How to find the right hire in the Greater Phoenix Area (5 TWEAKS EVERY HIRING MANAGER SHOULD KNOW)
It’s no secret that you need the right people on your team to ensure success. It’s also no secret that the job market here in the Greater Phoenix Area is still a little challenging when it comes to certain positions. Especially in accounting and finance.
Hi, I’m Bernadette, and I’ve been recruiting accounting and finance professionals in the Phoenix area for over 20 years. I’ve worked with thousands of hiring managers and professionals to help them find the right fit and build strong teams. The advice I’m sharing today is based on that experience. Let’s get started.
1. Refresh Your Job Posting
The first thing to look at is your job posting. Is it up to date? Does it have any sizzle? And are you overwhelming candidates with too much information?
Update the duties. When we start working with a client, the first thing we advise is to take a fresh look at the job description. How long has it been since you refreshed it? Bringing it in line with today’s technology and the realities of 2026 can make a meaningful difference in attracting the right candidates.
Add some sizzle. If you’re simply posting the internal job description as your listing, that may be working against you. Job descriptions don’t typically answer the question candidates are asking themselves: Why would I want to work here? What can someone learn on your team? What makes your company a great place to grow? Adding that context helps.
Don’t throw everything in. You don’t need to list every single responsibility. Hit the main highlights. Words carry weight, and a long list of duties can make a role look overwhelming even when, realistically, it’s very manageable. A candidate might see “revenues” and “fixed assets” and assume they’ll be buried in work, when in your organization those responsibilities fit neatly into a healthy 40–50 hour workweek. Be authentic but be strategic about how you present the role.
2. Look Internally First
Before you post externally, take a look at your own team. Is there someone you could promote into the open role, even as a stretch opportunity? Internal moves can be a win for morale and retention.
If the role is more entry level, consider whether there’s someone in your organization with strong soft skills who could be trained on the accounting side. Over the years, I’ve interviewed many professionals who fell into accounting because someone gave them that chance and they thrived, sometimes even going back to earn their accounting degree as a result.
Also, if you don’t already have an employee referral program, now is the time to set one up with your HR team. Networking is everything, and your own employees may know exactly the right person for the job.
3. Conduct a More Effective Interview
Are you getting the information you need from your interviews? Here’s something I’ve learned over 20 years of recruiting: candidates lie, and companies lie. Not out of malice, but because everyone is putting their best foot forward. A candidate who really needs a job is going to present their skills in the most favorable light possible.
That’s why I always recommend asking the same question in multiple ways. Sometimes it takes five attempts to get a real, specific answer. People are conditioned to give what I call “politician answers” vague, non-committal responses. Your job when you interview is to drill down.
If someone says they handle month-end close, don’t stop there. Ask: Which accounts do you work with? Walk me through how your day, week, and month are structured.
Push past the general overview and get to the specifics. That’s where you’ll find out whether someone truly has the competence for the role you’re filling.
One question I love to close with: “What does your ideal position look like?” It tells you a lot about whether what you’re offering aligns with what they’re actually seeking.
And if someone gets defensive when you’re asking clarifying questions, that’s information too.
4. Set a Clear Timeline
- Where they are in your process
- How many rounds of interviews to expect
- Who else they’ll be meeting with
- Whether any vacations or scheduling factors might affect the timeline
If something unexpected comes up and the process gets delayed, reach out and let them know. You’re not promising them the job you’re just giving them enough encouragement to stay in the process. That small gesture can be the difference between keeping a great candidate warm and losing them to another offer.
5. Don't Turn Candidates Off
This one has to be said, because I hear the feedback: hiring managers are showing up late, distracted, and disengaged. If you didn’t love the resume, don’t let someone talk you into an interview you’re not committed to. And if you do sit down with a candidate, give them your full attention.
That person has taken 30 minutes to an hour out of their day to speak with you and make their case. They deserve your respect for that time. Put down your phone. If you’re on Teams, candidates can see when you’re glancing away and typing. If you know you’ll need to step away briefly, just say so upfront.
How you show up in that interview reflects on you and your company just as much as how the candidate shows up. I’ve seen great hires fall apart at the last moment because a senior leader (think CFO, VP, or Director of Finance, CEO) rushed through their portion of the interview and left the candidate feeling like an afterthought. Everyone else loved this person, but that one interaction was enough to turn them off.
Give every interview, even a 15-minute final touchpoint, your full focus.
Hiring can sometimes feel like a second full-time job on top of your already full-time job. But taking the time to get it right pays off in the long run. These five tweaks can make your process more efficient and help you land the right person for your team.
If you’re still struggling to find the right accounting or finance professional in the Phoenix area, reach out we’d love to help.
Bernadette is an accounting and finance recruiter based in the Greater Phoenix Area with over 20 years of experience connecting hiring managers with top talent. Contact us below to learn how we can support your search.
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For almost two decades, The Resource Link has strategically placed Accounting, Finance, & Human Resource talent with some of the best companies in Arizona! We consult with our hiring managers and candidates to dive into the best solutions and outcomes and we provide advice and feedback along the way. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or just pick up the phone! We would love to hear from you to help you build the best team or find the best career.
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