Hiring a Secretary

[DaveinTexas]

First off, get your heads out of the gutter!

Our practice is open all year round but only a few days a week in the "offseason". Do we really have an offseason these days?

Anyway, what would you suggest for hiring someone for 4.5 months out of the year and then telling them to go get another job? Oh, and could you come back next filing season and we will do this all over again?

We can handle the calls in the "offseason" so there isn't much concern for a secretary; especially because there would be very little work for them to do.

Thanks in advance for all of the innovative ideas-----and try to keep it clean!

[JoshinNC]

Accounttemps

I haven't used them, but hear that they do provide good help, with accounting/tax backgrounds. You may not get the same person each year, but at least there's a good chance they'll be able to jump right in and help.

[DaveinTexas]

Ahh Yes

That is a good idea. I bet they would even handle the payroll filing.

Thanks.

[Armando Beaujolais]

In our office we've had wonderful results with retired or semi-retired people to run the office and take care of administrative stuff. We have a couple of grandmas (and a grandpa) who love the action during tax season, and they make enough spare change to keep them going until next year during the season. And they make great cookies, and they're great at fussing over the clients and giving the office an old home feeling.

[jainen]

crop cycle

>>hiring someone for 4.5 months out of the year and then telling them to go get another job?<<

Well, that's exactly what certain national tax chains do, with some success. For that matter, it's what the IRS does (why do you think the California office set up in Fresno, where seasonal work is defined by the autumn crop cycle?)

The simplest way is to call your local temp agency. Costs more, but you will have NO days lost for being sick or bored, no payroll nuisance, all candidates pre-screened with credit reports and proven transportation, etc.

[Bjorn]

Office Help

I agree with a previous poster.

The stay at home Mom is also a good person to come be year after year, however the retired person is a larger pool to pick from.

Divorced Women with teenage kids make good year round help since they rarerly lose work days due to sick kids. No doubt I just broke a law by typing what everbody knows.

If you have a nice family they too can help in the office.

[Joe Btfsplk]

Hire and fire.

I think you should tell anyone up front if the job is not going to be a year-around job. Once you have made that clear, then I see nothing wrong with hiring them on that basis.

On the other side of the coin, an employee can quit at any time and cannot be compelled to stay thru tax season if a permanent job comes his/her way.

[Jim R]

Secretary

For the last 7 years we hired a receptionist for tax season only (3.5 months). It is made known that it is a full time 3.5 mo job. We have found them through our extented family and our church family. Fortunately tax season in the north country is also bad weather season so there are housewifes looking to get out of the house.

We allways sweat this time of the year to see if we can get someone. My sister-in-law has agree to come back so we are happy. My back up plan is a temp agency. They are a bit expensive but they guarantee that someone will show up every day.

Although since this is my sister-in-law's fourth year, the cost will be about the same a the temp agency but worth it in someone who need very little training.