This article shares insights from a CFO hiring specialist, focusing on the subtle factors that impact CFO selection. This article explains why we call some traits as invisible.
๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ญ Resource Bridge India, I recently shared my observations on the ‘invisible’ qualities that emerged from two CFO interviews. [link]๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, particularly around why certain traitsโlike pausing, asking clarifying questions, or ‘reading the room’โare labelled as ‘invisible’ when they seem quite apparent.
That set us thinking to refine and put our observations to executable use.
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ฌ:
๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ โ ๐๐ซ๐-๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ: These are known beforehand, such as education, achievements, or discreet reference checks. They’re clearly visible in the CV and our accompanying two-page note, which provides insights into behavioural and cultural markers.
๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ โ ๐๐ง-๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ: These are traits the interviewer perceives within the first or last few minutes, like presence, politeness, language, and chemistry.
๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: These traits surface only with probing questions or unexpected challenges. For instance, how a candidate handles offbeat queries, gathers their thoughts, asks clarifying questions, or remains calm under pressure. These subtle behaviours often demonstrate maturity, leadership, and respect, which are crucial to assess in the selection process for a successful hire.
Traits like reading the room, crispness, pausing, and the ability to handle unexpected questions reveal underlying qualities that may not be immediately apparent but are vital for assessing a candidateโs true potential strengths or flag potential dysfunctionalities.
๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ, ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ.
Happy reading!
Article by
Co-founder and CFO lead at Resource bridge
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