How to Find the Right Finance and Accounting Interim Staff

When organizations consider filling interim resource staffing needs, two words may apply: layered and coordinated. The hiring process entails more than placing an order with a staffing provider and hoping for the best; instead, it demands thoughtful consideration and consensus among decision makers about the totality of the role and the attributes needed by the eventual hire. For instance, technical skill set typically stays top of mind when seeking a strategic resource consulting professional for an interim finance and accounting project. However, soft skills may help the interim professional integrate and interact with the organization’s existing groups, especially with long-term assignments. Recognizing the layers of experience and skill required for the position is a crucial step, one that is sometimes overlooked without effective coordination between leaders and internal stakeholders.This article takes a deep dive into key topics, including the identification of essential attributes for the position, the importance of aligning decision makers, and the strategic questions that may help pinpoint the most suitable candidate.

How Can Organizations Clarify the Interim Staffing Role?

Interim finance and accounting jobs vary widely in scope. An organization might need someone to fill a critical executive role for either a short-term or long-term assignment. Staffing gaps may occur suddenly, requiring immediate action, or they may involve planned absences or departures. Professionals might be needed for occasional work, special projects, long-term assignments, or ongoing work, depending on the organization’s finance and accounting obligations.

So how can an organization best prepare itself to find the right professional? When scoping out the interim finance and accounting professional’s role, define the following elements of the assignment:

• General details, including length of the assignment, location (on-site, remote, or hybrid), and the importance of cultural fit.

• Tasks and responsibilities, including the ability to lead teams of other finance and accounting professionals, time management, project management, adaptability, and technical skills and experience with accounting software.

• Finance and accounting functions, including gathering and analyzing the organization’s financial data, preparing financial reports, managing month-end and year-end closes, and preparing tax returns.

Gaining clear insights before attempting to locate a finance and accounting professional is critical. Without a well-defined roadmap, the hiring process may take unexpected turns that potentially result in hiring someone who is not the right fit for the role.

Uncovering Key Attributes for the Interim Staffing Resources

As an organization begins reviewing applicants for interim finance and accounting positions, decision makers can concentrate on questions that align with the scope and breadth of the assignment and help assess the candidate in several key areas:

Technical Skills and Experience

Finance and accounting jobs typically require technical experience, but the level of experience and knowledge required varies based on the skill set needed for the job.

• What kind of technical experience does the candidate have?
• Do they have specific knowledge of or experience with the organization’s current software?
• Have they been trained on other types of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems?

Adaptability and Project Management

Certain nontechnical skills may be necessary, regardless of the assignment’s other parameters.

• Does the job require the candidate to switch between projects with little warning?
• Will the candidate feel comfortable managing multiple projects?
• Does the candidate have the experience to be flexible in the face of inevitable change?
• How will the candidate approach tight deadlines without compromising the quality of their work?

Cultural Fit and Communication

Successful interaction with the existing team often hinges on cultural fit, particularly when the new hire takes on a leadership role. In contrast, personal compatibility may be less essential in roles where technical and accounting skill sets outweigh the need for softer skills. Additionally, the interim hire may need to adapt their current methods of communication to better align with the organization’s internal communication style. When assessing softer skills, consider the organization’s current culture and how a new hire can be effectively integrated by considering:

• What type of environment inspires the candidate to be most productive?
• What important values does the candidate look for in an organization?
• How does the candidate prefer to communicate with management and team members?
• Ask for an example of how they have adjusted their communication style for different situations or audiences.

Motivation and Goals

Even for an interim position, especially for a lengthy assignment, it is important to identify candidates whose incentives and objectives align with or complement the organization’s. Asking questions such as the following could help reveal deeper information about the candidate:

• What type of projects is the candidate particularly enthusiastic about working on?
• How do they stay motivated when faced with obstacles or setbacks?
• When thinking of taking on a new role, what factors are most important to the candidate?
• Ask for an example of at least one goal the candidate set and how they achieved it.

Is Your Organization Leveraging the Full Potential of Interim Staffing?

Unpredictability seems a constant in today’s ever-evolving business environment. When faced with gaps in critical finance and accounting functions, decision makers can leverage interim staff to transform challenges into opportunities.

Copyright © 2025 BDO USA, P.C. All rights reserved. www.bdo.com