This article shares insights from a CFO hiring specialist, focusing on the subtle factors that impact CFO selection. It offers practical tips for candidates to improve interview performance and stand out as leaders.
๐๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ
๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐โ๐ฏ๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ฌ.
Going forward, Iโll be sharing insights to help candidates and clients. In this article, Iโm exploring the role of invisibles in CFO selection, based on a recent mandate for a listed pharma firm.
The CEO interviewed two vetted CFO candidates.
๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ took ~35 minutes to introduce himself, was not reading the room, dominated the conversation, leaving the CEO unable to engage, resulting in rejection due to perceived lack of leadership.
๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐, on the other hand, created a two-way dialogue, kept testing at critical junctures on whether he should go deep on certain points, building trust and credibility, and the CEO left the room confident.
๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐๐.
In my experience, more senior the role, more is the importance attached to the leadership quotient or the invisibles.
๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ :
๐๐จโ๐ฌ
- โ๐๐ฐ๐งโ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งโ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ – be present in the conversation, influence at critical junctures
- ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ โ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐” – ask, clarify, test assumptions
- ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฌ – but if the conversation gets stuck at a point, guide it past that
- ๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ – to gather thoughts as well as enable others to put their thoughts together
๐๐ง๐, ๐๐จ๐งโ๐ญ’๐ฌ:
- ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฌ
- ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌโclarify when needed.
- ๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฌ (e.g., looking down, asking pointed questions) from the panel.
No matter how the interview goes, a good turnaround always brings credit, so dont lose the nerve if things seem to get rough
These are simple and quick to enumerate, but takes a lifetime to learn and refine!
Happy reading
Article by
Co-founder and CFO lead at Resource bridge
