Finance Apprenticeships: a scrappy but structured approach to hiring junior talent

Why Startups Need a Scalable Approach to Junior Finance Talent

When your company hits its first milestones, the financial administration that was once manageable starts to consume your calendar. The reality for most pre-seed to Series B startups is more pragmatic: there is no dedicated finance team. Instead, a founder or head of operations finds themselves spending 5-10 hours a week on bookkeeping, payroll, and expense management. This drain on strategic time becomes unsustainable. This guide outlines how to hire entry level finance staff for startups, creating a scalable solution that builds talent in-house long before hiring a full-time controller becomes feasible.

This problem typically crystallizes when you cross the $1M ARR threshold, grow beyond 15 employees, or begin preparing for a Series A or B fundraise. The thought of hiring a seasoned controller, with a typical salary of $120k+, is often premature. The solution is a structured approach to developing junior finance talent. For a broader view of team sequencing, see our Building Your Finance Team hub.

The Startup 'Finance Apprenticeship' Model Explained

The startup 'finance apprenticeship' is not a formal, government-regulated program. If you need a formal option, US employers can explore the Registered Apprenticeship program. Instead, this is a scrappy but structured approach to on-the-job training for early career finance roles. The goal is to build an in-house asset, someone who grows with the company, rather than outsourcing to a fractional service that remains external and lacks deep business context.

Value Proposition: Cost-Effective Capability

This model is built on a compelling value proposition: achieving 80% of the operational output for less than 50% of the cost of a senior hire. It provides dedicated support for high-volume tasks, freeing up leadership to focus on strategy. Professional bodies have documented the business benefits of accounting apprentices, and these advantages are amplified in a resource-constrained startup environment. By developing junior finance talent internally, you create a pipeline, ensure continuity, and embed financial discipline into your operations from an early stage.

Key Triggers: When to Hire an Entry-Level Finance Professional

This strategy becomes viable when key business triggers are met. Committing to this hire too early creates unnecessary overhead, while waiting too long leads to costly financial disorganization. The most common indicators are:

• Crossing $1M in ARR: The volume of transactions in your accounting software, whether QuickBooks for US companies or Xero for UK startups, now justifies a dedicated resource.
• Founder Time Drain: A founder or key operator is spending more than five hours a week on financial administration. This is a clear signal that their time is being misallocated.
• Team Growth: The team grows to 15 or more employees, increasing the complexity of payroll, expenses, and benefits administration.
• Fundraising Preparation: You are preparing for a Series A or B fundraise, which requires clean, auditable financials and robust data integrity.

At this stage, the volume of work justifies a dedicated hire, but the strategic complexity does not yet demand a seasoned controller. This model directly addresses the common pain point of high turnover among early-career staff by offering a clear growth path and meaningful work.

What Does This Role Actually Do? A 90-Day Plan for Onboarding Junior Finance Professionals

One of the biggest concerns for founders is what tasks can be safely delegated without creating a bigger mess. A tiered 90-day plan is essential for onboarding junior finance professionals. It should start with high-volume, low-risk activities and gradually introduce more sensitive tasks as the new hire builds competence and trust.

First 30 Days: Tier 1 - Core Operations

The initial focus is on the repetitive, foundational tasks that consume the most time. The goal is mastery of the basics and understanding the flow of financial data through the company.

• Accounts Payable (AP): Processing vendor invoices in a system like Bill.com. For a SaaS company, this is often managing software subscriptions. For a deeptech firm, it might involve invoices for lab equipment or components, ensuring they are coded to the correct R&D project.
• Accounts Receivable (AR): Sending payment reminders for outstanding client invoices. In an e-commerce business using Shopify and Stripe, this could involve reconciling payouts and flagging chargebacks. For a professional services firm, it means tracking project-based invoices.
• Expense Reports: Reviewing employee expense submissions in tools like Ramp or Expensify. This means ensuring a receipt is attached for a team lunch or that a travel expense is coded correctly according to company policy.

Days 30-90: Tier 2 - Supporting the Month-End Close

After mastering core operations, the apprentice begins to support more critical financial processes under strict supervision. The pattern we see across SaaS and Deeptech clients is consistent: this is where the real value starts to emerge.

• Bank Reconciliations: This is a critical step for an accurate close. Using the reconciliation tools in QuickBooks or Xero, the apprentice can match transactions. However, an oversight requirement is non-negotiable: you must review 100% of their bank reconciliation work for the first two months to prevent costly bookkeeping errors.
• Credit Card Coding: They can categorize transactions from platforms like Brex and Ramp, ensuring expenses align with the chart of accounts. This disciplined coding is vital for accurate financial reporting and budgeting.
• Payroll Support: They can gather necessary data, like bonuses or commissions, to prepare for a payroll run in Gusto or Rippling. They should not have final approval to execute payroll, but their preparatory work saves significant senior time.

Beyond 90 Days: Tier 3 - Evolving Responsibilities

As they demonstrate reliability, their role can expand to include more analytical tasks. This progression is key to retaining and developing junior finance talent.

• Basic Reporting: Pulling standard reports from accounting software, like a Profit & Loss or Aged Receivables report, for management review.
• Vendor Management: Acting as the first point of contact for vendor queries about payments.
• Data Entry: Assisting with data entry for financial models or cap table software under the guidance of a founder or fractional CFO.

How to Set Up Entry-Level Finance Staff for Success

Providing effective oversight without it defeating the purpose of the hire is the central challenge. The solution is not constant supervision but a 'system of oversight' built on three pillars: checklists, modern tooling, and a structured review cadence. This approach provides the guardrails necessary to de-risk delegation while empowering your new hire.

