There’s never been a more critical time for your business finance function. An uncertain economy clashing with business growth plans, new reporting, and tight budgets mean businesses can thrive or fall based on the quality of their finance professionals.
But how do you know top talent when you see it? Which finance interview questions can help you find the gem you’re looking for? Our recruitment experts share their insights on all this and more.
Finance interview questions
Soft skills/cultural fit questions
Can you share an example of how you’ve influenced financial decision-making? Ask a question like this to uncover your candidate’s communication skills, ability to secure buy-in, and ability to influence key decision-makers or stakeholders.
Can you share an example of how you’d communicate complex financial information to non-finance stakeholders or colleagues? This question showcases your candidate's communication skills, their teamwork skills, and how they adapt their communication style.
How have you helped colleagues or team members cope with high-pressure periods or projects? Emotional intelligence is a highly sought-after soft skill. Asking questions that explore how your candidate has given support, championed well-being, or shown compassion can give valuable intel on how well they’ll fit your team and culture.
Technically based questions
Can you discuss your experience with financial auditing? Isolating a key skill from the job description can help you determine how qualified a candidate is in core aspects of the role remit.
How have you adapted your financial planning processes to account for economic uncertainty? Questions exploring a candidate’s ability to help the business adapt quickly can reveal a lot about their mindset, industry knowledge, and problem-solving skills.
Can you share an example of a time you identified and addressed a compliance issue before it impacted the business? Questions like this can uncover how vigilant and proactive your candidate is regarding risk, compliance, and security.
Competency-based questions
Have you ever experienced conflicting financial priorities, and if so, how did you approach the situation? Questions like this explore a candidate’s communication skills while demonstrating their ability to make difficult decisions while keeping key priorities in sight.
Tell me about a situation in which you identified financial inefficiency. How did you solve the issue? Cost reduction is a key concern for many businesses; questions like this can be used to probe your candidate's ability to identify opportunities for better cost savings.
How have you used financial data to influence business strategy? Can you give any recent examples? In-demand finance candidates can use data and analytics to inform strategy; questions like this reveal how skilled your candidate is with data, analytics, strategy, and communication.
Red flag answers to look out for
Lack of clarity
Answers that lack clarity can be jargon-heavy, vague about details, or overly long and rambling with no clear structure. In today’s workplace, the ability to explain complex finance concepts in plain English is vital (and shows a thorough understanding on the candidate’s part!). Excellent communication skills are always key!
One-dimensional thinking
This is a big one to look out for, especially if you’re trying to build a future-proof, forward looking finance team. Answers that showcase a candidate’s inability to take a balanced or nuanced approach could be cause for concern, especially regarding risk management, cost-cutting, and data analysis.
Outdated knowledge
You can identify candidates with outdated knowledge by asking questions targeting new reporting or regulatory standards. Finance professionals who can give detailed and knowledgeable answers regarding new industry developments will likely have a forward-thinking mindset and be committed to learning and development.
