Most companies look for people who will work well with their teams and their customers, but the new survey by specialty staffing service Acountemps shows that these people skills are at the top of chief financial officers' wish lists.

Thirty-one percent of the 1,400 CFOs interviewed by the company said people skills could help them make a decision between otherwise similarly qualified candidates. That is a significant change from five years ago when people skills was mentioned by only 1 percent of participants.

Unlike other qualifications, a good personality is tough to highlight in a resume. Instead, Accountemps encourages job candidates to try to stand out during the interview process.

"Be courtesy and polite to everyone you meet, not just the person who is interviewing you. That carries a lot of weight, because a hiring manager will ask a receptionist or other interviewers," Accountemps Senior Vice President Shannon Gray said.

She encourages candidates to try to be natural in their conversation with the hiring manager and to find common ground with the employer.

"Work in your personality. Show them that you can communicate well with the hiring manager," Gray said.

Accountemps says it is also valuable for job seekers to describe business situations where they were recognized for their teamwork or for inspiring others to perform at a high level.

Candidate defining skills

CFOs were asked, "If two candidates interviewing for an accounting or finance position had similar skills, which one of the following additional qualifications would you find most valuable?"

Personality or people skills................................2009: 31% 2004: 1%

Software/technology knowledge............................ 2009: 27% 2004: 33%

Industry-specific experience................................... 2009: 20% 2004: 41%

Certification or advanced degree........................... 2009: 11% 2004:15%

Multilingual skills ................................................... 2009: 4% 2004: 7%

International experience.......................................... 2009: 4% 2004: 3%

Editor's Note:

The national study was developed by Accountemps, a division of Robert Half International. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on more than 1,400 telephone interviews with CFOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees. For the study to be statistically representative and ensure that companies from all segments are represented, the sample was stratified by geographic region and number of employees. The results were then weighted to reflect the proper proportions of the number of employees within each region.