FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the advantages of Offshore staffing?
The primary advantage of offshore staffing is that this method has proven to be cost-effective. The staff member is Interviewed, selected, hired by you, and works dedicatedly for you under your direct management and control. The productivity of your business is directly affected as you get to focus on more complex business operations at your firm, as your administrative tasks have been delegated to offshore staff.
How does Offshore staffing saves 75% on labour cost?
Offshore staffing first and foremost cuts down on your cost on office infrastructure. Additionally, an offshore staff member works at substantially lower rates than the salaries paid to a full-time in-house employee. The client is not liable to provide any utilities or any extra added benefits materially or otherwise other than pre-fixed charges. So, this means that you are free from the commitment to pay for the offshore staff’s compliances, paid holidays or vacations, training cost, medicare, bonuses, etc. As a client, you are only liable to pay for the services you take from our Remote staff.
What services are offered by the Remote staff at KM Accounting?
Our Remote staff is hired by you. He will report directly report to you therefore giving you direct management control. Your remote staff extensively looks into tasks related to accounting and other petty administrative tasks like:
- Bookkeeping
- Monthly accounting
- Tax Preparation
- Payroll
- Docs follow up services
- Financial Statements (review, audits, compilation tasks)
- Billing – Bill Payments, Billing Collection, Follow ups and other administrative tasks
- Other Administrative tasks
What is the place of work of an offshore staff?
The remote staff at KM Accounting works from our offshore offices located in India. Our spaces are situated in locations that are easily commutable to our employees. Our air-conditioned spaces are enabled with office infrastructure facilities like workstations, twin-screen computers, the latest software, and communication gadgets like webcams and microphones, high-speed internet, backend support, and much more.
Do you have an In-House facility to train the staff ?
Yes, Our aim at KM Accounting Solutions is to actively meet with the Client’s Service demands and expectations. Our in-house employee training process is structured to strengthen an employee’s organizational, managerial, leadership, and communication skills. At the same time, our employees are given extensive training in the field of American/Canada/UK Accounting. In-house training at KM Accounting is a continuous process to support continuous improvement.
Is the Remote Staff at KM Accounting aware of regulations such as US GAAP, IRS, etc
Yes, absolutely. In fact, it is a pre-requisite at KM Accounting for an employee to possess knowledge of or hold some experience of tax regulations related to US GAAP, IRS. Our employees must go through extensive in-house training to acquire practical familiarity in the field of American Accounting.
Can I hire someone who has experience in UltraTAX/CCH/Pro-System SX software?
Yes, if you specifically want somebody with knowledge on a particular software or platform, we could filter and find one out for you. Generally, every person we hire is evaluated in 3 ways regarding his expertise and knowledge:
- Technical knowledge: analyzing what work he is going to do whether accounting, tax, financial reporting, payroll, data entry or billing entries, etc. and also what has been his technical experience on his past assignments in previous employment.
- Software knowledge: unless there is a specific request from a client about the experience in particular software we do not put that filter in providing you the final resumes. Software knowledge can be acquired if you have relevant technical knowledge.
- For example, if you know to operate a computer, you can easily grasp and learn the functionality of another system, it doesn’t matter if it is a Windows computer or an Apple computer.
- In the past he might have worked on different software and probably you use different software. Now he could just migrate onto another platform with little training.
- Knowledge of the protocols and processes of the firm: When a remote staff starts working for you he only starts to get familiar with the company’s work culture and procedures, as these things could be learned only at a job. This is a common phrase with any kind of staff.
So, keeping in mind the above points, when we put this filter, the number of people who are going to your universe will reduce.
Do you offer a free look in period to your clients?
Our policies at KM Accounting Solutions are flexible and client-friendly. As soon as the Agreement is signed with us at KM Accounting we begin screening suitable staff or a team that is suitable per your requirements for the next 21 days. Hence, your free look in period begins from the date of signing an Agreement and expires within the next 21 days of the signing date. We ensure you a full refund if we are unable to provide you with a suitable candidate within the stipulated period.
