I didn’t always have an offshore team.
I ran Xen Accounting, my previous accounting firm, with a remote onshore team spread across Canada.
After finding great success in building remote teams, I realized that I could hire from anywhere.
So I started offshoring!
Believe it or not, my offshoring experience began as a disaster.
Because I had no idea how to work with an offshore team member, they ghosted pretty fast.
But since I’m a very stubborn fellow…
I kept hiring offshore team members.
And in the process, I learned how to be a better offshore team leader.
In fact, my current Future Firm team is completely offshore. 🙂
After growing two successful businesses in the accounting industry, I’ve learned how to reliably build offshore teams that allow your firm to run on autopilot while making strong profits.
And in this article, I’m going to share that with you.
Let’s go!
What Are the Benefits of Offshore Accounting Teams?
You can probably tell from my story above that offshoring isn’t as straightforward as a lot of people think.
If you’re completely new to it like I was in 2013, it can get particularly bumpy early on!
But if you can do it right…
It pays off a lot.
Here are the benefits of offshore accounting teams.
Benefit #1: Cost Savings
Let’s be honest…
This is the biggest benefit.
(It might even be why you’re reading this article in the first place.)
Having offshore team members results in significantly lower operational costs than having purely domestic hires.
More importantly, the quality of work is comparable.
For example, according to Indeed, the average salary of an accountant in the US is about $67,000 per year.
On the other hand…
Here is the average salary of an accountant in the Philippines.
That’s about $7,400 per year.
The point here isn’t that you should hire offshore so you could save 60K per year.
Yes, you could absolutely try to get the costs as low as you can…
But that doesn’t mean you should.
In fact, I actually recommend paying your team members above market — which offshoring allows you to do.
Here’s an example:
Instead of hiring 2 onshore accountants at $67K each (total: $134K), you could hire 1 onshore and 1 offshore.
Pay your onshore accountant $75K.
Pay your offshore accountant $12K.
Total cost: $87K.
You still save $47K annually while paying both onshore and offshore team members above market.
And you’re not constantly worrying about either of them leaving when a slightly better offer comes in.
Because my Future Firm team is offshore, I’m able to pay them significantly above the market rate.
I’ve never had a team member leave because of salary reasons. 🙂
Benefit #2: Global Talent Pool
There’s an accountant shortage in the US, Canada, and other parts of the world.
(You probably already know this.)
But when you hire offshore, you’re no longer limited to your local market.
Countries like the Philippines, India, and parts of Latin America have thousands of accounting graduates entering the workforce every year.
Many of them have degrees, certifications, and years of experience working with international companies.
Plus, they have high English fluency, which makes them great for US-based firms.
For instance, the Philippines and India rank #2 and #10 in the most fluent English speaking countries in Asia, respectively.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2024
So while your competitors are fighting over the same 5 candidates in your city…
You’re interviewing from a pool of hundreds.
Benefit #3: Extended Coverage Hours
With team members in different time zones, work progresses literally while you sleep.
You close your laptop at 5 PM EST…
Your offshore team in the Philippines (12-13 hours ahead) is just about to start their day.
By the time you wake up and check your emails, routine tasks are done.
And since most team members from English-speaking countries like the Philippines possess professional fluency, they can take on some client communication as well.
This becomes especially valuable during busy season when tight deadlines require faster turnaround times.
Instead of everyone scrambling during the same 9-5 window, your firm is effectively operating 16-20 hours a day.
Your clients benefit too.
They get quicker responses since someone on your team is always available during business hours across multiple time zones.
If a client emails at 8 PM their time, your offshore team picks it up first thing in their morning.
It’s not quite 24/7 coverage, but it’s pretty close.
And it makes your firm feel more responsive and professional than firms twice your size.
What Are the Challenges of Offshore Accounting Teams?
Alright, so offshore teams sound pretty great.
But they come with real challenges that will bite you if you’re not prepared for them.
Let me walk you through the big ones.
Challenge #1: Cultural Differences
Remember that team member I mentioned in the intro who ghosted me?
This was the primary reason they left.
They were from the Philippines, and I managed them the exact same way I managed my North American team members.
Turns out, that was a terrible approach.
Filipino team members tend to be more reserved and don’t mesh well with overly direct management styles.
What I thought was “clear communication” probably came across as harsh or even disrespectful.
What’s considered normal feedback in the US might be seen as aggressive criticism in other countries.
What you think is “taking initiative” might be seen as overstepping in another culture.
These differences can lead to serious misunderstandings if you don’t address them proactively.
