
Fast-growing companies tend to hit a point when their finance team can no longer keep up with the increased complexity of the function. Reporting quality, close speed, controls, or all of the above suffer, and you have to act quickly to resolve it, or else your bench will take on too much load, and you’ll have to step back into execution mode.
For most finance leaders, the default option is familiar: write a job description, post the role, interview candidates, and hope the right person can come in and stabilize things. It’s the path everyone knows. But it’s also the path that often takes the longest, and carries more risk than it appears on paper.
This is where the comparison between MAVI and traditional job posting becomes real. The question isn’t which option is more conventional. It’s which one actually gets you to higher reporting standards, faster execution, and less disruption.
Traditional Job Posting
Posting a job feels decisive. It signals action. You’re “fixing the problem” by hiring someone permanent to own it. In theory, the upside is clear: long-term ownership, cultural integration, and a clear box on the org chart.
In practice, finance leaders often encounter a different reality.
Hiring through a traditional job posting means you’re committing upfront before you fully know what the role needs to be. Job descriptions are written based on assumptions, not lived reality. By the time the person starts, the business has shifted, expectations have evolved, and the role is already misaligned.
Even when the hire is strong, there’s a long ramp. Reporting doesn’t magically improve in the first 90 days. The close still relies on existing processes. And if the hire isn’t the right fit, you’ve lost months and credibility before you can course-correct.
Whether or not to hire isn’t the question here. It’s if the traditional route is the smartest move for a problem that’s hitting right now.
The Hidden Cost of “Waiting It Out”
One of the biggest risks with job posting is time. You’d assume that a job posting will immediately get you hands, but in truth, finding, vetting, interviewing, and onboarding new hires takes time. While the role is open, your team continues operating under strain, reporting gaps persist, leadership confidence erodes, and you absorb more operational work than you should.
Once the seat is filled, the clock doesn’t stop. The new hire still has to learn the business, untangle legacy processes, and build trust. During that period, most finance leaders end up compensating by reviewing more closely, jumping into details, and filling gaps themselves.
When finance leaders compare MAVI vs job posting, this hidden cost of waiting is often what tips the scale. They’re not just buying talent; they’re buying time. MAVI matches companies with high-quality candidates, often with ex-Big 4 backgrounds and all with US GAAP knowledge and advanced English proficiency, in as fast as five days.
MAVI vs Job Posting
The core difference between MAVI and a job posting isn’t permanent versus temporary. It’s immediacy and flexibility.
With MAVI, finance leaders get access to experienced, US-caliber global finance and accounting talent who can step in quickly and start owning real work without waiting for a multi-month hiring cycle to play out.
Instead of designing the “perfect” role in advance, teams can see what actually needs fixing in real time. That clarity often reshapes what the eventual full-time hire should look like, or whether one is even needed yet.
Many CFOs use MAVI specifically because they want to stabilize the function now, improve reporting quality immediately, and avoid making a rushed long-term hire under pressure.
Execution vs. Potential
A job posting optimizes for potential. You’re betting that the right candidate will come along and eventually deliver the outcomes you need.
MAVI optimizes for execution. You’re engaging people who have already done the work; experts who have closed books under pressure, cleaned up reporting, operated inside imperfect systems, and supported leadership teams through scrutiny.
When the pain point is active – missed deadlines, messy reporting, audit friction – potential doesn’t relieve pressure. Execution does. That’s why many finance leaders evaluating MAVI vs job postings start by reviewing candidate profiles. Seeing real experience, not just resumes, makes it easier to assess whether someone can walk in and immediately raise the bar.
Flexibility as a Control Lever
Traditional hiring is binary: you hire, or you don’t. Once the offer is signed, you’re locked in. MAVI offers a different control mechanism. Finance leaders can scale support up or down based on real needs without committing to long-term overhead before the function is ready.
This flexibility is especially valuable when you’re still untangling root causes. Many teams discover that once reporting is stabilized and processes are cleaned up, the org design they originally planned no longer makes sense. Flexibility isn’t about avoiding commitment. It’s about locking in higher-value engagements later on, based on actual business needs aligned with
Mis-Hire vs. Managed Exposure
Every finance leader has a mis-hire story. Senior finance roles are expensive, visible, and hard to unwind. A job posting concentrates risk in one decision. If it’s wrong, the cost is high and slow to reverse.
MAVI distributes risk. You’re not betting everything on a single permanent hire. You’re engaging proven operators, with clear scopes, who can deliver value immediately. If needs change, the model adjusts. For leaders under board or investor scrutiny, that risk profile alone is often decisive.
Continuity After Stabilization
One concern finance leaders often raise is continuity. What happens once things are “fixed”?
In practice, many teams use MAVI as a bridge. The function stabilizes. Reporting improves. Processes mature. Then, with clearer insight, leaders decide whether to hire permanently, restructure the team, or continue with flexible support. The key difference is that those decisions are made from a position of control, not urgency.
That’s why MAVI isn’t just an alternative to job posting. It’s often a smarter first move before posting a job at all.
The Bottom Line
When evaluating MAVI vs job posting, the real question isn’t which option feels more familiar. It’s which one reduces risk, accelerates impact, and gives you the most control over outcomes.
Job postings are a bet on the future. MAVI is a solution for the present that informs the future.
For finance leaders under real pressure to improve reporting, close quality, and operational confidence, that distinction makes all the difference.
Cut down hiring times and gain leverage from new hires that can support execution from day one – book a call to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MAVI a replacement for hiring full-time finance leaders?
Not necessarily. Many teams use MAVI to stabilize and improve the function before making a more informed permanent hire. A lot of finance leaders start with a part-time hire with MAVI, then later transition into a full-time person when the fit continues to make sense.
Will external talent really understand my business?
MAVI’s talent is selected for their ability to operate in new environments quickly, especially in complex, high-expectation finance functions. This gives you confidence that they can plug into your workflows and systems seamlessly, and understand your business just like an in-house hire.
Is MAVI just short-term help?
It can be. MAVI can provide teams with part-time accountants and FP&A professionals to work on short-term projects or help during workload spikes. But many teams extend support as needs evolve, as their engagement needs adapt with the business.
How fast can MAVI actually make an impact?
Often within the first close cycle. Immediate ownership and execution are core to the model.
Why not just try a job posting first?
Many CFOs do, but often realize that it’s taking too much time and digging through too many resources, all while their existing team gets increasingly stretched thin. Hiring with MAVI cuts down the hiring process to as fast as 5 days, and places seasoned professionals into the team immediately so that work can go on as usual.