You’ve got the shortlist and you have your eye on a favorite. Everything will depend on the interview, though. It’s the moment you can probe the personality and experience of your candidates.
To do these things you’ll need the right finance manager interview questions. Here’s what to ask.
Roles, Operations, and Behavior
These are the three most important areas to test. Candidates should have an understanding of the role. You also need to be confident about how they’d operate their department and the style they’d bring to the job.
Three Key Questions About Roles
1. ‘Giving examples from your own experience, can you define the differences between a manager and a leader?’ This allows you to be sure they know that they’ll have to plan and organize as well as connect and empower staff as a leader.
2. ‘How would you evaluate the progress of the organization, and what markers would you use?’ Businesses need measurable targets. This question allows candidates to explain how they would calculate the success of the company.
3. ‘In your most recent role, how did you help the company grow and improve its profitability?’ Candidates will need to give evidence of achievements. Ensure examples are translated into tangible profit and ROI for their company.
Three Key Questions about Operations
1. ‘You’ve realized a colleague’s made a serious mistake. You know it could have a detrimental effect on the company. What do you do?’ Candidates need to know when to refer up. You need to be sure you can trust them to do this.
2. ‘What was the biggest failure you had in your most recent roles?’ This allows you to gather evidence of how they would deal with difficult situations. Whatever the failure was, it needs to end with a positive outcome.
3. ‘What are the essential elements to make a successful financial department within an organization?’ This question lets candidates explain how they’d manage the department they’d be running.
Three Key Questions about Behavior
1. ‘Can you give an example of how advice you’ve given to your superiors has resulted in greater profits and revenue?’ Answers can throw light on how candidates like to be managed and if that fits with the core values of the company.
2. ‘How would those reporting to you describe your management style? What type of work culture works best?’ Through this question, you’ll get a sense of what impact the personality of candidates will have on the way they run the department.
3. ‘How would you deal with difficult or underperforming staff and how would you reward success?’ You need to be sure you have happy staff who are treated fairly. The answer to this question will shed light on how candidates intend to achieve this.
The Best Finance Manager Interview Questions
Once you’ve seen all the candidates you can add up the scores you’ve given their answers. Getting those answers requires asking the right finance manager interview questions. Stick to the ones above and you’ll find a winner.
Read more on our blog about how we can match the right candidates to run your business successfully.