But once you understand these differences, they’re manageable.
Challenge #2: Time Zone Management
Real-time collaboration becomes difficult when your team is scattered across different time zones.
Quick 5-minute conversations to clarify something can turn into a 12-hour wait for a response.
If you’re not used to asynchronous work, there will have to be adjustments.
You’ll need to get comfortable with delayed responses.
You’ll need to learn how to provide thorough instructions rather than relying on quick back-and-forth conversations.
If you keep trying to work in real-time with a team that’s 12 hours away, it’s not going to work.
But if you can work through the time zone difference, you can expect great output from offshore team members, like one of my Future Firm Accelerate members below.
Challenge #3: Cybersecurity
Working with offshore team members means sensitive client data is being accessed from different countries with varying data protection laws and internet security standards.
That requires you to think differently about security.
You need robust security protocols.
Secure file sharing systems, not just random Google Drive or Dropbox links.
Multi-factor authentication on everything.
Now, the risk isn’t necessarily higher with offshore teams than with local ones.
But it does require more deliberate security measures and training to ensure compliance with regulations like SOC-2 or data privacy laws.
For instance, at Future Firm, even though we’re not handling accounting work, I bought laptops for my offshore team members.
(I shared this story on LinkedIn.)
Before I bought those laptops, my team was using personal devices with inconsistent security setups and files saved all over the place in random cloud storage accounts.
The risk that someone’s device could get compromised and give hackers access to our systems kept me up at night.
Yes, buying laptops was expensive upfront…
But dealing with a data breach would have cost way more than a few MacBooks.
(The team appreciated it a lot, though. I consider that a win!)
I recommend reading my guide to accounting security to learn more about reinforcing your firm’s cybersecurity.
How to Build a Skilled Offshore Accounting Team
Now that you understand the benefits and the challenges of building an offshore accounting team, it’s time to get into the actual process of building one.
Here’s how to do it right.
1. Find a Reputable Hiring Agency
When I was starting out with offshore hiring, I worked with a hiring agency.
And while it didn’t work out for me, it was different in 2010s.
(Besides, the team member leaving was my fault.)
Modern hiring agencies are very reliable, which is why this is what I recommend for accounting firms new to offshoring.
Most firm owners don’t have the time or expertise to:
- Navigate offshore job boards
- Screen hundreds of applicants
- Handle international employment compliance
A reputable agency can handle the sourcing, initial vetting, and the payroll and HR administration.
This allows you to focus on interviewing final candidates and integrating them into your team.
There are agencies that specialize specifically in offshore accounting talent.
They understand the technical skills you need, they’ve already built pipelines of qualified candidates, and they know how to navigate the legal and logistical complexity.
A good example is TeamUp (affiliate link), a company that specializes in offshoring for Filipino accountants.
Agencies can cost more than going direct.
But the time and headaches they save you are worth the money, especially when you’re just starting out.
If you need help looking for a reliable hiring partner, check out my article about the best accounting staffing agencies.
2. Write Job Descriptions for Top-Tier Talent
I used to think getting candidates was so easy that I didn’t need to put in any effort into writing job descriptions.
I was wrong.
My job descriptions were very generic.
And the job titles looked like this…
No one clicked on them.
And the few people who did apply weren’t the people I wanted on my team.
That changed when I focused on selling the opportunity instead of just listing requirements.
Top-tier talent has options and will not apply to every job posting they see.
So you need to give them a reason to choose your firm over the dozens of others hiring.
Clearly articulate what makes your firm different.
Talk about the growth opportunities available.
Describe the type of person who thrives on your team.
Yes, include the basics: specific responsibilities, required skills, and what success looks like in the role.
But don’t stop there.
Highlight your culture and values, and think of things like:
- Do you offer professional development? Say so.
- Do you have a flexible, remote-friendly culture? Lead with that.
- Are you investing in AI tools and modern tech? That attracts ambitious talent.
For example, here’s a “Why Join Us” section from one of the job descriptions at Future Firm:
If you want one you can swipe, feel free to check out my job description templates:
- Senior Accountant Job Description Template
- Staff Accountant Job Description Template
- Bookkeeper Job Description Template
- Tax Preparer Job Description Template
You can read more about finding great talent in my guide to recruiting accountants.
3. Use Video Interviews
Here’s what will happen when you ask for video answers instead of purely written applications:
Your applicant pool significantly becomes smaller.
But!
The ones who make it past this step will be worth your time.
