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Hiring profile for:

Senior Accountant

HighMatch’s team of workplace psychologists break down the critical qualities, skills, and knowledge Senior Accountants need to be successful.

Employment Outlook

6%+
avg Growth rate

780K+
job openings annually

$71K+
median pay

Role Snapshot

Senior accountants prepare and examine financial records, identify potential areas of opportunity and risk, and provide solutions for businesses and individuals. They ensure that financial records are accurate, that financial and data risks are evaluated, and that taxes are paid properly.

In addition to examining and preparing financial documents, accountants and auditors must explain their findings. This includes preparing written reports and meeting face-to-face with organization managers and individual clients.

common work activities:

Examining financial statements for accuracy and compliance
Computing taxes owed and preparing tax returns
Organizing, analyzing, and maintaining financial records
Assessing financial operations to identify risks and challenges
Suggesting ways to reduce costs and enhance revenues

Common Challenges

equality

Women make up 53% of Senior Accountants yet earn only 95% of their male counterparts.

Diversity

The majority of Senior Accountants are older (avg. age: 43) and White (65%).

retention

The average Senior Accountant stays at their job for 1-2 years.

Senior Accountant Job Profile

HighMatch’s workplace psychologists developed a job profile for Senior Accountants that outlines the measures that are most predictive in determining success.

They have also defined behavioral measures hiring managers should explore further during the interview.

Additional titles for this role include:

Accountant, Accounting Officer, Audit Partner, Auditor, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Cost Accountant, Financial Auditor, General Accountant, Internal Auditor, Revenue Tax Specialist

Personality Measures

There are several personality traits that often align with success in this role, however every role is unique.

Our workplace psychologists personalize the assessment to your role, adjusting the weighting and target ranges of each trait to align with your needs.

Priority measures:

Integrity: being honest and ethical
Dependability: being reliable, responsible, and dependable
Attention to Detail: being careful and thorough in completing tasks
Analytical Thinking: using logic to analyze and address work-related issues
Cooperation: being pleasant, cooperative, and good-natured

They Trust HighMatch:

The HighMatch Accountant Assessment

HighMatch’s Accountant Assessment, personalized to your specific role and company culture by our I-O psychologists, is the modern alternative to legacy off-the shelf assessments.

HighMatch’s highly configurable assessment solutions are delivered on our fast, mobile-first platform for the ideal candidate experience.

With HighMatch, you get relevant insights into what matters most in your roles and culture, in your preferred language.

VIDEO TESTIMONIAL

Wayne Homes uses HighMatch to Identify Qualified Applicants

Hear from Michael Luckie-Ewing, former VP of People and Culture at Wayne Homes, a custom home builder serving 5 states for over 40 years.

Michael and his team used HighMatch to better filter applicants for the qualities and skills that contribute to success across every role in their organization.

Cognitive Measures

Our workplace psychologists have identified several cognitive measures that help identify if a candidate has the ability to be successful in this role.

Our workplace psychologists personalize the assessment, adjusting the weighting and target ranges of each ability to align with your needs.

Priority measures:

Mathematical Reasoning: applying math methods or formulas to solve a problem
Number Facility: adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing quickly and correctly
Oral Expression: verbally communicating ideas and information
Written Comprehension: reading and understanding written information
Deductive Reasoning: applying general rules to specific problems

Critical Thinking Assessments

Being able to think critically about a situation is a crucial skill for Senior Accountants. They must be able to judge the best course of action to resolve a problem or prevent future issues.

A critical thinking assessment, which asks candidates to react to real-life scenarios they are likely to encounter, can help hiring managers understand how they are likely to react to similar situations when on the job.

Skill & Knowledge Measures

Our workplace psychologists have identified several cognitive measures that help identify if a candidate has the ability to be successful in this role.

Our workplace psychologists personalize the assessment, adjusting the weighting and target ranges of each ability to align with your needs.

Priority measures:

Microsoft Excel: a quick, mobile-friendly assessment designed to test a candidate’s knowledge of MS Excel
Computer Literacy: This fast, mobile-friendly test assesses candidate’s understanding of basic computer use
English Fluency: This fluency test assesses a candidate’s understanding of the English language

HighMatch can also quickly create short, personalized skills tests covering topics like Advanced Accounting Skills, Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable, all powered by our modern, mobile-first assessment engine and tailored to your role and organization.

Have Better Interviews

Interviews are an opportunity to take insights from the Candidate Report and dive deeper, ensuring alignment between the role, the individual and the organization.

This guide provides actionable tips on how to have more meaningful interviews, from asking relevant questions, making the interview conversational and avoiding conversation threads that can lead to unconscious bias.

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