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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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Liam Connolly
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Liam Connolly

Senior Consultant

​Liam Connolly brings over a decade of varied recruitment experience to Sharp Consultancy, where he has been an invaluable team member for the past six years. After completing a three-year stint at Wakefield College studying Sports Science, Liam transitioned from an Accounts Assistant role at Yorkshire Auto Trader to the marketing side of the business.

It was in 2010 that his recruitment journey truly began, navigating sectors such as Office Support, Sales and Marketing, before ultimately specialising in Accountancy and Finance.

Since August 2018, Liam has specialised in recruiting for permanent transactional-level finance roles across West Yorkshire, from admin to management level positions including Credit Control, Accounts Assistant, Purchase Ledger, Sales Ledger, and Payroll.

Described by friends as funny, competitive, and resilient, Liam brings a dynamic and engaging personality to his professional and personal life.

A devoted Manchester United fan, he spends much of his free time watching football with his teenage son or cheering on him during junior football matches around Yorkshire. Beyond football, Liam enjoys a variety of sports, is an avid film enthusiast, and loves taking long walks with his little dog and best mate, Benji.

Through his commitment, expertise, and passion for both work and play, Liam Connolly exemplifies the qualities that make him a trusted partner for clients and candidates alike.

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    ​Liam was very professional, knew exactly what I wanted. Wasn't pushy at all (which I had experienced with other recruitment agencies).

    Charlene
    Charlene
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    Absolute pleasure working with Liam Connolly! He helped me secure my role at JMG and helped me navigate the whole process with the best insights and advice!

    Shiza Ahmed
    Shiza Ahmed
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    ​I would rate your service as 10 due to Liam's help and guidance throughout the process. I have never gone through a recruitment agency before so I was unsure what to expect but Liam was extremely helpful. I would absolutely recommend your services and Liam in particular.

    Faye
    Faye
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    Liam Connolly has been amazing throughout my experience of finding a job. From the initial interview to finally securing my job. He has helped ease my anxiety in finding a new job and attending the interview.

    Maadiyah
    Maadiyah
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    I would recommend Sharp to colleagues. My previous company was very difficult to work around at times. Liam would call late and early, organise meeting and interviews around this particularly difficult schedule; and throughout, kept a balance of professionalism and friendliness which made the entire process feel easy and manageable. I couldn’t recommend Sharp Consultancy and in particular Liam Connolly highly enough.

    Oliver
    Oliver
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    I couldn't fault the recruiting service; the whole team was lovely since the first day we had a meeting. Liam then came to me with this opportunity and I managed to secure two jobs and start 1 in the space of less than 2 weeks. I also had other job offers and I spoke to Liam about it and we went thought the advantages and disadvantages of both jobs without him being biased and I’m so happy with the decision I made after that.

    Sophie
    Sophie