At Future Firm, we ask applicants to complete a Vervoe video interview before we ever talk to them live.
Video interviews work particularly well when you’re offshoring because it lets you assess:
- Communication skills
- English proficiency
- Cultural fit
…Before investing time in live interviews across time zones.
You can see how candidates present themselves, how clearly they articulate their thoughts, and whether they can explain accounting concepts in an understandable way.
I like to ask these questions:
- What are you passionate about in life? This will show if someone has genuine drive and initiative, or if they’re just going through the motions looking for any job. In my experience, people with real passions tend to bring that same energy to their work.
- Can you tell us about a major mistake you made at a previous job or on a previous project? This will show you if they can take accountability or deflect the blame.
- Can you tell us about a time when you were given a task but didn’t have all the information you needed to complete it? This will give you an idea of how much initiative they have and their ability to problem-solve when situations are not ideal.
This screening step filters out candidates who look great on paper but fall apart when they have to actually talk through their experience or explain their thinking.
Plus, since it’s on video, it’ll also give you a good idea of how they can communicate with clients for services like financial analysis.
Yes, you’ll lose some applicants who don’t want to do a video interview.
But those aren’t the candidates you want anyway.
For candidates that do make it to the live interview stage…
Feel free to use these top accounting interview questions. 🙂
4. Provide Feedback With Context
An offshore team is like AI…
They’re pretty capable on their own.
But if you give them context, they’ll excel.
Offshore team members might lack the context of your local market, client expectations, and firm culture that domestic hires might pick up naturally.
For instance, a local hire might overhear conversations, pick up on client preferences through frequent native speak, or understand industry norms just from living in the same country.
Your offshore team doesn’t have that advantage.
So when you give feedback, you can’t just say “this needs to be fixed.”
That doesn’t help them understand why or how to improve next time.
Instead, provide specific feedback that explains the reasoning behind corrections.
Share examples of what “good” looks like.
Connect the feedback to broader principles they can apply to future work.
At Future Firm, I use Loom videos to give feedback.
(I’ve recorded at least 500 Loom videos for my Future Firm team.)
It’s way easier for team members to understand because they’re seeing my thought process in real-time as I walk through the issue.
They can watch me navigate the task, hear me explain my reasoning as I spot problems, and see exactly what the end result should look like.
It’s like reading instructions versus watching someone actually do it.
The learning sticks better that way.
5. Establish Clear Communication Protocols
Good communication is the best way to overcome time zone differences.
(Yes, even better than asking team members to work in the same working hours as you!)
You need clear communication protocols that everyone follows.
You can start by defining which tools to use for what purpose — for example:
- Slack for quick questions and daily updates
- Email for formal communication and client-facing matters
- Project management software (like Karbon or Financial Cents) for task tracking and workflow
This might seem overly structured, but it eliminates confusion.
Your team knows exactly where to look for information and where to communicate depending on the situation.
At Future Firm, we use Missive (affiliate link), a unified, collaborative team chat and email communications platform.
You also need to set expectations for response times.
If someone messages you in the team chat at 9 PM your time (which is their 9 AM), when should they expect a response?
Be clear about this upfront — a response within 24 hours is typically enough for routine accounting tasks, but you also need guidelines for urgent client situations.
I also recommend scheduling regular check-ins like:
- Weekly team meetings
- Monthly one-on-ones
- Daily stand-ups
These touchpoints keep everyone aligned and give your offshore team a forum to ask questions, raise concerns, or clarify priorities.
This structure also prevents miscommunication and ensures everyone knows how to get help when they need it.
And here’s the bonus:
All of this structure actually gives your team more autonomy and flexibility.
They can work independently without constantly wondering if they’re doing the right thing or waiting around for you to tell them what to do next.
6. Document All Procedures
Let’s say an offshore team member has a question at 2 AM your time…
Which of these will keep work moving forward?
- Wait 6 to 8 hours for you to get back to them.
- Find the answer themselves in your documentation.
Comprehensive documentation allows offshore team members to find answers independently, maintain consistent service delivery, and onboard successfully without constant real-time supervision.
This is how you maintain service quality even without your involvement.
For offshore teams, this is non-negotiable.
Here are a few documentation best practices:
- Create step-by-step SOPs with screenshots showing exactly what buttons to click in your accounting software, what fields to fill out, and what the end result should look like.
- Record video walkthroughs for complex accounting services like month-end closes or multi-entity reconciliations where it’s easier to show than tell.
- Maintain a central knowledge base that’s easy to search and update.
Our SOP repository at Future Firm is a Google Sheet.
