A monthly close does not wait for a local candidate pipeline to recover. When a staff accountant leaves, the controller absorbs reconciliations, the partner answers client questions, and review work begins to crowd out billable work. The accountant shortage shows up first as operating friction: late closes, fragile coverage, and experienced people doing work that should sit lower in the organization.
For accounting firms, advisory teams, and multi-location operators, the usual response is to reopen the same local search. That can work for a leadership role with in-office responsibilities. It is a weak default for a bookkeeper who has closed books for US clients in QuickBooks, an AR/AP specialist, or a staff accountant responsible for reconciliations and schedules.
The AICPA has repeatedly raised concerns about the accounting profession's shrinking pipeline. That matters, but the more immediate question for an owner or controller is practical: what work needs to be done before the next close, who needs to review it, and which parts of the job genuinely require someone in the office?
Sometimes, it can be beneficial to talk to a hiring expert to navigate these challenges effectively. You might also want to explore available candidates in the browse the talent pool to ensure you find the right fit for your team.
Why the accountant shortage hits smaller firms first
A large firm can move work among teams, maintain a campus recruiting program, or carry more bench capacity. A 15-person bookkeeping firm usually cannot. One resignation can put client service, review quality, and the partner's schedule under pressure at the same time.
The damage is not limited to an open seat. When a senior accountant spends hours clearing bank-feed exceptions or preparing routine balance-sheet reconciliations, the firm loses capacity for client conversations, advisory work, and quality review. When a controller is the only person who knows the close checklist, segregation of duties becomes a theoretical control rather than a working one.
This is also why compensation alone does not solve every search. A local candidate may be available at a higher number, but still lack experience with the client's accounting stack, industry workflow, or level of independent ownership. Paying more for a poor match simply makes a difficult hire more expensive.
Separate the role from the work
Before choosing a hiring market, break the open position into its actual responsibilities. “Accountant” is often too broad to produce a useful search.
A bookkeeper handling transaction categorization, bank and credit-card reconciliations, accounts payable, and a clean month-end package is different from a staff accountant preparing journal entries, reconciling balance-sheet accounts, and supporting a controller. A client-facing accounting manager who explains variance drivers and manages deadlines is a different hire again.
That distinction determines whether remote hiring is sensible. A role that depends on processing source documents, working inside QuickBooks Online or NetSuite, following a documented close calendar, and escalating exceptions can be performed remotely with the right controls. A role that requires daily handling of physical checks, supervision of an on-site team, or regular in-person client meetings may be better filled locally.
The same applies to firms that say they need a controller. Sometimes they need a controller. Sometimes they need a capable staff accountant to take reconciliations and reporting preparation off the current controller's desk. Hiring the latter first can restore the controller's review capacity without forcing a rushed executive-level search.
Build a hiring brief that tests the real job
A generic job description attracts generic evidence. The brief should describe the system, the cadence, the outputs, and the decisions the person owns.
For a staff accountant, specify the entities, accounting software, close timetable, recurring reconciliations, journal-entry process, and who reviews the work. For an AR/AP specialist, define invoice volume, approval routing, collection follow-up, vendor setup controls, and whether that person can initiate or release payments. For a bookkeeping role, clarify whether the work includes cleanup, client communication, payroll coordination, or only routine monthly processing.
Then assess candidates against the work rather than the confidence of their interview answers. A useful evaluation process includes four kinds of evidence:
- Experience closing books for US-based businesses using the relevant accounting platform.
- A structured walkthrough of a reconciliation, close checklist, or exception-handling process.
- Clear written communication from the candidate, especially if they will work with clients or senior reviewers.
- References and interview questions that test ownership, escalation judgment, and accuracy under a recurring deadline.
A resume can show prior titles. It cannot show whether someone knows when an unreconciled item is a timing difference, a data issue, or a reason to stop and escalate. That needs to be tested directly.
