Working With a Finance Consultant

Working With a Finance ConsultantWorking With a Finance ConsultantMany accounting and finance organizations need the help of talented professionals with specific subject matter expertise to contribute to or manage complex projects. But often they dont have the budget - or the ongoing need - to hire these individuals on a full-time basis. Bringing in afinance consultant or another type of interim management professional is an effective way to fill these skills gaps as needed.In fact, engaging a finance consultant is a strategy many geschftlicher umganges are employing. A Robert Half Management Resources survey foundmora than half (57 percent) of CFOs plan to bring in financial consultants for finance and accounting projects. Organizations are also anticipating working with project professionals for initiatives around business systems and performance improvement, taxation, risk and compliance , and finance optimization.Although hiring a finance consultant or project professiona l can be a logical staffing solution for many firms, managers need to take steps to ensure these arrangements will be successful - both for the business and the consultant. Heres how to do just thatCommunicate the details of the projectManagers need to make it clear from the start what the company wants to accomplish. Good communication is pivotal. Lack of clarity around goals can undermine a finance consultants productivity and leave that person feeling detached from the organization and its objectives. Fitting into the workplace culture , collaborating successfully with other employees and understanding expectations are crucial if interim professionals are going to achieve the objectives set before them.Consider the consultants professional goalsProfessionals often develop new skills and broaden their professional experience by pursuing project work. And many accounting and finance professionals become consultants specifically because they seek diverse assignmentsand awide range of work experiences. Clearly show how opportunities with your firm can help them advance their professional development.Leave the door open for full-time hiringHaving a skilled interim management professional become a full-time hire can save time and resourcesif your firm decides to add staff in the future. Youll be able to secure talented professionals who are already familiar with the expectations and unique culture of your firm, which means they can start contributing to the business faster - and, likely, with less training.Working with a finance consultant can be an effective way for firms to operate at full capacity when internal resources are limited or otherwise insufficient. But this strategy is only effective if the business leaders know how to integrate these professionals seamlessly into the work environment.Can your organization benefit from engaging the services of a finance consultant? Answer the five questions in this Robert Half Management Resources blog post to find out. Related PostsTips for Team Building When Your Team Includes Consultants and Interim StaffHow project consultants can turn your business problems into wins 3 case studiesCFOs Most Likely to Tap Financial Consultants for Finance and Accounting, Business Systems Projects