Bringing in a new employee can be tough. From the interview process to the on-boarding process and then getting him or her up to speed on your business, it takes a lot of time, energy, and money to bring on a new employee. Knowing this, it’s important that you get the right candidate, especially when it comes to a position as vital to the health of your company as finances. Without the right financial team, many of the basic tasks of running a business could be unnecessarily difficult. So to make sure this doesn’t happen to your company, here are three tips for making sure you hire the right person to your financial team.
Look For Passion Over Immediate Technical Skills
If someone is applying for a financial position within your company, chances are they’re going to have at least the basic skills necessary to complete the tasks associated with the job. And even if they don’t have those exact necessary skills outlined in your job description, many of those skills or techniques can easily be learned with a little time and effort. However, one thing that isn’t as easily learned is passion. According to Cliff Johnson, a contributor to Forbes.com, it’s often more beneficial to you to hire someone who’s passionate about the position or the company than someone who simply has all the required skills. Their passion will translate into various areas of their job and make them an invaluable addition to your team.
Consider Their “Soft Skills” As Well
Along with having the right skills to do the work set forth for them, Marci Martin, a contributor to Business News Daily, reminds us that it’s also important to hire someone who has the right “soft skills” as well. Skills that make someone naturally easy to work with, like communication skills or interpersonal skills, are generally to be thought of as “soft skills”. And while these skills often aren’t given the clout that skills learned through traditional education are given, without these soft skills, it can be hard to work with someone even if they have all the financial skills you could possibly want. For this reason, make sure you take the time during the interview process to make sure some important soft skills exist for your candidate.
Be Wary Of The Resume
While a resume is a great way to see the work experience of a job candidate, it also isn’t something that you should completely trust. Dona DeZube, a contributor to Monster.com, shares that it’s fairly easy to make a small amount of experience appear to be much more than it actually was. And while this is great for job candidates, this isn’t ideal for hiring teams. With this in mind, make sure to ask your financial team candidate about their experience so you can get a better feel for the true extent that their resume reflects their knowledge and expertise.
If you’re considering hiring someone new to your finance team, use the tips mentioned above to ensure you choose the best candidate for your company.
