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​5 Red Flags to Avoid When Hiring Finance Professionals

​Here at Sharp Consultancy, we know just how important it is to hire the right person-not just in terms of experience, but also personality and overall fit within your business.Getting this wrong can be costly, not only financially, but in terms of time and effort spent on onboarding and training someone who ultimately might not work out.To help avoid this, Soraya Downing has put together 5 key red flags to watch out for when reviewing CVs or interviewing finance candidates: 1. Vague or General Responses A genuinely interested candidate will come to job interviews prepared with detailed answers that clearly link their experience and skills to the role they’re applying for. If their responses are vague or lacking depth, it can be a sign that they haven’t taken the time to prepare—or worse, they’re not truly engaged with the opportunity.Ideally, you want to hear specific examples backed up with figures or results. ​​It’s worth noting that bad answer doesn’t always mean the candidate isn’t prepared or doesn’t have the required experience, it could be that your question is confusing and needs rephrasing.For example, asking “Can you walk me through your main responsibilities in your most recent role, particularly those related to [payroll/management reporting/credit control/etc.]?” is likely to generate more specific and useful answers than a vague question like “Tell me about your most recent role.”​Try practising your question on a colleague or someone you manage and see if they struggle to answer. They will be able to help you scrutinise the question and suggest better wording or elaboration to avoid any confusion.If you require support with conducting job interviews or creating targeted interview questions, we’re always happy to help. With a team of over 25 consultants who each specialise within different areas of finance and accountancy recruitment, we’ve interviewed thousands of candidates — and we know what works. 2. Inconsistent Career HistoryWe fully support career moves—most of the time, they signal progression and ambition, which is great to see. However, when a CV shows a pattern of short-term employments with no solid explanation, or recurring reasons for leaving, this can indicate potential issues with commitment, adaptability, or performance.There can be many reasons why a candidate has several short-term roles on their CV. For example, they could have completed several temporary or short-term interim contracts without making this clear on their CV or they may have experienced a series of redundancies beyond their control. Always dig a little deeper in these cases, they may be acceptably explained but there could also be something bigger at play.When you engage with us as your recruitment partner, we will never put forward a candidate that hasn’t been fully vetted and their career history and suitability examined. We will have all already done the ‘deep digging’, so all short-term roles and employment gaps are explained to you from the get-go. It takes the guesswork out of the process and saves you valuable time. 3. Poor Communication SkillsIt’s natural for candidates to be a little nervous in interviews, but for senior finance roles in particular, strong communication is non-negotiable. If someone consistently gives vague answers, struggles to explain their experience, or avoids eye contact, it could raise concerns about how they’ll present to stakeholders or collaborate across teams. At this level, you’re looking for clear, confident communication—even under pressure.​If you’re unsure about a candidate’s communication skills, especially in a senior finance role, consider including a short task or second-stage interview focused on presenting or explaining a topic. For example, ask them to walk you through a recent financial project or prepare a brief summary of how they’d present key financials to non-finance stakeholders. This gives you a clearer sense of how they structure information, handle questions, and communicate under mild pressure. When you engage with us we’ll work with you to understand whether a candidate’s communication style will align with your specific team dynamics and stakeholder environment—something that is key to a successful long-term hire but often overlooked.​4. Lack of Curiosity or InitiativeTop finance professionals are naturally curious and proactive. They’re the ones who suggest improvements to systems or processes without being asked. If a candidate shows no interest in how they can add value to your business and the role, or doesn’t ask questions during the interview, that could be a red flag that they’re more reactive than proactive.Sometimes that might be exactly what you are looking for, but other times, recognising this about a candidate early on could be your saving grace in hiring someone unfit for the role in question.  5. No Signs of a Growth MindsetIf you’re hiring with the goal of developing someone long-term, look for signs they’re committed to personal and professional growth. This could be studying towards a qualification like ACCA, CIMA, or ACA or asking thoughtful questions about the business’s future.A lack of interest in development can often translate into a lack of long-term engagement to the role and your company. Even when not looking for a long-term hire, a candidate who exhibits no desire for their long-term career and growth can be a sign that they might not even stick it out for a shorter period of time.As your recruitment partner, it really helps to understand what you want out of a hire. Don’t be shy in telling us what skills and qualities you want and don’t want a new employee to have for the role you are hiring for. If you give us as much information about the role and the company as possible, we can then use this knowledge in our candidate selection process to only suggest candidates which have the necessary qualities you are looking for. Final Thoughts Sharp Consultancy has been recruiting finance professionals across Yorkshire for over 30 years. Our proven process allows us to spot these red flags early, helping our clients avoid costly hiring mistakes. By keeping the above points in mind, you’ll be in a much stronger position to hire the right finance talent for your team.If you're currently hiring, or planning to, and want to avoid the common pitfalls, we’d love to support you. From advising on interview strategy to identifying candidates with the right mix of skills and mindset, we’re here to make the process easier—and more successful.Soraya specialises in recruiting for permanent Part Qualified, Qualified by Experience and Qualified finance roles with salaries ranging from £30,000 to £50,000 across Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley, Worksop, Hull and the surrounding areas. Get in touch with Soraya today – sorayadowning@sharpconsultancy.com – 0114 261 1700 or SUBMIT A VACANCY.​

