CFO (04/11) McCann, David
The Argyle Executive Forum recently hosted a conference on hiring and managing finance professionals. Cliff Lange, chief financial officer (CFO) at Boston Mutual Life Insurance, said it is important to look for the four “Is” when hiring: intellectual skills, intensity, interpersonal skills, and integrity. Regarding the latter, he noted that even a hard working, enthusiastic worker with strong people skills would not fare will if they are not trusted. Carim Khouzami, CFO at Baltimore Gas and Electric, said the younger employees at the company are regularly rotated to different positions in an effort to take them out of their comfort zones and challenge them. For instance, accountants are put into investor relations while tax professionals and placed in treasury. These efforts help make employees more well-rounded and keep them excited because they have access to more experiences and opportunities, he says. Mark LeClair, senior vice president at Volt Consulting Group, said his company spends ample time on identifying what skill sets a person needs, based on what is expected from him or her over the long term. He also allows a degree of customization in job roles to foster creativity and take unique attributes into consideration. And when hiring, the company does not use behavioral assessments but instead observes how candidates interact with other people in various settings. However, technical skills are tested by having candidates complete a sample piece of work.
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EDSI Commentary
At EDSI, we believe interpersonal skills are the most important I.
