Honesty can be a job seeker’s most valuable asset. In a recent survey, 58 percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) polled said the qualities that impress them most about job candidates, aside from ability and willingness to do the job, are honest and integrity, an increase of 26 percent compared to five years ago.

The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with more than 20 employees.

CFOs were asked: “Other than ability and willingness to do the job, what is the one quality that impresses you the most about a candidate during a job interview?” Their responses:

Quality Valued	2002	1997
Honesty and integrity	58 percent	32 percent
Enthusiasm	14 percent	29 percent
Verbal skills	12 percent	28 percent
Professional appearance	7 percent	3 percent
Sense of humor	1 percent	3 percent
Other/Don’t know	8 percent	5 percent
Totals	100 percent	100 percent

   “While honesty and integrity have always been highly valued, these qualities are obviously top of mind for financial executives in the current business environment,” said Max Messmer, chairmen and CEO of Robert Half International Inc. and author of Managing Your Career for Dummies® (Hungry Minds, Inc.).

“In particular, employers recruiting for accounting and finance positions are looking for professionals who can implement sound accounting practices and help their organizations comply with new corporate governance standards,” Messmer noted.

Joanie Kamp, Robert Half Finance & Accounting regional manager added, “During interview, job seekers who are able to cite specific examples of handling sensitive situations with diplomacy and integrity have a distinct advantage in today’s competitive employment market.”.