What is the employee hiring process like, at KM Accounting Solutions?
At KM Accounting solution we hire a set of high-performing professionals who are goal-oriented. Our HR teams follow a step by step recruitment approach that is refined and transparent to bring to you the right professional who can handle the complex specifications of our client.
We conduct a thorough screening process of the applicant where we follow up with their educational qualifications, years of experience, and their professional conduct at the previous organization.
During an interview, every applicant is given practical problems related to this industry that is needed to efficiently solved by him and is asked relevant questions. A remote staff is employed by us only after a rigid determination of the candidate’s potential.
Can a client conduct an interview or a screening before he engages a Remote Staff?
Yes. Hiring an offshore staff means having direct management control over the said personnel. Our policies at KM Accounting allows the client to take an interview, once the Agreement is signed with us or they can ask the staff any relevant questions before entrusting their tasks to them to determine their professional aptitude. These interviews shall be arranged by us and can be taken up via an online video call or a conference call as deemed fit by the client.
What is KM Accounts’ In House Attrition Rate?
Our employees are our backbone at KM Accounting solutions. Our HR executives dedicatedly hire high performing employees. Our hiring process objectively focuses on a candidate’s organizational skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills along with a goal-oriented approach before we take them on board. Our employees on the other hand are continuously offered support, flexibilities, and other perks with an intention to furnish a job satisfaction balance. Yes, of course, in exceptional circumstances, we let go of the ones who cannot match up to the pace or those with a low-performance rate.
Am I locked in after signing the Agreement with KM Accounting?
As per our policy, our clients are provided with a period of 30 days to screen the resumes, conduct online tests, conduct rounds of interviews with our remote staff to determine and select the right team of professionals to handle their operations. If at any point in time, the client feels that he hasn’t found the exact fit he is looking for then we nullify our Agreement and refund your payment and the deposit amount deposited by you. So no, a client is not necessarily locked in after signing an Agreement with KM Accounting Solutions.
How many days does it take for a Remote staff to come onboard with a client?
It usually takes any time between a week to a month as it also depends on how long a client takes to finalize a Remote Staff based on his specifications. Sometimes it so happens that staff may not be immediately available for hire. Hence, we provide an upper limit of 30 days as buffer time.
What are the work timings and how does KM Accounting manage the time difference of the two countries?
Our staff works a full-time shift from 4 am to 1 pm (EST) which also comprises a meal break and a 15 mins coffee break. Our flexible policies let a client co-ordinate with the Remote staff in accordance with their office hours or whatever time is deemed convenient by the client by paying a minimal extra fee to cover our staff’s midnight allowances. However, in the normal course of work, a task can be assigned to our Remote staff in the evening so it is taken up and submitted by the next day in the morning before the client reaches his office.
Is there a minimum locked in work period with a Remote Staff?
KM Accounting Solutions particularly offers a client two types of the Contract system.
- Temporary Contract period: A client is bound by a Three Months Association with KM Accounting Solution.
- Permanent Contract Period: A client is bound by a Six Months Association with KM Accounting Solution.
But in none of the above-mentioned Contractual system is a client bound by a Remote Staff at KM Accounting. In an improbable case where a client is dissatisfied with our Remote Staff, he should notify us of the same immediately. We provide a new replacement within a Notice period of 30 days.
What are the Hiring options at KM Accounting ?
There are various hiring options offered by KM Accounting. Our hiring model has been designed whilst giving a specific consideration of our client’s needs and nature of work. And thus, we offer the below-mentioned Hiring Options:
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- Full Time
- Part-Time
- Hourly (Pay as you go)
- Blocked Hour
- Seasonal
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Is an option of temporary hiring available at KM Accounting Solutions?
A public Accounting firm or a Tax professional may hire a Remote Staff based on their needs and a specific requirement on a temporary basis.
What are the hourly rates at KM Accounting Solutions?