Remote accounting needs controls, not optimism
Some firms hear “remote accountant” and picture a contractor operating outside their systems. That is a reasonable concern if access, review, and payment authority are left vague. It is not a reason to keep every accounting role within commuting distance.
Start with role-based access. The person preparing reconciliations should not be able to create vendors and release payments without review. Use documented approval paths, multifactor authentication, restricted access to client files, and a close checklist that makes handoffs visible. Decide who reviews work, how exceptions are flagged, and what happens when a client document arrives late.
The operating model matters as much as the candidate. A remote bookkeeper with clear procedures, scheduled review, and appropriate permissions can improve consistency. An in-office hire with no process documentation can leave the firm just as exposed.
Time-zone overlap deserves an honest assessment. A role involving daily client calls or real-time coordination with a US controller needs predictable overlap. A focused reconciliation role may have more flexibility, provided there is an agreed review window. Do not pretend every finance role is interchangeable. Design the hours around the workflow that protects the close.
When a broader search is the rational move
Keep a local search when the role requires a licensed signatory, regular physical presence, direct supervision of an on-site team, or specific local relationships that cannot be replicated remotely. Those are real constraints, not habits to dismiss.
Broaden the search when the work is system-based, repeatable, and reviewable, and when the local search has produced too few candidates with relevant US accounting experience. This is especially common for bookkeepers, staff accountants, AR/AP specialists, and accounting support roles in firms with a documented monthly process.
The benefit is access to a larger qualified pool, not a license to lower standards. Hiring globally can save up to 70% versus an equivalent local hire, but that is a secondary outcome. The useful question is whether you can find a person who has already done the work your team needs, rather than waiting for a nearby candidate to appear.
For teams using Simera, the search begins with validated profiles, structured interviews, skills evidence, and a human vetting pass. That gives a controller or managing partner more to review than a self-reported resume. Companies can review candidates at no cost and pay only after signing a contract, while onboarding, cross-border payments, compliance, and country-specific benefits are handled after the hire is selected.
Do not recreate the shortage with your second hire. A firm that has successfully hired one remote bookkeeper often returns to a purely local search for the next staff accountant or operations coordinator. Usually, that is inertia. The first hire proved that the team can manage communication, access, and review across locations. The second and third hires should use what the firm learned.
Document the close process while the current team still knows it. Assign an owner for training. Set quality checkpoints for the first few closes. Give the new accountant a defined scope before adding every stray task that no one else wants. This is how an individual hire becomes a durable capacity model rather than another person holding undocumented institutional knowledge.
FAQ
Is the accountant shortage affecting bookkeeping roles too?
Yes. Bookkeeping roles are often affected first because they require dependable execution of recurring work, familiarity with US accounting workflows, and clear client communication. Firms that wait until the close is already behind are usually hiring under unnecessary pressure.
Can a remote accountant work in QuickBooks Online or NetSuite securely?
Yes, if the firm sets appropriate access controls. Use role-based permissions, multifactor authentication, documented approval workflows, and separate preparation from payment-release authority. Security depends on the operating design, not simply where the accountant is located.
Which accounting roles are best suited to remote hiring?
Bookkeepers, staff accountants, AR/AP specialists, payroll coordinators, and accounting support roles are often good fits when the work is performed in cloud systems and the process is documented. The fit becomes weaker when the role requires physical document handling, on-site supervision, or local licensing authority.
How should we assess a remote staff accountant?
Ask the candidate to explain a real close workflow, a reconciliation process, and how they would handle an unresolved variance. Check their experience with your accounting platform, test written communication, and define the review structure before extending an offer. A polished interview is useful, but it is not evidence of close discipline.
Should we hire a controller before adding accounting support?
It depends on the current bottleneck. If the business lacks financial leadership, forecasting discipline, and ownership of accounting policy, a controller may be the right move. If an existing controller is buried in reconciliations and recurring schedules, adding a staff accountant or experienced bookkeeper may create capacity faster and protect review quality.
The best response to the accountant shortage is a more precise hiring decision: define the work, test for evidence, and build controls that let the right person own it.
