Pexels Sora Shimazaki 5673502

​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.​

Read article
Scrabble tiles arranged to spell "update" on a rustic wooden table surface.
Search by
Search by blog tags
Luca Bravo 9l 326 Fi Szk Unsplash

Behind the Desk: Getting to Know Soraya Downing

For the second instalment of Behind the Desk, we’re catching up with Soraya Downing to hear all a...

Read more
P1000542 (1)

Sharp Consultancy's Salary Survey 2025/26: Resetting the Landscape: Strategic Shifts in Finance Recruitment

​It would be remiss not to start by addressing the elephant in the room — 2024 was a challenging ...

Read more
Lee

Sharp Consultancy's Salary Survey 2025/26: Resilience in the Face of Change: The Evolving Jobs Market by Lee Sweeney

​In last year’s commentary I said that a ‘degree of normality’ had returned to the economy and so...

Read more
Interface 3614766 1280

​Sharp Consultancy Salary Survey 2025/26: A Comprehensive Look at the Year Ahead in Finance Recruitment

We are pleased to unveil our Salary Survey 2025/26, offering an essential guide to the financial ...

Read more
Jess Bailey Q10 Vi Tr Vyum Unsplash

Behind the Desk: Getting to Know Daniel Williams

Behind the Desk: Getting to Know DanWelcome to the first instalment of Behind the Desk—a new ser...

Read more
Image 2025 04 17 T14 45 31

Why Meeting with Recruiters Can Significantly Boost Your Chances of Landing the Right Role

Why Meeting with Recruiters Can Significantly Boost Your Chances of Landing the Right Role.​​In t...

Read more
Tda Website

Celebrating National Careers Week - Tom Davage, Senior Consultant

​Following on in our celebration of National Careers Week, an annual event that aims to provide y...

Read more
Eleanor Kirk Photo   Copy

Celebrating National Careers Week - Eleanor Kirk, Consultant

This week mark’s National Careers Week (NCW), an annual event that aims to provide young people i...

Read more
Psychometric

THE VALUE OF PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS IN RECRUITMENT

For many organisations, psychometric tests play an essential role in the recruitment process. U...

Read more
Ian Schneider Tam Mbr4okv4 Unsplash

WHAT IS A ‘LIFE CHANGING CAREER MOVE’ AND HOW DO YOU SPOT ONE

​Just occasionally, though very rarely - so rarely that for many people it never happens - a life...

Read more
Sdp4688 0606 Bw

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACHIEVING A BETTER WORK LIFE BALANCE

​Achieving a better work life balance is a key consideration for many job seekers – Sharp Consult...

Read more
Sdp4688 1199

AS WE LAUNCH THE SHARP CONSULTANCY 2019/2020 SALARY SURVEY, REGIONAL DIRECTOR AARON PEPPERDAY TAKES A LOOK AT HOW HIGH DEMAND FOR TOP TALENT IS AFFECTING THE ACCOUNTANCY AND FINANCE SECTOR ACROSS THE REGION.

​Over the last 12 months we have witnessed candidate demand far outstripping supply across many a...

Read more
Sdp4688 0417 Bw

AS WE LAUNCH THE SHARP CONSULTANCY 2019/2020 SALARY SURVEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LEE SWEENEY REFLECTS ON THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS AND SHARES HIS VIEWS ON WHAT LIES AHEAD OVER THE COMING YEAR.

​Brexit. It’s never far from people’s thoughts. At the time of writing, we are still awaiting wha...

Read more