If you have multiple locations, here’s another important dimension when choosing a finance person.

Are they a headquarters person or do they prefer to get out in the field?

Normally, where there are multiple locations, you’ll want somebody who prefers to get out into the field. There’s a lot you can learn by being out there. They have remote location that you just can’t tell from sitting at the corner office up in headquarters. There’s a need for both or you won’t get the whole picture. Something’s just don’t come off in numbers or spreadsheets.

When looking at a potential candidate for your multiple location operation consider a number of the following questions:

1. What kind of experience have they had with multiple locations?

2. How much time did they spend at headquarters versus getting out to remote location?

3. What prompted the visit out to remote locations?

4. What were the findings from those visits?

5. How did the relationship change on an ongoing basis after those types of visits?

Not only can you find good information by being out in the field, but often the relationships can really change as well. A new level of communication has been established. Hopefully, a trust factor has been built up. Deposits have been made into the emotional bank accounts. People in the field will feel comfortable sharing information, bringing new ideas up to your finance person. Hopefully, the we versus they barriers, the headquarters versus field barriers, have been broken.

So, if you happen to have multiple locations or anticipate doing so in the near future make sure that fits with the style of your person in the finance area. A good finance person can be a real blessing to finding out about information out in the field. It can also build relationships that can help tremendously with any program that you’re thinking about implanting, as well as getting feedback about those programs. The finance person can be a valuable resource with information that you just couldn’t get otherwise and could really help aide you in your success.

So, when doing that hiring of a key finance person find out- are they a headquarters person or a field person?