1. Implement Checklists and Templates: Systemize routine processes, especially the month-end close. A simple checklist in a shared document ensures no step is missed, from bank reconciliations to revenue recognition under US GAAP or FRS 102. This reduces reliance on one person's memory and creates a documented process you can audit. See our guide on the skills matrix for templates.
2. Leverage Modern Tooling as a Guardrail: Modern finance tools have built-in controls that are perfect for training finance apprentices. Use Bill.com for AP approvals so no payment goes out without your review. Set spending limits and category restrictions in Brex or Ramp. Configure Gusto or Rippling with view-only permissions for payroll data gathering. These workflows prevent mistakes before they happen. For more, see our overview of finance team tools.
3. Establish a Structured Review Cadence: The schedule should be front-loaded to build a strong foundation. We recommend daily check-ins for the first week, twice-weekly for the first month, then weekly thereafter. The required founder time investment for training is typically 3-5 hours per week for the first month, tapering to 1-2 hours per week by month three. This dedicated time is a direct investment in building a reliable internal resource.

Finding the Right Profile: Attitude Over Aptitude

When hiring entry-level finance staff, especially for an apprenticeship model, prioritizing core traits over a long list of accounting credentials is far more effective. A candidate with the right attitude can be trained on the technical specifics of your business, whereas a candidate with technical skills but a poor work ethic will undermine continuity. This focus on fit is crucial for combating high turnover.

Four Essential Traits for Early-Career Finance Roles

• Detail-Orientation: Finance is a game of precision. Small errors in bookkeeping can compound into significant issues during an audit or fundraise. You need someone who naturally double-checks their work.
• Problem-Solving Skills: You need someone with a 'figure-it-out' quotient. They should be able to independently troubleshoot issues, like a transaction that will not reconcile, before escalating them.
• High Sense of Ownership: The best candidates take pride in the accuracy and timeliness of their work. They see the financial records as a reflection of their own diligence.
• Inherent Curiosity: A desire to understand *why* a process exists, not just how to execute it, is a strong indicator of future growth potential. They will ask questions that help improve your systems over time.

Interview Techniques to Identify the Right Candidate

Move beyond standard interview questions to test for these traits directly. Use practical assessments drawn from our interview questions guide.

• To assess detail-orientation: Provide a sample spreadsheet with a deliberate error, such as a formula that has been replaced with a hardcoded number. Ask them to review it and see if they spot the inconsistency.
• To gauge problem-solving: Give them a practical case study. For example: 'A customer says they were over-billed by $50. Walk me through the exact steps you'd take to investigate.' Their process matters more than the answer.

Platforms like Handshake are excellent resources for finding motivated, early-career talent from diverse backgrounds. For UK employers, government guidance outlines potential funding options for apprenticeships, which can make the hire even more accessible.

The Primary Trade-Off: An Investment, Not a Quick Fix

The most critical distinction to understand is that the apprenticeship model is an investment, not a quick fix. It requires a dedicated, front-loaded commitment of founder or senior leadership time for training and oversight. This is the primary trade-off. If you are not prepared to invest 3-5 hours per week in the first month, this model will likely fail, exposing the company to the very errors you hoped to avoid.

In-House Talent vs. Outsourced Bookkeeping

Compared to outsourcing to a fractional bookkeeping service, this approach demands more initial engagement. An outsourced firm can start immediately with minimal onboarding. However, the return on the apprenticeship model is a dedicated, in-house team member who understands your business context deeply. They learn the nuances of your revenue streams, vendor relationships, and operational challenges. You are not just buying a service; you are building a long-term asset and creating a structured recruitment pipeline for future finance hires. The time to value is clear, as this investment pays off in 6-12 months through improved data quality, founder leverage, and a more scalable finance function. It is a strategic choice to build capability rather than simply delegate tasks.

Practical Takeaways

For founders navigating the transition from managing finances themselves to building a team, the apprenticeship model offers a pragmatic path forward. If you are a post-seed startup with over $1M in ARR or are consistently losing more than five hours a week to financial admin, it is time to seriously consider this hire.

Success hinges on a structured approach. Begin with a clear 90-day plan that delegates tasks in tiers, starting with core operations before moving to month-end support. Implement a system of oversight using checklists and the approval workflows in your existing tools like QuickBooks, Xero, and Ramp. Finally, when hiring, prioritize attitude over aptitude. Test for detail-orientation and problem-solving skills to find a candidate who can grow with you.

This model requires an upfront investment of your time, but the payoff is a reliable, in-house finance function that scales. As your company grows, this role will evolve, eventually reporting to a finance lead at the Series B stage and beyond, forming the foundation of your future finance team. Continue the planning cycle in our Building Your Finance Team hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between a finance apprentice and a finance intern?
A: A finance apprentice is typically a full-time, permanent hire focused on operational tasks with a long-term development path. An intern is a temporary, short-term role, often project-based and tied to an academic calendar. The apprenticeship model is about building a foundational team member, not temporary support.

Q: How much should I pay an entry-level finance hire?
A: Compensation varies by location, but a competitive salary for an entry-level finance or accounting associate in a startup environment typically falls between $50k and $70k in major US tech hubs, or £25k and £35k in the UK. This represents a significant saving compared to a senior hire.

Q: Can this model work for a fully remote startup?
A: Yes, but it requires more deliberate structure. With a remote apprentice, clear documentation, regular video check-ins, and the use of collaborative, cloud-based finance tools are non-negotiable. The 'system of oversight' with checklists and software controls becomes even more critical to ensure success and provide adequate support.

Q: At what point do I hire a senior controller to manage the junior staff?
A: Typically, you hire a Financial Controller when the business is approaching a Series B fundraise, has 50+ employees, or faces complex challenges like multi-entity accounting, international operations, or detailed financial planning and analysis (FP&A). At that point, your junior hire becomes a core asset for the new controller.