Hiring guide
How to hire a fractional CFO
A good search starts with the problem you want finance leadership to solve, not a long list of impressive titles.
Start with the decision you need to make
Write down the business decision that is blocked today: cash visibility, a fundraise, board reporting, a turnaround or a finance-team gap. A useful brief names the decision, deadline, available data and the person who will work with the CFO.
Choose the scope before comparing people
Decide whether you need recurring leadership, a defined project or temporary cover. Ask candidates to separate ongoing responsibilities from one-off deliverables so price, time commitment and accountability are comparable.
Use the first conversation to test fit
Ask how they would learn the business in the first month, what information they need, how often they communicate and what a useful first output looks like. The goal is a clear working model, not a generic promise of strategic support.
Agree how success will be seen
Set a small number of observable outcomes: a weekly cash view, a board pack, a working forecast, a finance hiring plan or a completed funding model. Revisit them after the first few weeks.