Even if you’re great at crunching numbers, you can’t get by without knowing how to deal with human beings.
In a survey of CFOs commissioned by Robert Half Management Resources , 53 percent said they would “hire someone with fewer technical skills if the candidate had stronger soft skills, such as communication and interpersonal abilities.” Of the 1,400 CFOs surveyed, 39 percent said they wouldn’t make that trade-off.
Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half, said the visibility of financial professionals has grown along with that strategic importance of accounting. In many jobs, he said, it is crucial for financial experts to be able to explain the meaning behind the numbers.
