Three ways a contract accountant can simplify the financial placement process

As a human resources professional, people often assume you have the power of divination. Every time a new position in the company needs to be filled, you’re expected to somehow wade through hundreds of CVs in a matter of days, vet them and find a pool of suitable candidates from which to interview. Then, of course, once that’s been completed, you’re supposed to magically know which of the many applicants – all of whom claim to be qualified, hard working, team players and good at conflict resolution — is the right one for the job.

Even if you started off with a level playing field, that task would be difficult. But then you add the extra complication that almost half of the applicants have included some sort of lie on their CV, and it becomes almost impossible.

According to a survey reported on by undercoverrecruiter.com:
• 46% of resumes submitted by job applicants contain some form of false information. Almost three quarters (70%) of college students who responded said they would lie on their CV in order to get a job.
• 27% of applicants give false references on a CV
• 40% claimed to be earning higher than they were.
• 21% of applicants state fraudulent degrees.

How does one understand the best qualifications for the job, get a feel for an applicant’s personality and simultaneously sort through these layers of deception, especially when hiring for a technical position such as finance? At the Finance Team, we suggest that you take your time and perform all the necessary steps to ensure you have found the right candidate. However as the human resources professional you will be faced with the business challenge of having a role vacant in the organization and having to respond to this gap. It’s here that bringing on a contract accountant to assist in the business is critical, but they can also successfully assist you in seeking out and finding the correct full time candidate.

Your initial reaction to this may be skepticism. After all, a contract accountant is a technically-qualified individual, not so? But, in our opinion, this is one of the reasons it’s a good idea to have their input.
Here are three ways a contract accountant can simplify the recruitment process for you.

1. A contract accountant understands what qualifications will practically be a good fit for the role. A while ago, an accountant friend of mine was helping to hire a replacement for her role. She was frustrated by the lack of suitable candidates she was interviewing. One of the problems, she said, was that her recruitment agency was screening for Chartered Accountants only. “I personally think someone with a CIMA qualification would do just as well in the role,” she said. And surely she would know best, having functioned successfully in the role for a number of years! The agency was narrowing down the hiring pool unnecessarily. Your contract accountant will help you avoid missing your best candidate by ensuring you interface with all those who are suitably qualified.
2. A contract accountant can vet for resume falsifications more easily than you can. Have you ever wondered if a person’s CV sounds too good to be true, but you have no way of finding out? What might be an impossible task is fairly doable for a finance professional. They can ask the candidate a few technical questions, or give them a mock financial report to work through. In so doing, they’ll quickly determine whether the applicant’s knowledge is where they are pitching it.
3. A contract accountant can help you determine the most useful skillset/qualification grouping. Most jobs don’t just require ‘a CA’ or ‘someone with experience on SAP’; they require a combination of a qualification and certain work experience. In each case, one thing is more important than another. In some jobs, the formal qualification trumps everything else. In others, years of on-the-job experience in a certain area is the most important thing. Without practical experience in the position, it’s impossible to for you to know the nuances of the requirement. Your contract accountant, who has spent years in similar roles however, will.

Bringing on a contract accountant will help you better vet CVs and qualifications, and understand the requirement for the role you’re filling. Contact The Finance Team to get in touch with a professional who can provide you with short-term assistance. With such a person at your side, you’re more likely to achieve that ‘magical’ expectation of finding the perfect candidate for your finance job.