Over the last 2-years+ I have come across some very talented Finance folks who have been forced to the employment sidelines as a result of mergers, corporate bankruptcy, or in most cases, downsizing at their respective companies. I have also had a chance to interview some of these same candidates and have come across what appeared to be some very good and talented individuals….at least on paper. However, in a number of cases, I have seen a drastic divergence between the skillset that is shown on a resume and the application of those skills in an everyday environment. The more I talk with companies about the hiring of Finance talent, the more I see a challenge for companies to really look beyond a resume and qualify those who need to quantify.
A good example is the candidate that has come from an Audit background, has large company experience ($1 billion+) and is on the job hunt. You receive dozens of resumes and all seem to be very well qualified at first review:
· CPA
· Good company history & tenure
· Summaries about efficiencies & controls.
· Recommended by a trusted recruiter
· Interviews well with the team
So you finally make your choice and extend an offer to the Controller behind door #1. Great, that opening is now filled and you can check the box. Wrong. This is where there is often a divergence between the skillsets that are presented by a candidate and the actual application in an everyday environment, as well as their ability to effectively function with the rest of the staff. Have you just hired the candidate that you really wanted, a partner, collaborator, and someone that will help drive value for the company, or a candidate that will just create busy work and consume the time & resources of those around them? So what am I really talking about at this point….?
· Is your new hire someone that would be inclined to zero in on a expense report form when there is no issue with the travel spend?
· Is your new hire someone that wants to keep information silo’d and on a need to know basis because it’s “not your function”.
· Is your new hire someone that wants to put in controls and processes that are only effective in a large company environment with larger staff?
· Does your candidate understand the differences between working in a large company environment vs. a micro-cap or small privately held?
· Does your candidate really have the ability to work effectively with others when the daily regiment really does mean “being in the trenches everyday”?
This is where I tend to believe that many financial professionals, while accomplished and credentialed, really do not have a handle on the dynamic between their knowledge base and it’s application in the environment that they are potentially hiring into. That most candidates have not put forward the proper effort to not only run a diagnostic on the company, but one on themselves to truly understand their skillset and what they can offer a prospective employer. There is also the difficulty posed to the prospective employer when they need to qualify those who quantify. Show in the interview that you can deliver value, as you’ll be expected to do daily….
Thanks for reading . . . .
Jeffrey Ishmael
