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Regardless of the size of your organization, hiring well means connecting the right person with the correct opportunity. It means letting go of trying to find the “perfect” candidate and understanding what success actually looks like in the role. To increase your chances of bringing the right person on board here are 5 must do’s when hiring finance and accounting professionals.
Must Do #1: Must Have Vs Nice to Have
Connect with the stakeholders most affected by the hiring. Create a list of hard and soft skills necessary for success. Consider the types of personality traits that have led to a strong performance in the role in the past. Once a broad list has been created, separate the skills into “must haves” and “nice to haves.” This step will help streamline the hiring process as it will create efficiency when sorting resumes and deciding who to interview.
Must Do #2: Consider the Level of the Resource
There are key differences between hiring an intermediate resource versus a more senior one. For example, technical skills may be of higher importance when looking to bring a junior resource (or contract worker) on board, while a senior resource may need additional leadership qualities including strong communication skills and big picture thinking. That being said, evaluating someone’s motivation and coachability are fundamental to a successful hire regardless of level.
Resource: To gauge someone’s motivation in an interview ask these questions.
Must Do #3: Team Dynamics
Yes, evaluating a prospective candidate’s technical skill set is important, but of greater importance is how your new hire might fit with your existing team. Do a careful evaluation of team dynamics. Consider:
- How people interact with each other
- The strengths and weaknesses of each member of your team
- Need for complementary skill sets
Resource: Download this resource to get a scorecard that will help you evaluate your finance team, and read this article to get tips on improving team dynamics.
Must Do #4: Evaluate Track Record
Success breeds success. When looking at a prospective hire’s LinkedIn profile or resume, make sure to look for specific accomplishments that parallel your role’s needs. Look, as well, for signs of progression. Successful hires make strategic career choices. During the interview make sure to ask the candidate to connect a specific skill to an accomplishment that helped advance their team and organization’s goals.
Resource: Watch this video to learn how changing one phase in your hiring process could dramatically improve the results.
Must Do #5: Build a Scorecard
Before you interview a candidate, it is important to create a scorecard based on your evaluation of the role’s needs and team dynamics. Ensure that each person involved in the interview process uses the scorecard. This will inject objectivity into the process and help minimize bias. It will also help create consensus when it comes to choosing a candidate.
Key Takeaways
There are 5 must do’s when hiring finance and accounting professionals. Make sure to separate the “must haves” from the “nice to haves.” Assess team dynamics and your prospective candidate’s track record of success. Consider the level of the resource you need when ranking skills necessary to drive the outcomes you expect. Try to inject objectivity into the process by building an interview scorecard. Following the 5 tips above will help you to land the kind of talent that fits in with your team and delivers for your organization.
Your Next Step
No one should walk the job search or hiring road alone. At Clarity Recruitment we help others realize their success through a process that marries proprietary technology with unwavering commitment. Contact us today to take control of your career, or to partner with us to hire well.
Clarity Recruitment, connecting exceptional people with remarkable companies.