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CFOs: Add Your Expertise To Talent Acquisition

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More than ever, companies look to finance professionals to contribute to overall business strategy. Some even rely on them to support recruiting and talent acquisition, a task many might feel falls outside traditional accounting and finance responsibilities. I recently spoke with Heather Mercier, SVP of Finance and Talent at Experticity, to learn more about her multi-faceted role – she bridges the gap between finance, business development and talent acquisition – and explore why CFOs and finance professionals are perfectly suited to work alongside human resources.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

 Jeff Thomson: Prior to joining Experticity, you worked primarily in managing mergers and acquisitions at a large investment bank in New York City. How did that experience inform your current role as SVP of Finance and Talent, given your focus on talent acquisition?

Heather Mercier: Working in M&A in New York City gave me a strong foundation in strategic finance, experience in what to look for in a successful business and a great understanding of how businesses work. The experience also helped me develop a unique work ethic and passion for my job, which has influenced the way I encourage myself and others to “work in the trenches” alongside a team. Perhaps most importantly, my investment banking experience helped me develop a keen eye for a good investment, which continues to drive my decisions at Experticity – both in terms of finding and keeping great talent, and in terms of making strategic business decisions.

Thomson: Traditional recruiting and talent acquisition are often described as fundamentally different, though oftentimes, both fall under the human resources umbrella. How can and should a CFO provide value in this process?

 Mercier: A CFO has intricate knowledge of how the business works, what drives revenue and what detracts from value. Whether it is being acquired or developed, talent, at its core, is the most fundamental asset to a company’s success. The way I see it, a CFO has deep insight into how talent affects the profit and loss (P&L) of a business and can add value from a pure profitability standpoint, as well as with scalability and strategic value. In my role, I can take a step back and help others that are siloed or more specialized in their skill set, and help them see the broader vision of the company and how their team and the individuals on it contribute to the success. That’s incredibly valuable when building a business.

Thomson: Organizations are under increasing pressure to hire individuals whose skills transcend traditional accounting and finance roles. Yet, entry-level professionals continue to lack the required skills, resulting in a global skills gap. How does Experticity look at talent acquisition? What skills do you look for when hiring finance and accounting talent?

Mercier: At Experticity, we look for very intelligent, hungry, self-motivated individuals with raw talent and a proven drive. When it comes to how we target finance and accounting talent, they’re in the same bucket as the rest of our hires: We want individuals that can do the job, have fun, work hard, and want to grow and learn along with the rest of us. Because we’re defining a category at Experticity, we’re all learning new things every day, so that’s a skill we try to hire for.

Thomson: Millennials have changed the face of business, with more than 53.5 million working today. How has this affected how you recruit, retain and integrate millennial talent? Do your retention tactics differ for different generations in the workforce?

Mercier: Millennials comprise the majority of our workforce, so this has a huge bearing on how we recruit and retain talent. Transparency, culture and flexibility are some of the first words that come to mind when I think about what resonates with millennials. We understand that working hard has to come with having fun. Our employees also appreciate that there’s no bureaucracy at Experticity; we’re a flat organization that communicates openly, asks for feedback and encourages our executives to be good listeners. For millennials, work and personal life are closely related; so we’ve tried to create a culture that builds meaningfully on that notion. We’ve streamlined processes since everything is “always on” and we offer flexible work schedules because technology has rendered the 9-5 workday irrelevant. Instead of focusing on the daily schedule, we have big goals with a focus on employee output, which has really resonated with our employees.

Thomson: As SVP, you’re also charged with supporting the company’s finances and business development, how do you juggle the necessary day to day accounting and finance tasks with your role in talent acquisition? What skills do you find most beneficial to have when navigating your combined roles?

Mercier: Frankly, I don’t procrastinate. I make decisions that need to be made, understanding that we’ll never be perfect and we won’t always be right, but as long as we are getting better and learning, that’s all that matters. When I think about navigating my combined roles, the most important skills are to work with thoroughbreds who are hungry, intelligent and self-driven – you can accomplish so much with that! Beyond that, my advice would be: Be transparent with your team to make sure they understand what we are all working for; roll up your sleeves and work in the trenches; be humble but inspiring; listen, gather feedback, and let others know that they’re contributing just as much as the next person; and be flexible, have fun, and be open to having your point of view changed, and often.