You’re out of your hiring freeze and looking to add a quality candidate to your team. There are more people looking for work than ever before, meaning there’s a massive pool for exceptional candidates ready and waiting to fill that role. But how do you know who to choose? CGI is here to help you make a smart, informed decision for your hiring process.

What to Look For in a Resume

If you’re a hiring manager, one of the more tedious parts of your job is undoubtedly reviewing resumes for hiring new candidates. How many single-sheet lists of similar-looking qualifications can you realistically look through before they all begin to blend together? But even if the stack of resumes gets taller (or the virtual stack in your inbox continues to grow), you have to remain diligent—it’s the small, minor nuances of a resume that can help indicate which candidate is right for the role you’re looking to fill. You’ll obviously want to know what to look for in a candidate during an interview, but the first impression they give you on paper is incredibly valuable in and of itself.

In this blog, we’ll go over reviewing resume tips, how to sift through a high volume of applicants, and how to make sure the candidates you advance to the interview phase actually align with the role you’re trying to place someone in.

Identifying Skills in a Resume: What You Need to Know

If there’s one area in life where it’s truly OK to be as nitpicky as possible, it’s when evaluating resumes. Scrutinizing every last detail is how you separate leading candidates from the pretenders and the detail-oriented from the lazy and thoughtless applicants. You’re hiring for a role at your company—why shouldn’t you be a little picky? But it’s not just about over-analysis; it’s about finding simple, straightforward methods to get the results you want. Here are some key factors to consider when poring over the details of a candidate’s resume.

Conciseness

We’ve all seen examples of candidates describing a babysitting job they had in their teens as if they worked at NASA; and while they certainly get points for effort, you have to be able to see through any kind of inflation of the importance of their job history. If a candidate can clearly articulate what their job was and what they accomplished in that role, that’s as good a sign as any that they’re going to be competent in the role you’re hiring for.

Experience

This one should be obvious enough—if you want to hire a qualified accounting or finance professional, they need experience in the industry (or at least an educational background that makes them the right fit). Career transitions can happen unexpectedly, and a lack of experience doesn’t necessarily mean someone would be bad in a given role—it just means that they’re coming to the position with less qualifications than someone else, which means they’ll need more time for onboarding and training.

That said, don’t discount people because of outside experience. If someone has experience in retail, they know how to work with customers; if someone has worked in journalism, they know how to meet deadlines. Some candidates can be greater than the sum of their parts.

Longevity

This one can be tricky and isn’t a foolproof way of evaluating someone’s working ability. Candidates can stay 10 years at a job and plateau after year 2; candidates who only spent 6 months somewhere may have had extenuating circumstances that forced them to seek new opportunities. Job-hopping is more common now than it was a few decades ago, but look for candidates with at least 1-2 years at a given company. It’s a sign that they gave the job an honest try and their employer saw fit to keep them around.

Need Help Finding the Right Person?

If you lack the resources needed to make your candidate search truly impactful, it’s time to work with a recruiter who can help. At Controller’s Group, Inc., we’re always looking for new ways to help our clients find qualified candidates. To get started on your search, each out to our team today.

What Finance and Accounting Leaders Should Watch for in Q3 and Q4

As we move into the second half of 2026, finance and accounting leaders face a familiar challenge: planning for growth in an environment that remains anything but predictable.

Inflation continues to influence business decisions. Hiring has become more selective. Advances in AI are changing workforce expectations. And organizations are being asked to do more with less while maintaining profitability and operational efficiency.

The question isn’t whether uncertainty exists.

The question is how leaders should respond.

By the Numbers: Where We Stand Today

Several economic indicators provide insight into the current business landscape:

• U.S. job openings stood at approximately 6.9 million in March 2026.
• The unemployment rate remained near 4.3%.
• Hiring activity has slowed significantly compared to the post-pandemic hiring surge.
• Employers continue to face pressure from labor costs, technology investments, and economic uncertainty.

While these numbers do not suggest a recession, they do point to a more cautious operating environment heading into Q3 and Q4.

For finance leaders, this means balancing cost management with strategic investment in talent.

Workforce Planning Is Replacing Workforce Expansion

Over the last few years, many organizations have focused on rapid growth. Today, the conversation has shifted. Instead of asking, “How quickly can we hire?”

Many executives are asking, “How can we build the right team to support long-term goals?”

This shift is leading organizations to take a more strategic approach to workforce planning.

We’re seeing finance and accounting leaders focus on:

• Identifying critical skill gaps

• Evaluating succession plans

• Improving retention strategies

• Leveraging technology to increase efficiency

• Hiring only where talent can deliver a measurable business impact

The most successful organizations align talent decisions with business objectives rather than react to short-term market changes.

The Finance Talent Market Remains Competitive

Although overall hiring has slowed, demand for highly skilled finance and accounting professionals remains strong.

Organizations continue to seek talent in areas such as:
• Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
• Accounting Management
• Corporate Accounting
• Internal Audit
• Compliance and Risk
• Financial Systems and ERP Expertise

At the same time, employers are looking for professionals who can combine technical expertise with strategic thinking, business partnership skills, and technological proficiency.

Today’s finance leaders need teams that can not only report the numbers but also help interpret them and drive better decisions.

Why Contract-to-Hire Is Gaining Momentum

One trend we continue to see across industries is the growing adoption of contract-to-hire staffing models.
In a market where economic conditions can change quickly, organizations are looking for flexibility.

Contract-to-hire solutions allow employers to:
• Fill critical gaps quickly
• Evaluate skills and cultural fit
• Reduce hiring risk
• Maintain productivity during periods of uncertainty.

For professionals, contract-to-hire opportunities can provide a pathway to permanent employment while allowing them to showcase their expertise and create immediate value.

As organizations become more selective with hiring decisions, workforce flexibility is becoming a competitive advantage.

Preparing for Year-End Starts Now

While many organizations focus on year-end planning during Q4, the strongest teams begin preparing much earlier.

Finance and accounting leaders should consider:
✓ Reviewing workforce capacity before year-end close
✓ Identifying critical hiring needs before budgets are finalized
✓ Evaluating retention risks among top performers
✓ Assessing where automation can improve efficiency
✓ Building talent pipelines for anticipated growth in 2027

Organizations that proactively address talent needs today will be better positioned to execute successfully tomorrow.

Looking Ahead

The second half of 2026 will likely reward organizations that remain disciplined, adaptable, and intentional.

Economic conditions may continue to evolve, but one thing remains constant: people are still the driving force behind business success.
For finance and accounting leaders, the challenge isn’t simply managing costs or filling positions. It’s ensuring the organization has the right talent, skills, and workforce strategy to support future growth.

At Controller’s Group, we partner with organizations to navigate both sides of that equation, providing market insights that support strategic decision-making while helping companies identify and secure exceptional finance and accounting talent.
Because in today’s market, workforce planning isn’t just an HR initiative.
It’s a business strategy.

What workforce challenges or hiring priorities are top of mind for your organization as we head into Q3 and Q4?