Our hourly rates begin at $8 an hour. Our Remote staff offer services ranging from 10-40 hours, on a weekly basis, full-time basis, and Project basis thus, making these hourly rates dynamic as per the hiring model, Skills, and Experience chosen by you.
What is the billing cycle?
We have a weekly billing cycle where we send you bills on a weekly basis.
What is the mode of payment at KM Accounting Solutions ?
We accept online payments. You may also pay us through an electronic bank-to-bank transfer via Automated Clear House Network.
What if a client is unhappy after a few days of hiring a Remote Staff Agent?
In an improbable case where a client is dissatisfied with our Remote Staff, he should notify us of the same immediately. We provide a new replacement within a Notice period of 30 days.
Is KM Accounts an outsourcing company?
KM Accounting Solution is a staffing agency that helps public accounting firms hire staff for them at much lower rates who aid in performing numerous tax-related, financial, and administrative tasks of the hiring Company.
Is Remote Staffing different than outsourcing?
Remote staffing is an extension of your own management team. It’s like having a team that operates from another part of the world under your instructions and is engaged in dedicatedly working for your company whereas outsourcing is one part of the job entrusted to someone/firm on a temporary basis for a certain stipulated period of time. In outsourcing, there is no guarantee of quality and accuracy. In such cases, remote staffing stands more accountable and dependable in comparison to outsourcing.
How is Remote staffing different and better than outsourcing?
An outsourcing service provider is those who provide a particular service on a one-time basis whereas Remote staff members are an extension of your current in-house team and that too, without the overheads of hiring a full-time employee. A Remote staff works under your instructions and reports to you like your full-time employee. You can micro-manage your Remote staff where we provide you with various options through which you can communicate on a daily basis with our Remote Staff. This ensures time-management, efficacy, quality, and the most important-accuracy in the work that is delivered to you.
Whereas, on the other hand, outsourcing means you are solely relying on a third party to do your job without any input or management control from your end. When a job has outsourced the security of your data and information is at risk as there are no specific protocols to ensure information security or data protection in such arrangements. Outsourcing may appear cost-effective but there are many hidden costs that only come to the surface only after the work is done. The main problem with outsourcing is that an outsourcing partner has various other professional commitments as well which means that your work is not going to get 100% attention or shall not be a matter of priority. Such divided attention leads to sub-standard services or being subjected to output full of errors.
Is Freelancing a better option than Remote staffing?
A freelancer is someone is works for a client on a temporary basis for an assigned task for a fixed period of time. A free-lancer generally does or does not have the required infrastructure as a Remote staff. While, in Remote staffing, you have an option to screen and conduct interviews before hiring but you as a client will get no such opportunity when it comes to hiring a freelancer. A free-lancer will have commitments towards many other clients other than your firm and hence, a one on one interaction or Review Meetings for the screening of progress is not an available option with a free-lancer. This only leads to inconsistencies and further leaves a wide scope for errors. A Remote staff is hired by you, is at your disposal as per your convenience, is more capable and experienced, and works exclusively for you or your firm.
How remote staff will access source document/ information/data?
There are three methods that remote staff can use to access documents/information/data at client’s end:
- Remote access:Set us a workstation with necessary software and documents; allow remote access with username and password where staff can login, work, and logout after he is done completing assigned work.
- Cloud/server access:Have the documents uploaded on the cloud or server where staff can access, work, and save the work done after completion.
- File Transfer:Send the documents to the remote staff through email or online transfer applications. The client will work upon that, and send the file back for your review.
You can use any of the three methods to let your staff access a particular file (document/information/data), and give you back the completed work.
Can the remote staff work on email ID provided by my firm?
Yes, you can provide your remote staff an email ID on your firm’s domain. Generally, each staff is assigned his/her own email through KM ACCOUNTS’s own domain, yet there are a lot of clients who wish to have their staff use email IDs personalized according to their firm’s need. We allow it after risk assessment.
How does a remote staff generally communicate with me?
There are a number of convenient methods to communicate with your remote staff.