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​Why would you use Senior Interim Specialists to support your business

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Karen has over 20 years of recruitment of experience, including 18 years specialising within the Interim Accountancy and Finance sector, 10 of which she has spent at Sharp Consultancy.

We asked Karen for some insight into why so many clients and candidates trust us to get it right when needing an interim, and why organisations like yours should always consider using an Interim Specialist to support your business.

Are Interim Specialists Right for Your Business?

In the ever-changing landscape of accountancy and finance, interim specialists play an essential role in supporting organisations who need the right level of skills and experience, swiftly.

When might your organisation need an Interim Specialist?

  • Crisis – An unplanned gap in the team or an unexpected absence that needs attention ASAP

  • Change or Implementation – A process or period of change that creates a gap in the team, or a need for a specialist to lead new processes.

  • Specialist Projects – When embarking on projects of which you have no or little experience, interim experts can be hugely beneficial.

  • Long term planned absence – Gaps posed by long-term absences, such as maternity, sabbatical, secondment or similar can be navigated by using interim specialists.

  • Permanent hiring block– In this volatile economy, interim specialists give you the opportunity to trial a particular role within your organisation, enabling you to see if a hire will be crucial to your team’s success before employing a full-time specialist.

How do I hire an Interim Specialist?

First and foremost, at the centre of any hire is the person.

“Interim specialists are not the mercenary hires you may have been led to believe they might be! “

There is always a human element and that can present itself in many ways, whether that’s a delicate situation they are stepping into, or a team that needs to see a new addition as part of the collective. Interim specialists tend to come with the soft skills needed to bridge that gap quickly.

“To understand the interim market, I find you must live and breathe it. “

Our clients trust that we will not only find the right skillset, but also be able to work to the timescales they need, whilst utilising our extensive regional network and candidate pool to ensure the best fit.

Whilst there is an ever-growing range of nationally available candidates, the risk can far outweigh the reward if that candidate has not been met, interviewed, screened, and referenced. By strictly screening and knowing all of our candidates before they are introduced to a client, we ensure the fit is not just a generic one, but also a human one.

When I build an understanding of a candidate, I ask myself:
  • Can the candidate demonstrate the correct experience to succeed?

  • Will the team fit be right? Is the environment and culture a fit?

  • Are the expectations from both parties aligned?

Get this right and you are most likely to have a successful appointment.

I’ve spent years building strong relationships across both the client and candidate market. Not only do my candidates trust me, but my clients rely on me.

Remember

Some important things to remember when considering the benefits of interim specialists.

  • Costs – Whether it be short term, long term or on a fixed term contract, if you hire an interim, you know the cost and can budget effectively.

  • Commitment – Professional interim specialists will always have a duty of care, their reputation relies on it. If you hire for a specific project or period of time, you are very unlikely to not see completion, it’s just not in their nature.

  • Flexibility – If you don’t have the flexibility to respond to business-critical change in your existing team, Interim support gives you the ability to react quickly and efficiently.

  • Impact– One thing you can ensure when using an interim specialist is that they have seen plenty of different situations and environments, they will hit the ground running, and you won’t lose time with training, development, and on-boarding.

  • Skillset and expertise – If their experience says so, and they can demonstrate that they have, then they most likely can. Do you have that level of skillset within your current team? Or are you taking unnecessary risks by not utilising an interim specialist to bridge that gap?

  • Speed – From head count gaps, to notice period delays. If you need support, you probably need it now, and speed when hiring an interim specialist should not be taken lightly.

In Summary

The use of interim specialists should always be in your thoughts when planning or the unplanned occurs. Allowing your business and finance function to react quickly and effectively, by bringing in the right people at the right time, can make all the difference.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT UStoday and see how we can help.