Unlock Key Connections with Qualified Job Candidates

Despite a recent bump in the unemployment rate, many businesses are still challenged when it comes to attracting and retaining qualified employees.

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Recently Founder and CEO of The Wilner Group, Maureen Wilner, sat down for a Q & A with CFO Intelligence magazine to offer some hiring and retention tips.


CFO lntelligence: We'll get right to the point: a lot of companies are hurting for good employees. What's the key to finding and keeping them?


Maureen Wilner: Many businesses are offering competitive salaries and benefits, but today, it takes more than that. More importantly, businesses need to look at other factors like their culture, flexibility, camaraderie, inclusion and training and development. These are always a part of the discussion.


Q: You mean like work from home arrangements?


A: It’s not always that simple. You have to balance the needs of the business with the needs of the employee. During the height of the pandemic, many companies went fully remote, and some stayed with that model. But then we saw larger companies enacting return to office policies, and then smaller companies followed. But again, the issue is balance. So, we suggest avoiding a “hard” two days out of office and three days in, where an employee can work from home as needed – perhaps if they need to leave early to pick up their child from school or day care, or if they need to take an elderly parent for a medical appointment. We’re seeing there are fewer and fewer candidates that look for 100% remote work; they’ve expressed that being in the office has so many benefits, building relationships and trust as well as earning the flexibility to work remote, as well as training and potential for promotion. For a company, the key is to clearly communicate your WFH policy.


Q: What else should companies be doing, besides offering competitive salaries and benefits?


A: Employees want to grow, learn and develop new skills, as well as take on more responsibility. Companies should be investing in training and development programs, with a goal of offering clear career paths to employees. These programs should also be a part of their performance management process.


Q: What about DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)? There’s been some controversy about that.


A: Companies that have a socially responsible culture tend to attract qualified people. But it has to be a real commitment. You can’t just say you’re “green” or support “inshoring or reshoring.” Your company should have an inclusive policy that respects everyone. DEI is still important to many candidates, and you can be certain that they are doing their research on a potential employer.


Q: What about retaining people? According to a 2024 survey by the American Society of Employers, the top primary reasons for turnover included better salary/compensation, lack of advancement opportunities, and access to remote work opportunities.


A: There are a few layers involved in retaining qualified people. Salary, of course, is important, but employees also want recognition, like a shout-out for a job well done. They also want frequent feedback on their job performance. The old standard of a 6- or 12-month review is no longer sufficient. Employees want to demonstrate their potential and understand their opportunity for promotion. Strong leadership plays and integral role in this and providing a roadmap engages the employee to demonstrate their abilities and potentially stretch themselves.


Work-life balance is also very important. Benefits like mental health support can make a difference, especially now, when people are very anxious about multiple. Issues, including childcare, eldercare and their own health.


Q: What do you see as some common corporate errors?


A: One recurring theme is a slow or inconsistent hiring process. Many businesses have not recognized the speed to market that we’re seeing in employment, especially given the low unemployment rate. Qualified candidates are getting multiple offers, and a company that is otherwise a good fit can lose out on recruitment opportunities if their hiring process is not efficient. But it’s even more than the hiring process, it’s the lack of communication or slow response. Our job is to keep the candidates engaged and we can only do so when we actively partner with the companies.


Q: Do these best practices vary for attracting and retaining CFOs and other executives, as compared to non-executive employees?


A: Everyone, at all levels, wants to develop and either have a mentor or serve as one. At senior levels, in particular, a C-Suite executive or other high-level individual wants to avoid a silo situation where their responsibilities are narrowly focused. The higher you climb, the more you want to get a clearer picture of your company’s entire operations. So, it’s important to ensure that senior-level jobs are designed to give that kind of 360-degree transparency and involvement. Succession planning is also important, especially for many mid-cap companies that have not adequately addressed this issue. Proper planning can enhance the career path for high-performing employees, and it gives them confidence in the company’s longevity.


Q: What are some steps that companies can take now to connect with the right candidates?


A: All companies aim to build a talented and effective workforce. Some of the steps they can take are to define clear job descriptions, utilize multiple recruitment channels, leverage employee referrals and build a strong employer brand.


Q: You have noted that women are underrepresented in the C-Suite, despite research indicating that companies with more women in top-level positions are more profitable, provide higher-quality customer experiences, and are more socially responsible. How are you helping client companies to tap into this underutilized demographic?


A: Well, the candidate needs to be qualified for the position. So, it’s important to hire the right person, regardless of gender or other attributes. We do help companies identify female executives by advising them about women’s leadership conferences, implementing bias training, review and revise policies, promote and acknowledge their women employees on the website or social media platforms.


Q: Why do you think more companies aren’t hiring more women CFO and other executive positions?


A: We are seeing less resistance to bringing women aboard for top positions but many hiring managers still get comfortable and look for white males to fill the CFO and other top positions. But we’ve also seen that some women need to take a break in their career, because they tend to have so many outside responsibilities, like childcare.


As companies navigate through the new business environment, they are finding that professionals like Wilner are invaluable allies in the journey.



Two people listening with tin can phones. Question marks above their heads suggest confusion.