- Telephone:Every employee has a dedicated USA telephone number to connect with.
- Email:You can send emails for instructions, and ask for daily reporting on email.
- Video conference:Every employee’s workstation comprises of webcam, microphone, and necessary software for speaking over video; you can choose any application such as Skype, Google Hangouts, etc. for live video call as well as chat over instant text messaging software.
Is there a fee for setup?
No, there is no extra fee for setup. At the time of signup and requirement statement, you can tell us the list of software (including versions) you use at work. We would have it installed at our workstations accordingly. At your end, you might need to set a remote sharing ID and password, which your remote employee will use to logging in and logging out of your system in order to work. If you need any help in setup, our IT team will help you promptly.
How does a staff work from remote location? Do they work from an office or their home?
Our remote staff works from our secure remote offshore offices in India. Our 2 offices are in the city of Ahmedabad. We follow a strict no work-from-home policy for safekeeping of client data and information.
Does he/she speak English?
Yes. English is a very widely spoken language of India. In fact, it is the second most widely used language of a large number of Indian professionals. English language never plays a barrier in communication as we only hire employees who are fluent in English. However, the accent of Indians is quite neutral, yet a lot different than that of Americans. So, it is advisable to speak at a little slower rate, and give staff a chance to get used to how you communicate with them for lucid understanding.
How can I monitor the performance / day to day output of the staff working remotely for me?
A staff fills timesheets on daily basis for indicating his/her tasks completion status, and the time taken to for attempting them. KM ACCOUNTS has its online timesheet as a standard, which employees generally fill in, and send to their respective employers . However, if a firm has its own timesheet format, and wants their employees to make entries into that, we approve it. By reviewing these timesheets, you can transparently monitor the performance and output of your staff.
How do you undertake the safekeeping of client data?
At the time of signing up the contract, we provide our commitment of safekeeping client data in a written undertaking. We take every measure to honor it. In case, we fail (we haven’t yet so far) at some level or a violation still occurs, a client is entitled to proceed legally. However, there has never been such incident where a client found breach in data security, which in itself speaks volumes about the level of commitment we show towards protection of confidentiality that we are trusted with.
What does ISO 27001 stand for?
ISO 27001:2013 is an internationally recognized Information Security Standard published by International Organization for Standardization. This certification is awarded to the exclusive organizations that comply with the information security guidelines of ISO, and strictly abide by it at all times. KM ACCOUNTS is one such organization with this certification.
Can I come personally to visit your office?
Of course! We would be more than glad to be your hosts, and welcome you with our hospitality. We believe it is always better to see to believe. By visiting us, you not just see the whole infrastructure and security setup, but also get to know how things actually work at our office. Few of our clients have visited us in the past, and have had happy memories. You can view our online reviews for references.
Do you have close circuit cameras for surveillance?
Yes, our entire premises are covered under security cameras both from exterior and interiors. In fact, every cabin inside the office has 2 cameras fixed for a better visibility of the happenings and monitoring against any untoward incidents. These cameras are operational on 24X7 basis.
How does your staff respect the privacy of information they handle?
Before we hire someone, we carry out background checks, and go through the references of previous employers about the person’s conduct at past organization if any. While joining the organization, every employee has to sign an undertaking that states that he/she will respect the privacy of the client data being handled. Additionally, he is legally bound to do so, and there could be legal actions against an employee if inconsistencies are discovered from his/her end. So far, none of our employees have disappointed us in this regard.
What are the mechanisms at your office to guard against breach in data security?
To begin with, the whole office is paperless. We do not allow pen-paper-any stationery, digital computer printers, personal mobile phones, portable storage devices into the work area. The USB ports are disabled for data transfers. No staff has access to personal emails, social media, or any such means that can facilitate transferring sensitive data. The emails, folder systems, and internal servers at office are continuously monitored by in-house IT department for inconsistency. There are no printers connected to our internal network, hence, we eliminate the chances of taking data out of office by any means either electronic or printed. It is like your own office where the data never leaves the premises.