When recruiting finance professionals, the interview process can have a direct impact on whether you secure your preferred candidate. A strong process helps employers assess candidates properly, but it also shows candidates that the business is organised, serious and respectful of their time.
This is particularly important when hiring at qualified, senior or executive level. Strong finance candidates are often speaking to more than one employer, so a slow, unclear or repetitive process can quickly lead to candidates losing interest.
Before going out to market, employers should be clear on what their interview process will look like.
That means knowing how many stages there will be, who needs to be involved, what each stage is designed to assess and when each interview can realistically take place. It’s also worth checking everyone’s diaries early so the process doesn’t lose momentum due to a key decision-maker being unavailable.
For most qualified and senior finance roles, two to three stages are usually enough. A longer process may be needed in some circumstances, but it should be clear why each stage adds value. Adding extra conversations late in the process can frustrate candidates, especially if they feel they’re being asked to repeat the same discussion.
A good interview process shouldn’t involve three versions of the same conversation.
The first stage may focus on experience, motivation and overall suitability. A second stage might explore finance-specific technical ability, leadership style, stakeholder management or commercial judgement in more detail. For some roles, a presentation, task or scenario-based exercise may be useful, particularly where the role involves reporting, budgeting, business partnering or advising senior stakeholders, but this should be planned from the start.
If candidates are expected to prepare something, they need enough notice. Sending a presentation brief late on a Friday for a Monday interview can create a poor experience, particularly for candidates who already have work, family or other commitments. It can also leave unsuccessful candidates feeling that the time they invested was not properly considered.
Who you involve in the interview process matters. Each interviewer should have a clear role and understand what they are there to assess.
For example, a hiring manager may be best placed to explore technical finance experience, team fit and day-to-day responsibilities. A senior stakeholder may focus more on commercial judgement, leadership style or wider business priorities. HR or People teams may add value around culture, values, benefits, process and wider employee experience.
It’s also important to consider who can represent the organisation well. Strong finance candidates will be assessing the business throughout the process, so interviewers need to be prepared, engaged and able to talk confidently about the opportunity, the team and why the organisation is a good place to work.
If the same person is involved at more than one stage, each conversation should still have a clear purpose. Meeting the same stakeholder several times and being asked similar questions can make the process feel unstructured and repetitive.
Feedback is a key part of the recruitment process. Candidates invest time, energy and emotion into applying, preparing and interviewing. Whether the outcome is positive or negative, they deserve to know where they stand.
Employers should build feedback into the process from the beginning. That means agreeing who will gather feedback, how quickly it will be shared and what level of detail can be provided. This is especially important after an interview, when candidates have already committed time to meeting the business. Where possible, providing feedback to candidates who are unsuccessful at CV stage can also leave them feeling more positive about the process and your organisation.
A job move is a significant life decision. For many people, it can be a stressful experience. Leaving candidates waiting unnecessarily only adds to that and can damage both the relationship and your employer brand.
The interview process shouldn’t end with the final interview. Employers also need to be clear on what happens next.
Before interviews take place, it’s worth agreeing who has final sign-off, how quickly feedback will be gathered and what the process will be if the preferred candidate is offered the role.
Remember, strong finance candidates may be involved in more than one recruitment process, so a slow decision after final interview can create unnecessary risk. If the business needs more time, it’s better to communicate that clearly than leave candidates waiting without an update.
Employers should also be clear on what will happen if there are any concerns after interview. In some cases, a short follow-up conversation may be helpful, but it should have a clear purpose. Adding another stage without explaining why can make the process feel uncertain and may cause candidates to question how ready the business is to hire.
A well-structured interview process doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be well planned from start to finish.
At Sellick Partnership, we work with employers to shape recruitment processes that are clear, practical and appropriate for the level of finance role being hired. From advising on interview stages to managing communication, feedback and decision-making, we help businesses keep strong finance candidates engaged throughout the process.
If you’re reviewing your finance hiring approach or preparing to recruit, our team can advise on how to structure interviews in a way that supports better hiring decisions and keeps strong candidates engaged.
Speak to our team today.