The Candidate Experience: Why Communication Matters More Than You Think

February 20, 2026
In the 2026 Wilner Group Hiring Trends survey, employers told us that their company's "slow hiring process" sometimes kept them from getting the best candidates. They're right, but not for the reason they think. Yes, speed matters. Candidates lose interest when processes drag on too long. But the real culprit isn't the timeline itself; it's the silence during that timeline. Communication is the most critical component of entering into a trusting relationship with a potential hire. It starts the moment you receive a resume and shouldn't stop until there's resolution, one way or another. And when it suddenly stops, you’re sending a very strong message to candidates. Here are three tips to improve your communication with applicants throughout the hiring process. 1. Always Keep Candidates in the Loop When priorities shift or timelines change, just say so. A simple "We promised you'd hear from us this week, but it's going to be another two weeks" goes a long way. But companies don't always do this. Many go silent. As recruiters, we're the mediators trying to keep candidates engaged and clients on track. We sometimes make excuses for companies because we don't want candidates to feel ignored. Candidates call us and ask: "Isn't this a priority for them? Why aren't they getting back to you?" That’s unacceptable. There's no excuse for leaving candidates hanging. 2. Don't Give False Hope Here's another unfair practice: telling candidates at the end of an interview, "This went really well! We'll have next steps for you," and then passing on them. Don't give them false hope. If you're not ready to commit, just say, "You'll hear from the recruiter about next steps." And please: no ghosting. Even if someone wasn't your top choice, give them closure. "We loved you, but we went with someone whose experience aligned slightly better with our immediate needs. We'd love to keep you on our radar for future roles." That's all it takes to preserve a relationship with someone you might want to hire later. 3. Streamline Your Interview Process We hear from candidates all the time that they become disengaged if the interview process drags on. According to one recent study, nearly 70% of professionals lose interest in a job if they don't hear back from the employer within two weeks of the initial interview. If the candidate hasn't heard anything in three weeks, that number jumps to 77%.  Want to speed up your process? Limit your interviews for any role to three. Especially when you're working with an agency like ours; trust us, we've already done the initial vetting. Coordinate your interviews. Get two or three people in the same room if needed, but don't drag candidates back for a fourth or fifth round. When there are scheduling interruptions or endless callbacks, candidates are left with a sour taste. And they're probably interviewing elsewhere with companies who move faster. Think of the candidate experience as your reputation. When you work with a recruiting firm like ours, we pre-vet candidates and save everyone time. We negotiate compensation upfront and make sure there are no surprises. But we can only do so much. The rest is on you. You need to communicate clearly, move efficiently, and give candid feedback. Don't leave people wondering where they stand in your process. Because right now, every candidate you ignore is telling their network about the experience, and every drawn-out interview process is costing you top talent. Your next great hire is watching how you treat this one.
Three smiling people pose in an office. One sits at a desk, two lean against a wall.

Your Culture is Your Currency: How to Attract More Qualified Applicants

February 20, 2026
It's a question hiring managers ask constantly: "Why are we struggling to attract qualified candidates?" In the 2026 Hiring Trends Survey conducted by The Wilner Group, company executives overwhelmingly cited finding qualified candidates as their top hiring challenge for 2026. This didn't surprise us. But here's the truth: If you're seeing constant turnover after one or two years, if your job postings aren't getting responses, or if candidates ghost you after interviews, the problem may not be the talent pool. It could be your company culture. The good news? These are fixable problems. Let's examine three critical areas where companies lose out on top talent — and how you can turn things around. Your Culture is Your Currency You have to position yourself as an attractive employer. That means showcasing your culture through your website and social media platforms. I challenge candidates to research companies before applying. Look at the messaging, see how they appreciate their employees. If there's nothing there? That's a red flag. Do you highlight employee achievements, celebrate birthdays, and share team wins? These simple gestures create positive culture and don't cost much time or money. They show appreciation. When candidates dig into your company and see nothing, they assume you don't value your people. Companies that attract top talent understand that it's not about how much you're paying anymore; it's about what employees get out of working there: leadership, culture, growth opportunities, and recognition. If you're not offering that, or at least showing that you offer it, candidates will move on to companies that do. I also tell candidates to check Glassdoor. Yes, I take it with a grain of salt because dismissed employees tend to dominate the reviews. But if you see a consistent message around a negative culture, that tells you something. Commit to Continuous Learning Job hopping has become a thing since COVID, and that’s unfortunate. Companies didn't have training and onboarding programs for remote employees. People were onboarded haphazardly at best, expected to do a job while sitting on an island because they weren't in the office. So guess what happened? They got fired. It’s not entirely their fault, but it's complicated. If you're remote and trying to learn a new job, you really need to show initiative. You need to be engaged and connected virtually. But employers need to provide that training program, too. One of our fundamental principles at The WIlner Group is being a lifelong learner. Just because you trained me the first three months doesn't mean I shouldn't get a refresher every year. Companies should have something that engages employees to reach the next level. Look Around If you're experiencing high turnover or struggling to attract candidates, look at the companies that don’t have these problems. I can almost guarantee it comes down to leadership and culture.  The talent is out there. There are plenty of qualified, eager candidates who want to build careers, not just collect paychecks. But they're choosing companies that value them, show appreciation, and offer room for growth. Make these changes, and you won't just attract better candidates. You'll keep them. And that's when the real magic happens: when great people stay, grow, and become the foundation of something exceptional.

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