Bookkeeping Induction With The Balancing Act
When you take on new staff, you want them up and running as soon as possible.
Getting to grips with debits and credits in double entry bookkeeping isn’t always easy and it can take quite a bit of explanation of the principles to new staff until it finally sinks in.
You will want to get these new staff up and running and “chargeable” as soon as possible to minimise the amount of expensive training time by senior staff.
The Balancing Act is designed just for this purpose.
It is a self-study programme that can be completed over the space of a week to 10 days – and is therefore ideal as an induction programme for new accounting staff, either immediately after they have joined, or even before they join – perhaps as a pre-requisite for joining.
Many clients use it as part of the formal probationary period for new staff. It can also be used for existing staff taking on a business’ bookkeeping for the first time. It can be completed at any time of year, so you don’t have to wait for a formal course start date.
For more information about how The Balancing Act works, please watch our video below:
The Balancing Act comprises:
- An on-line programme of interactive presentations, practice activities and question banks - to teach the principles of bookkeeping up-to a simple Trial Balance, Profit & Loss Account and Balance Sheet.
- An accompanying hard copy Workbook of 43 bookkeeping activities taking learner’s up-to a simple Trial Balance, Profit & Loss Account and Balance Sheet. We provide a full set of solutions so that learners can check their answers as they progress through each activity.
- An optional practice assessment / test that employers can set staff once they have completed steps a. and b. above
(don’t panic, we provide answers and a marking scheme also).
We encourage employers to ask the line manager to mark this assessment as it provides really useful feedback on how well your new recruit has learnt the principles of Bookkeeping. Some clients set a minimum mark requirement for successful completion of induction.
If it is intended for the member of staff to progress to professional accounting studies, the results of this induction can inform what entry level is relevant. For those commencing a Level 3 Apprenticeship, we always add those elements of AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting or Bookkeeping that we consider a necessary platform for those Level 3 studies. For those who enter directly at Level 3 or we think need to complete the Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping units, we can add The Balancing Act as part of the Apprenticeship.
The Balancing Act can therefore provide a quick return on your investment by:
- Getting new accounting staff productive and fee earning more quickly.
- Reducing the training time required from expensive senior staff.
- Ensuring new staff start their formal professional studies at the right entry level.
Apprenticeships have a “42 day rule” – if they are withdrawn from their apprenticeship within 6 weeks of their start date, the apprenticeship can be cancelled and be treated for funding purposes as not having started. We can work with you to establish probationary criteria including work submission requirements before this 6 week deadline, to enable us to test your apprentice’s ability and commitment before you firm up your own commitment to the full apprenticeship programme.