While it isn’t as fancy as something like Notion or Confluence, it does the job because our SOPs are easily searchable.
Your team should be able to type “how to reconcile credit cards” and immediately find the relevant SOP.
Yes, creating this documentation takes time upfront.
But it saves you from answering the same questions over and over.
And it scales better than you being the bottleneck for every question.
Pro tip: To save time, you can record a Loom video of yourself performing a task, take the transcript, paste in into ChatGPT, and ask ChatGPT to make an SOP from the transcript.
7. Treat Them as Team Members, Not Robots
This is probably the most important point in this entire article.
It’s true that offshore team members can be every bit as capable as onshore team members.
But a lot of that depends on how you treat them.
You might have heard this story before…
But many companies — not necessarily accounting firms — hire offshore and treat them like they’re disposable.
(Personally, I’ve heard a lot of people say they got someone for cheap and work them like crazy…)
They don’t include them in meetings…
They don’t invest in their growth…
They don’t celebrate their wins.
In other words, they don’t treat offshore teammates like real persons.
(That’s really bad.)
Truthfully, offshore team members don’t need a lot.
They’re not going to ask for constant praise, validation, or to be included in small talks between you and onshore teammates.
Most offshore team members, especially those from cultures like the Philippines, are naturally reserved and won’t demand attention or recognition.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate it.
They notice when you include them in team conversations.
They remember when you acknowledge their good work publicly.
They feel valued when you ask about their week or share a bit about yours.
And honestly, loyalty comes naturally to most offshore team members.
They want to stick with a good employer, build long-term relationships, and grow with your firm.
They’re giving you that loyalty from day one.
And they deserve that in return.
8. Bridge Cultural Gaps
Cultural differences in communication styles, conflict resolution, and workplace norms can create friction if left unaddressed.
For example, if you manage someone from the Philippines with blunt feedback, fast decisions, and a speak-up-if-you-disagree approach…
It will come across as harsh and disrespectful, even if that’s not your intention.
Take time to learn about your team members’ cultures.
Read about communication styles in their country.
Ask them directly what they prefer in terms of management and feedback.
Be explicit about your expectations, because what’s “obvious” in your culture may not be in theirs.
For example, in North America, we value people who speak up and challenge ideas.
In the Philippines, that can be seen as disrespectful.
You need to create psychological safety for them to ask questions or admit confusion without feeling like they’re being difficult.
I recommend a tool like Officevibe to send anonymous surveys.
You don’t always have to keep things serious or work-focused either.
Sometimes the best way to bridge cultural gaps is just asking about everyday life in their country.
Once, I brought up rice cookers during a team call with my Filipino team members.
Yes, rice cookers.
(Filipinos eat rice with all three meals, so they’re really knowledgeable about rice cookers. 🙂)
They got so engaged talking about it.
It was a small thing, but it showed I was interested in their lives beyond work.
9. Invest in Proper Tools and Infrastructure
Offshore team members need the same quality tools as your onshore team members to deliver high-quality work efficiently and securely.
This should be obvious, but many firms try to cheap out here.
They’re saving more than 50% on labor costs with offshore hires.
But they refuse to spend $50/month on proper software licenses.
It makes no sense!
Just like your onshore team, your offshore team members need:
- Licenses for professional accounting software so they can perform accounting functions the same way your onshore team does.
- Project management tools to stay organized and track work.
- Secure VPN access to protect sensitive financial data when they’re logging into your systems.
- Reliable video conferencing platforms for meetings and screen sharing.
- Potentially stipends for internet upgrades if their connection isn’t reliable enough.
Data security is especially critical here.
Your offshore team is accessing sensitive financial data for your clients.
They need the proper infrastructure to do that safely.
Skimping on tools to save money will cost you far more in lost productivity, security breaches, and frustrated team members who can’t do their jobs effectively.
Again, you’re already saving thousands of dollars per year on labor costs…
Don’t blow that advantage by forcing your team to work with subpar tools!
Give them what they need to succeed, and they will.
It’s Time to Start Building a Skilled Global Accounting Team
That’s a wrap!
Building an offshore accounting team isn’t as simple as posting a job and hoping for the best, but when done right, it can transform how your firm operates.
If you’re still on the fence, pick one non-client-facing role and test it out.
You’ll learn fast whether offshore hiring fits your firm.
Now, I’d like to hear from you.
What did I miss?
Are there other challenges or best practices you’ve experienced with offshore teams that I didn’t cover?
Let me know in the comments!
