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Hiring around an ERP migration without confusing the jobs
Start a Search Financial Headhunters Salary Guide
Financial Headhunters: How do you distinguish between an analyst who builds system modules and a director who defines your transformation roadmap?
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
01
Hiring the right level
Avoid hiring a director when you need an analyst. Analysts build. Managers set processes. Directors define strategy. Your migration success depends on this distinction. Who maps the chart of accounts for the migration? Who tests the automated journal entries? Directors own the project roadmap. If your system is already live, avoid hiring a migration expert who will get bored maintaining standard GL configurations. If you are mid-implementation, hire someone who has completed a full lifecycle project from blueprinting to go-live.
Start the scoping conversation by defining the precise current state of your financial data integrity before interviewing anyone for this ERP system role. Ask candidates specifically how they assess existing data quality prior to any migration or system integration effort. Request that they explain their method for identifying legacy system errors versus new configuration gaps during a testing phase. Look for answers that describe a structured approach to validating field mappings and sub-ledger balances against source documents. If a candidate cannot provide a clear sequence for performing a dry run of data ingestion, they lack the necessary discipline to manage your financial records. Probe into how they categorize system bugs versus user training issues. Force them to define the exact criteria they use to declare a module ready for production. Distinguish between candidates who treat a go-live as a technical event and those who view it as a finance accounting milestone. Demand evidence of their previous work on reconciliation procedures to verify they track the accounting implications of every automated entry.
- 01Analysts focus on SuiteFlow, saved searches, and module troubleshooting.
- 02Managers oversee system integrations and team coordination.
- 03Directors define long-term transformation goals and system architecture.
02
Interviewing candidates
Ask about past failures. Listen for specific details rather than vague process talk. Ask how they handled a bad data migration. Check if they understand the difference between system capability and financial requirements. If they cannot explain a GL integration in plain terms, they will struggle to talk to your accounting team.
- 01Describe a time a project missed a deadline. Why did it happen?
- 02How do you document changes in the system so others can support it later?
- 03Explain how you reconcile an automated system to a bank statement when the integration fails.
- 04When do you say no to a user request for a new field or report?
03
Common mistakes
Hiring a generic IT person for a finance job is a primary mistake. Systems like SAP or Workday require finance domain knowledge. An IT person knows how to build the server, but they do not know what a trial balance should look like. Another error is over-relying on consultants. Consultants leave when the contract ends. Your internal system owner needs to understand the logic so they can audit it. Do not let your current team hide behind the software. Make them own the data accuracy.
- 01Hiring candidates who only know one module and cannot explain the broader ERP impact.
- 02Ignoring the need for documentation skills in favor of technical speed.
- 03Failing to ask how they validate data before moving it to the new system.
04
Credentials explained
Certifications indicate exposure but do not replace technical skill. A NetSuite Administrator certification proves the candidate passed an exam issued by Oracle. It does not mean they have migrated a complex global entity. Always test their hands-on ability in a sandbox environment. Academic degrees in finance or information systems provide a foundation. Licenses like a CPA indicate they understand accounting rules, which is vital for ERP analysts but not always necessary for pure systems engineers.
- 01Certifications are exam-based and verify knowledge of specific software functions.
- 02Degrees confirm academic background in business, accounting, or computer science.
- 03Always confirm credentials by checking the issuing body registry directly.
05
Why they move
Candidates move for two main reasons. They are stuck in a legacy system that no one wants to fix, or they have finished a migration and are now just keeping the lights on. If you offer a messy environment that needs order, you attract builders. If you offer a stale environment with no project work, you attract people looking for a maintenance job. Be clear about where you are in the project cycle before they arrive.
- 01Moving from a maintenance role to a greenfield implementation project.
- 02Seeking ownership of the entire system architecture rather than just one module.
- 03Leaving a company where finance systems are ignored for a role with executive support.
06
Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?
Questions people ask
Should I hire a consultant or an employee?
Consultants work best for short-term migrations. Employees are better for long-term ownership and internal process support.
What is the biggest red flag during an interview?
If a candidate talks exclusively about software features without mentioning accounting impacts or financial controls.
Can I hire someone without a finance degree?
Yes, if they have deep experience in your specific ERP. However, they will need close supervision by a senior accountant.
How do I verify technical skills?
Give them a scenario involving a data mismatch and ask them to map out the steps to identify and fix the issue.