Headhunting a CFO isn’t easy if recruitment isn’t your speciality. A CFO is a vital piece of the leadership puzzle. Many companies choose to outsource their recruitment to an agency to headhunt a CFO that will fit into their company’s long-term plans.

FD Capital is a specialist recruitment agency and the UK’s leading CFO headhunters with a proven track record of connecting businesses with talented financial executives. Our curated approach to recruitment identifies the individual needs of each client to headhunt the most suitable CFO.

We’re breaking down the process of headhunting a CFO and why you should choose to recruit through a specialist agency like FD Capital Recruitment.

FD Capital is uniquely placed to connect SMEs, start-ups, and scaling companies with financial executives. What makes FD Capital different is that we’re a team of entrepreneurs, financial professionals, and investors who understand the needs of businesses and the changing role of CFOs.

We work with clients to headhunt a CFO who has the experience and skillset to take your company to the next level. Working with a specialist recruitment agency allows CEOs to focus on their day job, while still being actively involved in the recruitment process. Our team can offer a shortlist of candidates in as little as 24 hours.

While some CEOs might be tempted to head hunt a CFO themselves, working with a recruitment agency to undertake a CFO Executive Search is the most time and cost-effective way to recruit. FD Capital has access to an exclusive talent pool of candidates and will streamline the process.

We’ll start the process of headhunting for a CFO by identifying the specific needs of your company, including the working terms of the position. This information enables our CFO headhunters to curate the recruitment process to find the most suitable candidate.

What do we look for when headhunting a CFO? We’re sharing a few of the things we consider when shortlisting candidates and curating the recruitment process.

Many CFOs choose to specialise within an industry, while others build their portfolio around a specific skill, such as risk management or debt refinancing. Every CFO will understand what it takes to make a business successful and improve its financial performance.

Not all CFOs come from the traditional accounting background as the role continues to evolve with more strategic and operational responsibility. The transferrable skills of a CFO mean many have experience in other aspects with an increasing focus on IT and technology to make companies more cost-effective and efficient.

Financial executives with strong commercial roots are exactly who CFO headhunters are looking for. The commercial insights and data-driven strategy are a winning combination that enables CFOs to operate across a variety of industries.

The evolution of the role of CFO means that headhunters are now prioritising soft skills. Most CFOs have the same skills on paper, particularly those from a traditional accounting background. Soft skills are what sets candidates apart. CFOs are able to quickly adapt to changing environments and engage with stakeholders and internal partners within new organisations.

Communication and relationship building are vital soft skills for CFOs and ones that headhunters value. The credibility of a CFO can enable organisations to access fundraising opportunities and build relationships with investors and financial institutions.

Leadership skills are vital for financial executives within a CFO role. CFO headhunters are searching for candidates who can deal with the pressure of juggling investors, external stakeholders, and customer expectations against the demands of balancing risk management with building resilience and increasing cash flow.

The soft skills of a CFO are what sets them apart from the competition and make them the best candidate for a specific organisation. These characteristics are often part of the ‘skills gap’ within organisations that a CEO may wish to fill by working with professional CFO headhunters.

KPMG’s recent ‘The View from the Top’ report detailed how CEOs are searching for CFOs with a track record in business transformation and turnaround. Not every CFO is hired for a company making millions in turnover. Many are hired specifically to create a more financially stable ecosystem or to prepare companies for market instability.

CFO headhunters are searching for candidates with a track record in overseeing cash management, introducing financial systems, and ensuring financial compliance. This aspect is where commercial awareness is also important. Understanding the commercial context is vital for CFOs to be able to transform companies through innovation, restructuring, or fundraising.

Successful CFOs will put KPIs in place to monitor company growth and success, particularly when they’re focusing on company transformation.

Unlock your company’s potential by working with a recruitment agency to find a CFO who will hit the ground running. Call our team of CFO headhunters today for a no-obligation consultation at 020 3287 9501.

Have one of our specialists call you back to discuss your hiring needs.