How to hire the right finance professional for your business
Building a high-performing finance team starts with one critical decision: knowing when and how to hire a finance professional who truly fits your stage of growth. Whether you’re navigating a funding round, scaling operations, or simply need sharper financial oversight, bringing in the right talent can transform your trajectory.
At Outsourced CFO, we work with founders and finance teams every day to match businesses with the talent they need – from interim finance consultants to permanent CFOs. In this guide, we’ll walk you through why hiring the right finance professional matters, what to look for, and how to approach the hiring process with confidence.
Why hiring a finance professional is a growth strategy
Finance isn’t just about managing numbers. It’s about equipping your business with the right data, systems, and people to scale. A skilled finance hire will not only help you stay compliant and organised, but they’ll also give you the real-time visibility needed to make smarter business decisions.
Hiring the right finance professional will:
- improve cash flow management and forecasting
- strengthen compliance and internal controls
- support funding readiness and investor confidence
- introduce scalable systems and reporting processes
- translate financial data into actionable insights
Whether you’re hiring your first in-house finance resource or strengthening your current team, the decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s about more than filling a gap – it’s about investing in future success.
What to look for when you hire a finance professional
A great finance hire brings more than technical skills to the table. You need someone who understands your industry, aligns with your company culture, and can grow with your business.
Here are the top qualities to prioritise when you hire a finance professional:
1. Technical proficiency
Look for strong experience in financial reporting, management accounts, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. Bonus points for candidates with audit or funding backgrounds.
2. Strategic mindset
A valuable finance professional knows how to connect the numbers to the bigger picture. They should be able to contribute to strategic conversations and help drive key business decisions.
3. Technology fluency
Finance is becoming more digital by the day. Your finance hire should be comfortable with modern cloud accounting platforms like Xero or Zoho Books, and understand how to automate workflows and reporting.
4. Strong communication skills
You need someone who can translate financial complexity into business insights – especially if your wider team isn’t financially trained.
5. Integrity and trustworthiness
Your finance hire will be handling sensitive information. Make sure they have a strong ethical foundation and references to back it up.
Common mistakes to avoid when hiring a finance professional
Many businesses wait too long before they hire a key finance professional – or they hire too quickly without the right process in place. Here are a few red flags to avoid:
- Hiring reactively when your books are already behind
- Overloading an accountant with strategic responsibilities
- Expecting a single hire to manage everything from bookkeeping to investor reporting
- Not considering cultural fit or long-term growth potential
- Relying on outdated systems that make onboarding difficult
The best hiring decisions are made with a clear scope, realistic expectations, and support from professionals who understand what good finance looks like.
Your options for hiring a finance professional: temporary, permanent, or fractional?
Not every business needs a full-time hire. Depending on your stage and needs, one of the following options may be a better fit:
Temporary placements
Short-term consultants can fill urgent finance gaps, manage project-based work, or support your team during busy periods like year-end or audit season.
Permanent placements
If you’re building out your finance function for the long haul, a permanent hire brings continuity, institutional knowledge, and long-term impact.
Fractional CFO services
If your business needs strategic input but doesn’t yet require a full-time CFO, a fractional CFO can step in on a part-time basis – offering high-level guidance at a fraction of the cost.
At OCFO, we assist with all three – helping you match your business needs with the right type of talent, at the right time.
How OCFO supports smarter hiring decisions
We know what makes a great finance hire because we’ve worked with hundreds of high-growth companies to build and strengthen their finance teams. Whether you need temporary support or are ready to bring in your first CFO, our finance talent solutions are built to meet you where you are.
Here’s how we assist:
- We get to know your business and goals before starting any placement
- We vet candidates with both technical and cultural alignment in mind
- We support a smooth onboarding process to set your new hire up for success
- We remain a long-term partner as your team and needs evolve
If you’re wondering whether now is the right time to hire a finance expert – or what type of finance hire is best for your stage – our team can guide you.
Ready to expand your business by hiring an expert finance professional?
Hiring a finance professional is more than filling a role. It’s a strategic decision that can reshape how your business makes decisions, manages growth, and plans for the future.
If you’re ready to strengthen your finance function, we’d love to hear from you.
Visit our Finance Talent Solutions page or reach out today to start the conversation.
Frequently asked questions:
It depends on your stage and needs. If you’re scaling quickly or preparing for funding, a strategic hire like a CFO or Financial Manager is ideal. If you need short-term support, a temporary consultant may be more effective. OCFO can guide you on the best-fit option for your growth phase.
If your month-end process drags on, your reporting is outdated, or you’re handling compliance manually, it’s time. Businesses often wait too long – hiring a finance professional earlier allows for better structure, insights, and decision-making.
Temporary hires are ideal for project-based work or peak periods like audits. Permanent hires bring continuity for long-term growth. Fractional CFOs offer part-time strategic input without the full-time cost – great for startups and scaling companies.
Beyond technical skills, the right hire should align with your company culture, communicate clearly, and understand your industry. OCFO vets every candidate for both skill and fit to make sure they support your long-term success.
Avoid hiring reactively, overloading junior staff with strategic tasks, or expecting one person to manage everything. Don’t overlook onboarding – and make sure your systems are up to date to support new talent from day one.
Yes. We offer finance talent solutions across temporary, permanent, and fractional roles. We match your business with vetted professionals, handle the hiring process, and support onboarding – so you can stay focused on growth.
We work with startups, scale-ups, and established businesses across multiple industries. Whether you’re bootstrapping, VC-backed, or preparing for your next raise, we’ll match you with finance professionals who understand your context and goals.
