Hire, temp or hand it off? Covering a back-office seat
A plain comparison of your options when the AP or AR seat is empty.
When a back-office seat opens up, you have three real options. None is right for everyone, so here’s how they compare.
Hire someone
Best when the work needs to be done on site, or you want to grow someone into a bigger finance role.
Watch out for the time it takes to recruit and train, and the cost of starting again if they leave. You also pay for the seat whether the month is busy or quiet.
Bring in a temp
Best when you need cover for a few weeks, for example during parental leave.
Watch out for agency markups and the learning curve. Each new temp has to learn your process again, so you end up training rather than delegating.
Hand it off to a service
Best when the work is repeatable and done in software, like invoicing, chasing payments, entering bills and keeping records.
Watch out for services that change your tools or lock you into long contracts. Look for one that works in your existing software, lets you approve anything involving money, and runs month to month.
Questions to ask yourself
- Does this work need someone in the building?
- Is it the same steps every week, or different every time?
- How long can it wait while you recruit?
- Who covers it if your hire is out sick or quits?