Almost every business in Surat needs an accountant, from a two-person textile trading office on Ring Road to a processing house in Sachin GIDC. It is also one of the roles where a wrong hire costs the most: missed GST due dates, unreconciled bank entries and ledgers that nobody else can untangle. This guide explains how to define the role, which skills to test in practice, what to ask in the interview and how to make the offer stick.
- Decide first whether you need a junior accounts assistant, an accountant or a senior who can run the books alone.
- Test real work: a short Tally or Excel task tells you more than any degree.
- Check GST and TDS knowledge with your own type of transactions, not textbook questions.
Decide which accountant you actually need
"Accountant" covers very different jobs. Before you post anything, write down what the person will do in a normal month. Most small businesses fall into one of three levels:
| Level | Typical work | Usually needs |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts assistant | Voucher entry, bank entries, filing bills, preparing data for the CA | Basic Tally or other accounting software, Excel, accuracy |
| Accountant | Full bookkeeping, GST working, TDS entries, debtor follow-up, monthly reports | Two or more years of hands-on work, GST and TDS basics, reconciliation |
| Senior accountant | Runs the books end to end, coordinates audits, handles notices with the CA, supervises juniors | Several years of experience, finalisation support, people management |
Many owners advertise for a senior and then pay for a junior, or the other way round. Matching the level to the work, and the salary to the level, removes most early drop-outs. Our Surat salary guide shows typical ranges by experience.
Write the job post around the work
A clear post filters candidates for you. Include:
- The software you use, such as Tally Prime, Busy, Marg, Zoho Books or an ERP. Switching software is possible, but a candidate who already knows yours starts faster.
- Your type of business: trading, manufacturing, job-work or services. Job-work and stock-heavy businesses need someone comfortable with inventory and challans.
- Specific duties: GST return data, e-way bills, TDS, payment follow-up, payroll inputs, bank reconciliation.
- Area, hours and salary range. Commute matters, and a range saves everyone time.
- Languages. Gujarati is often needed for dealing with local parties; English for reports and email.
For more on structure and wording, see our guide on writing a job description that attracts the right candidates.
Share your accounts opening and get the first pre-screened profiles in 2–3 days. The fee is billed only after the candidate joins and completes 7 days.
Skills to test in practice
Resumes for accounting roles often look alike. A practical test of 30 to 45 minutes, done on your own computer, separates candidates quickly. Pick tasks that match the level:
Enter five or six sample transactions: a purchase with GST, a sales invoice, a payment, a receipt and a journal entry.
Give a short bank statement and a ledger with two or three differences and ask the candidate to find them.
Ask which invoices go into which return and how input tax credit is affected by an unpaid supplier.
Sort and filter a debtor list, use SUMIF or a pivot table, and flag overdue parties.
For manufacturers, ask how they would record material sent for job-work and received back.
Ask for a short, polite payment reminder message to a customer.
Use sample data, never your live books, and give every candidate the same task so that you can compare fairly. Watch how they work as well as the result: do they check totals, ask sensible questions and admit what they do not know?
Interview questions that reveal real experience
Keep the interview practical. Questions that work well:
- Walk me through your month-end routine in your last job. What did you do first?
- Tell me about a mismatch you found between your books and the GST portal. How did you resolve it?
- How did you keep track of payments due from customers, and how did you follow up?
- Which reports did you prepare for the owner, and how often?
- What did you hand over to the CA, and what did the CA handle?
- Describe a mistake you made in accounts and how you corrected it.
Good candidates answer with specific steps and examples. Vague answers such as "I handled all accounts" need a follow-up: which accounts, in which software, for how big a business?
In most small businesses the accountant keeps the books and an outside chartered accountant handles filing, audit and advice. A candidate who understands where that line sits will work smoothly with your CA.
Checks before you make the offer
Accountants handle money and sensitive data, so a few checks are worth the time:
- Speak to at least one previous employer about accuracy, honesty and attendance.
- Confirm qualifications only where the role truly needs them, such as an M.Com or CA Inter for a senior role.
- Verify identity and address documents and keep copies on file with the candidate's consent.
- Agree who will have access to the bank login, and set limits or dual approval for payments.
Our guide to reference and background checks explains how to do this simply and fairly.
Make the offer and plan the first month
Put the salary, hours, probation period and notice terms in writing. Good accountants often have a notice period to serve, so keep in touch until they join. In the first month:
- Hand over the software, the chart of accounts and a list of recurring due dates.
- Introduce the new hire to your CA and agree how they will share data.
- Review the first bank reconciliation and GST working together.
- Set a short weekly check-in so that questions come up early.
If you would rather not run this process yourself, Job Vista recruits accountants and accounts assistants for Surat businesses every week. Placement fee is billed only after the candidate joins and completes 7 days. You can share your opening here, browse accountant jobs in Surat to see how similar roles are advertised, or read how we work as a recruitment agency in Surat.
