There’s a moment in almost every client conversation where the brief sounds clear, logical, and already decided - “We need an Accounts Payable person.” Straightforward, right?

But over the years, I’ve learned that what a business asks for and what it actually needs are often two very different things. This week, I sat down with a client who is experiencing strong growth. Their finance function was under pressure, and their instinct was to hire an Accounts Payable Officer to manage the increasing volume of transactional work. On the surface, it made sense. More invoices, more workload, more hands required. But good recruitment isn’t about taking orders. It’s about understanding the business behind the brief. 

As we unpacked their structure, workflows, and future plans, a different picture emerged. The real issue wasn’t just volume, it was oversight, prioritisation, and financial visibility. There were gaps in decision-making, reporting, and process ownership that a transactional hire simply wouldn’t solve. In fact, bringing in an Accounts Payable Officer first would have risked reinforcing the very bottlenecks they were trying to fix. What the business actually needed was a more senior finance professional, someone who could take ownership, introduce structure, and create clarity. Someone who could not only manage the function but elevate it. The recommendation was simple: build the right foundation first. Once that senior capability is in place and embedded, then it makes sense to layer in support roles like Accounts Payable. At that point, those hires become enablers of scale, not temporary fixes to deeper issues.

This is where true consultation comes into play. Recruitment, at its best, is not transactional. It’s strategic. It requires business acumen, experience, and the confidence to challenge assumptions. Because the cost of getting it wrong isn’t just a misplaced hire, it’s missed opportunity, inefficiency, and stalled growth.The right hire, at the right time, in the right structure, can fundamentally change the trajectory of a business.That’s why we’ve built our People Advisory offering at Alexander Appointments. It complements our recruitment delivery by ensuring we’re not just filling roles, we’re helping shape the structures, capabilities, and strategies that drive long-term success.

Because sometimes, the most valuable thing we can do for a client isn’t to say yes to the brief, it’s to ask the right questions.

If you’re about to hire and something doesn’t quite feel clear, trust that instinct. I’m always happy to sit down and help you gain clarity on what your business needs before you make the investment.