The Results-Oriented Accounting Workplace

Accounting jobs, whether bookkeeping, accounts receivable or auditing, are involved in a lot of detail-mostly numbers. When accounting people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the bottom line.

A Results-Oriented Accounting Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this accounting job accomplish for the organization?

Accounting Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Accounting Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Accounting Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and legally sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Accounting Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, accounting jobs--

MAINTAIN FINANCIAL INFORMATION by

tracking income and expenses; designing accounting and information systems and procedures; communicating economic information; establishing and enforcing accounting controls.

Types of Accounting Jobs

Some accounting jobs study current and proposed business transactions and apply appropriate accounting principles and practices. Other jobs maintain monetary and bank records. Still other jobs set up accounting systems and procedures for the accounting department as well as for other departments. The accounting department bills customers for products and services purchased, tracks commissions earned by sales people, and studies and monitors claims and contracts, including government contracts.

Somebody needs to know exactly how much it costs to produce products and services. Bookkeepers determine which accounts should be used to record transactions. When numbers get out of whack, somebody has to figure out what went wrong and reconcile them. To make sure things happen the way they should, internal controls are put in place, followed by someone to audit compliance and improve inadequate controls. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the accounting people and processes.

Accounting Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how accounting job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Accounting Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS ACCOUNTING ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Accounting Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the accounting results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Accounting situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Accounting recommendations are ready when needed.

Accounting Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future accounting issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver accounting recommendations by 10% by (date).

Accounting Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each accounting job description are more helpful (and legal) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Accounting Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS ACCOUNTING ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Accounting Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Accounting Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS ACCOUNTING ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present accounting recommendations."

The Accounting Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS ACCOUNTING ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might decide: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Accounting Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS ACCOUNTING ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Accounting Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her accounting work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the accounting job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Accounting Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Accounting Job Description and Accounting Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the accounting job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS ACCOUNTING ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the accounting job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving accounting processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new accounting system controls.

Accounting Career Links

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Learn about the training and education needed for accounting jobs, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job, and working conditions.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

The professional site for CPA's. Information about the profession, landing a job as a CPA, issues in the profession, research tips, and other links.

Careers in Accounting

Helps find a rewarding and interesting job in the world of accounting--public accounting, tax, auditing and managerial accounting. Information on the profession, skills and talents required, job options, salaries, trends in accounting, and top firms in the industry.

JobsintheMoney.com, Career News and Advice

News and advice specific to accounting and finance professionals in the United States, plus a variety of tools for job seekers to market themselves and to manage a new job search.

Accounting.com, Resources, and Discussion Groups

Resources, discussion groups about career advice, accounting procedures, exams, and homework.

University of North Carolina - Wilmington The Career Center

Career counseling and resource center providing information on skills required for the accounting profession, related career titles, and links for career planning, resources, job and internship searches, and professional associations.

Worldwidelearn.com, Accountants and Auditors

Career planning information regarding accounting employment, job outlook, related occupations, working conditions, education, training, qualifications, salary expectations, associations, accreditation and other resources.