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5 Essential Traits to Look for in Accounting and Finance Candidates

Every company needs someone on the team with a keen eye for accounting, finance, and related tasks. When a business’s job is to make money, talented financial professionals are essential in tracking the business’s success. Here are the top invaluable traits these candidates offer.

  1. Attention to Detail. Accounting and finance demands the ability to pay attention to the details in all types of financial transactions, business decisions, and in often complex tax and business paperwork. Look for candidates whose applications are impeccable and who can provide a clear, straightforward response to behavioral interview questions like “tell us about a time your attention to detail was crucial to a project.”
  2. Communication. Finance fields are highly specialized, and professionals in the industry are often privy to information that the rest of a businesses’ team may not know of. Top finance candidates will be able to explain what they do clearly, utilizing terms that nonfinancial professionals can understand and use.
  3. Client/Company Focus. Not all jobs are eight-to-five, clock-punching positions. Professionals who work in accounting and finance know that at certain times of the year or in the face of a crisis, they’re called upon to focus their attention entirely on the business or the client. They make this sacrifice because it is a necessary part of the job – even if it means leaving the occasional personal plans hanging.
  4. Integrity and Confidentiality. Because accounting and finance team members are responsible for tracking and planning the business’s funds and their use, their integrity in handling money matters and their willingness to keep information confidential is a must. Assess this trait in candidates by asking questions like “tell us about a time your integrity or honesty was threatened. What did you do?”
  5. Accountability. Accountability matters at all levels of a company. When it comes to the accounting and finance department, that accountability means holding these professionals to their word and to their work. Without a strong sense of responsibility for the work they produce, accounting and finance professionals do not provide the strong backing that the company needs to make its plans for the future.

At ExecuTeam, our experienced recruiters can help you find the accounting and finance professionals your company needs to thrive in 2016 and beyond. Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services in the Gulf Coast region.

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ExecuTeam Staffing is now The Reserves Network!

ExecuTeam is excited to announce that we have adopted the name and brand of The Reserves Network, effective May 1, 2023.