© 2012 Robert Half Management Resources. An Equal Opportunity Employer. Benchmarking the Finance Function 2012: How Does Your Company Measure Up?

What We’ll Cover Today 2 Summary of survey findings How data can help benchmarking and target areas for improvement Staffing challenges Get full report at

Background 3 50-question survey of 262 financial executives U.S. respondents: 64%; Canada: 25%; France: 11% 65% private; 22% public; 10% nonprofit; 3% government 76% of respondents have annual revenue under $500 million

If benchmarks suggest you’re out of line with other companies, you may need to improve … Technology Business processes Staffing approach What Does It Mean? 4

5 Number of Internal Staff 5 Number of Internal Finance Staff

6 Cost of Internal Finance Staff 6 Cost of Internal Finance Staff as a Percentage of Revenue

7 Allocation of Staff 7 Allocation of Finance & Accounting Staff Replace w/Fig. C

8 Number of Hours Worked 8

9 Use of Temporary Staff 9

10 Flexible Staffing 10 Changes in Number of Temporary, Interim or Contract Professionals Based on Workload

11 Accounting Standard 11 Accounting Standard

12 Financial Statement Preparation Number of Business Days to Produce Draft Financial Statements by Company Size & Location Number of Business Days to File Financial Statements With Regulatory Agency by Company Size & Location

13 Outsourced Functions 13 Outsourced Functions by Company Size & Location

14 Shared Services Functions 14 Functions Within Shared Services Centers by Company Size & Location

15 Shared Services Locations 15 Locations of Internal Shared Services Centers

16 Internal Controls 16 Ownership of Internal Controls

17 Cost of Compliance 17 Cost of Compliance

18 Compliance Influences Rising costs? Additional regulations Audit fees and requirements Increased business complexity Labor costs Globalization Decreasing costs? Increased competition among CPA firms Standardization of practices Use of technology Systems and process improvements

19 Compliance Influences 19 Factors That Might Ease Compliance Burden

20 Challenges 20 United States Controlling costs/doing more with less Regulatory requirements and compliance Staffing Canada Accounting standards and regulations System efficiencies Staffing

Two job markets Challenging to hire: 67%* Build in recruiting time Multiple offers, counteroffers more common Quick hiring required * Robert Half survey of more than 4,000 executives 21 Staffing: Not That Easy

22 Think of everyone as a recruiter Encourage employees as ambassadors Network online Use referral programs Recruiting the Best: Enlist Employees

Keep compensation on par or higher Consider bonuses, if needed Top candidates need a reason to change jobs Make them an offer they can’t refuse 23 Recruiting the Best: Offer Competitive Compensation

Recruiting the Best: Work with a Specialized Recruiter Specific experience Expansive networks Access to the most skilled professionals, including passive candidates Industry alliances 24

25 Other Benefits of Flexible Staffing Protect jobs Reduce burnout Complete projects on time Cost-effectiveness

26 Finding the Right Mix The best approach is a blend Full-time staff Interim professionals Increase your staffing flexibility

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