In today's market, identifying the right person for the CFO job requires placing a premium on:

Management ability: The past decade or so has seen the C-suite expand to include new titles encompassing technology, data, human resources, compliance, and more. Chief information and technology officers often report to CFOs because technology has become a top expense for most organizations. As a result, CFOs must develop a level of technical knowledge in addition to traditional financial skill sets — as well as the ability to manage and coach executives with a wide range of responsibilities outside of finance.

Communication skills: Financial departments are much less siloed than they used to be. Developing financial targets and business objectives requires a clear understanding of the organization's technology and infrastructure needs, sales strategy, talent requirements, and tomorrow's next challenges. To stay informed and work effectively, CFOs must build rich connections with executives across the organization. Additionally, CFOs now interface with board members and shareholders nearly as much as CEOs, and must be adept at nurturing these relationships, communicating with this audience, and reporting on progress.

Cultural fit: The CEO is still the public face of an organization. But internally, CFOs and other C-suite leaders have become much more visible, and therefore more responsible for living up to corporate pillars and values. With a greater share of financial executives changing jobs and more companies searching externally for CFO candidates, it's imperative for both hiring teams and job seekers to do their due diligence to ensure they find the right match — not just for the role, but for the organization at large.

Instant Insights /

The CFO role (and paycheck) doesn't look how it used to