What we look for in candidates

Probably the number one question we’ve heard as we meet with accounting students in universities around the country is, “What are you looking for in a candidate?” The simple answer to this question would be: “Someone who is good at accounting.” But that answer is somewhat of an oversimplification.

In looking at the varied talents of our current employees, we note that there appears to be no magic combination of attributes that makes a person successful. Some people have great focus on one job at a time. Others are able to multi-task efficiently. Some are very good at doing work with very little instruction. Others ask very good questions to clarify the instruction they’ve received or learn well from feedback. Some are better at completing many smaller projects quickly. Others are good at thoroughly addressing fewer, larger projects. What seems to matter is not WHAT a person’s specific talents are but HOW he or she uses them to accomplish the tasks at hand.

That’s why in the recruiting process we try desperately to get beyond the generic “where do you see yourself in five years” dialogue. We want employees who, instead of telling us what they think we want to hear, can identify their past successes as well as identify the talents and skills that helped them achieve those successes.