Searching for a finance director for your company may seem daunting, as you likely want your interviewees prepared for several technical questions related to banking, investing, and accounting. Before interviewing your next finance director candidate, mull over the finance director interview questions below.
Top 7 Finance Director Interview Questions
Have you ever felt your work changed the financial future of the customers you served?
While it is important to be well-versed in the technical aspects of finance, your ideal candidate is compassionate, friendly and able to connect with clients and customers. A great candidate should be well-read on your mission statement. Furthermore, the candidate should be able to articulate why he or she wants to work for you. Why does the candidate care about the financial future of your customers? Dig deep to reveal experience, expertise and above all, drive.
Offer a sample call with a customer. Allow the candidate to role play (perhaps a caller wishes to invest in a stock that a neighbor recommended. Ask the candidate to advise.).
If you’re hiring someone to give financial advice on behalf of your company, you want to make sure the candidate can deliver cautious and sound advice to any potential clients. Use this quick, fun scenario as a way to evaluate the candidate’s ability to give financial or investment advice. Is the candidate personable and knowledgeable? A simple phone conversation can help you discover that.
How do you picture yourself getting involved with the company and our clients?
An excellent financial director candidate would have formulated a vision when entering the interview room. What does he or she envision as finance director, if offered the job? How would past coworkers and clients describe working with this candidate? (Be sure to conduct a reference check after the interview to confirm any claims.)
Imagine upper management asks you to tell them whether your company should continue offering a certain product. How would you go about it?
A top-tier finance director would be able to pinpoint what it takes to provide a worthy product from a financial perspective. Would the candidate first look at sales numbers next to production and advertising costs? This situational question is one of the best finance director interview questions, as it reveals the candidate’s analytical nature and knack for planning ahead. If the candidate decides not to continue offering the product, you might then ask how he or she might launch it more successfully.
Reflecting upon your financial and accounting experience, recall a difficult situation you encountered while managing team members or leading a project.
Can the candidate learn from negative experiences? Can he or she juggle managing teams and leading projects and come out successful? After enduring difficulties throughout a project, how did it turn out? This will show you if the candidate is a true team player.
What size budget have you managed in the past, and what size budget are you open to managing?
As one of the best finance director interview questions, this invites the candidate to discuss prior experience and abilities. A seasoned candidate would likely have managed both small and large budgets.
What financial news do you read? Share a recent story that piqued your interest.
The ideal candidate keeps up with financial happenings (markets, stocks, technologies, etc.). Find out his or her go-to news outlets, and then inquire about a specific story that recently captured the candidate’s attention. A finance director can’t afford to ignore news that pertains to his or her role.
If you’re looking to hire a quality finance professional, TruPath can help find the best fit for your company. What other finance director interview questions would you add to this list? Let us know!
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