This is a guest post provided for us by James Riches on behalf of Portfolio Credit Control
Recruiting skilled credit control professionals is an important task for many businesses, with a strong accounting team a vital component of a successful organisation.
There are invariably a large number of accounting jobs available across the country, especially in cities with prominent business districts. For example, there are often many credit control jobs in London to be found in the City or Canary Wharf.
Each company is likely to have their own ideas about what to look for in a credit control professional, and naturally the requirements of the role will vary depending on the structure, size and purpose of the business.
However, when recruiting for these positions it is important to consider the key areas in which your chosen candidate must excel in order to successfully carry out any role within the accounting sector.
Attributes of a successful credit control candidate
Technical skill
Naturally, if the candidate cannot use the programmes required on a daily basis by accounting professionals, they will be unable to successfully carry out their role. Your views on the required level of technical skill may vary depending on how much training you are required to give, but often companies are looking for temporary staff and so will need them to get straight into the task at hand.
Excellent numeracy skills are a must, as they would be for any job that involves dealing with cash amounts. A large part of the average credit control worker’s day is taken up ensuring client debts are repaid on time, and checking that the amounts associated with each separate account are correct. Any mistakes here could have serious repercussions for your business.
Some experience with Microsoft Access, Excel or Oracle Database is usually also desirable.
Interpersonal abilities
Debt collection can be a sensitive issue, especially if credit control staff have to chase up aged debt that has been left outstanding for an extended period of time. When speaking to any client, accounting employees need to be able to develop a rapport with them, as this will increase the likelihood of them responding promptly to any requests.
These people skills will also come in handy when interacting with members of the accounting team across a range of departments. The successful candidate will frequently need to liaise with fellow employees and credit managers to make sure all details are accounted for, and they should be able to demonstrate an ability to do this to a high standard.
Recruiting for senior credit control vacancies
Credit manager applicants naturally need to possess a little bit extra in order to be a serious contender for a senior role within your business.
Chief among these is a qualification from the Institute of Credit Management (ICM), which shows both a high level of achievement within their field and a prolonged commitment to the accounting sector.
Previous experience of managing a team is also desirable, and it is good for recruiters to ascertain the size of that team and its remit, in order to judge a candidate’s suitability.
Working with a recruitment agency
By bringing in a recruitment agency to help with the hiring process, you can simply sit back and wait for the candidates to come to you. The strongest agencies will assign you a dedicated recruitment consultant to oversee the process, and they will filter out the best applicants to send your way for an interview.
This saves you time and leaves you free to concentrate on the day-to-day running of your business, while you have the added advantage of only speaking to relevant, credible candidates at the interview stage.
