You need to hire someone. You post a job online and wait. Applications flood in. You sort through dozens of resumes. Weeks pass. You finally make an offer. But you’re skeptical. Was this person a good fit for your company culture? Will they stay? Did you pay too much?
This is the old way of hiring. It’s slow and expensive. It often doesn’t work.
The cost of a mis-hire is staggering. According to the U.S. Department of Labour, a bad hire can cost your business 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings. Think of everything that adds up—lost productivity, training costs. Your time is wasted too. And you have to hire someone all over again.
Hiring the right accounting or finance talent is one of the most critical decisions your company can make. Understanding the right hiring strategy is the first step to doing it right.
Hiring Methods—Understanding Your Options
When it comes to filling permanent positions, businesses typically consider three main approaches:
1. Temporary Staffing
Temporary staffing involves hiring an individual for a limited duration to meet short-term business needs. These employees typically work for an agency.
This hiring method provides your business with the flexibility to quickly adapt to changing demand. You can also fill openings left behind by previous employees to ensure your processes aren’t disrupted.
While temporary staffing sounds convenient, you have to pay agency fees for every week the temporary hire works. The temporary hire is less likely to fit into your company culture compared to other methods. There’s no long-term loyalty.
2. Contract-to-Hire
Contract-to-Hire is an arrangement where the employee starts off as a temporary hire with the potential of becoming a permanent employee after an evaluation.
This model allows both the employer and the employee to evaluate fit for the role before committing long-term.
Contract-to-hire employees don’t have job security or benefits. This makes it unlikely that highly skilled employees will accept such offers.
3. Direct Hire (Traditional DIY)
Direct hire is a process where companies offer a job directly without a third-party agency.
Companies have full control over the process and don’t have to pay an agency fee.
However, this method is time-consuming and requires expertise in recruiting processes—sourcing, screening, and assessing candidates—especially in the accounting and finance fields.
While some companies attempt to hire themselves directly, partnering with a specialized recruiting firm like CooperDouglas ensures candidates have the right skills and are a cultural fit. Our approach to direct hiring reduces the chances of labour turnover.
Why Direct Hire Recruiting Matters
Direct hire recruiting provides a structured approach for hiring permanent employees. Specialized recruiting firms work fast to deliver highly skilled candidates that you can’t source yourself.
Key advantages include:
Cost Efficiency
Hiring yourself directly means no agency fee. That does sound tempting. But many businesses forget the hidden cost of this method—turnover. Actual savings come from higher retention, faster onboarding, and fewer repeated recruitment cycles. Every time an employee leaves, you’ll have to repeat the entire process—post a job, spend weeks interviewing, onboarding, and training. Partnering with a specialized agency saves you precious resources like time and money.
Access to Specialized Talent
Accounting and finance roles require specific technical skills, certifications, and industry experience. Here’s the truth: highly skilled workers aren’t waiting around for you. They already work with successful organizations. If you want to hire top talent, you need to partner with a recruiting agency that has access to these candidates.
Culture Fit and Retention
You can train new employees to learn skills, but not culture. An agency already has a pool of pre-screened candidates. They take time to understand your business’s culture before deciding which candidate is most likely to thrive.
By partnering with an agency, you can turn a slow, uncertain process into a predictable way to build strong teams.
How a Specialized Accounting & Finance Agency Streamlines Direct Hire Recruiting
Hiring the right professionals for a technical job like accounting and finance can be challenging. At CooperDouglas, we make the hiring process simple to ensure efficiency and reduced risk. Our goal is simple: to help you build a strong and capable workforce. Here’s how an expert agency handles direct hire recruiting:
1. Intake and Needs Assessment
- We work closely with you to understand your company’s structure, roles and responsibilities, desired skills, experience level required, and overall culture.
- Initial assessment ensures we thoroughly understand your business and the type of candidate you are looking for. This process helps us know exactly what kind of candidate will succeed.
2. Source Candidates
- We understand that top professionals are already contributing to organizations. We leverage our network of accounting and finance professionals to source candidates.
- We target candidates who meet the role’s requirements and could perform well in your organization.
3. Screen and Evaluate
- We thoroughly evaluate candidates for both technical skills (accounting/finance knowledge, certifications, experience) and soft skills (communication, team fit, long-term potential).
- This screening process ensures that only people who meet your specifications and align with your company values make the list.
4. Presentation & Client Interview
- We present the selected candidates. And the best part? Our contingent direct hire model reduces risk for you. You only pay us if you hire a candidate we presented.
- This approach is perfect for businesses looking to hire top talent without any upfront costs.
Common Mistakes in Direct Hire Recruiting
Here are common mistakes companies often make:
- Rushing Decisions: Hiring quickly increases the risk of misfits.
- Ignoring Culture Fit: A candidate who doesn’t align with your values is likely not going to succeed.
- Skipping Background Checks: Always verify credentials and references.
- Neglecting Onboarding: Proper onboarding improves retention and performance.
- Underestimating Compensation: Skilled employees will prioritize work for competitors if you offer low salaries.
Partnering with a recruiting specialist helps lower these risks and ensures a smooth, effective hiring process.
Ready to Build a Strong and Capable Workforce
Hiring accounting and finance talent is complex, but it doesn’t have to be.
Direct hire recruiting is not just about filling positions—it’s about building productive teams that drive long-term success. CooperDouglas has the industry expertise to help companies make smarter hiring decisions.
Your next great hire is waiting. Contact us today to secure top accounting and finance talent with confidence.
You focus on core operations; let us find the right fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long does direct hire recruiting take?
Typically 4–12 weeks, depending on the role and the candidate pool. Entry-level positions are generally filled faster; executive roles may take longer.
Q: Can small businesses use direct hire recruiting?
Absolutely. Small organizations have limited resources. Professional services ultimately save time and money.
Q: Do companies ever need temporary staffing?
Temporary placements are useful for urgent or short-term needs.
Q: How does CooperDouglas ensure culture fit?
Beyond technical skills, we evaluate soft skills, communication style, work preferences, and long-term career goals to ensure each candidate aligns with your company’s culture.
Q. What types of positions can CooperDouglas help fill?
We recruit for roles such as CFO, Controller, FP&A Director, Senior Accountant, Accounting Manager, and finance leadership positions at all levels.
