs for bookkeeping firms and ensuring the team is not only technically skilled but also culturally aligned with our firm’s ethos.
Ultimately, this misalignment proved costly in both time and resources. It has been an invaluable lesson: effective hiring isn’t just about technical fit—it’s about ensuring the team understands and embraces the ethos of our firm. By refining our processes and re-centering around clear KPIs, we’re setting the stage for a stronger future.
Until next time,
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