As a hiring manager, it’s easy to get bombarded with too many accounting or financial candidates, which can become cumbersome to manage. To weed out the best candidates from mediocre candidates can be time consuming, especially in the interviewing process. This is because candidates have become wise to the types of general interview questions asked of them, and they often prep in advance with in-depth research of the company. So, it can be difficult to know if a candidate is worth his salt, until weeks on the job.
To better evaluate candidates, along with other forms of checking, be sure to throw a few non-traditional interview questions in for accounting and financial professionals, to see if they can meet the challenge. This can be a great way to ask candidates to think outside of the box, and to demonstrate their true abilities and personality. Here are a few to consider:
What is your favorite book, and why? An excellent ice-breaker, this non-traditional interview question can open up dialogue for any financial candidate. This question invites the candidate to share more insight into their interests, which may be surprising given the type of assignment. The kinds of books people read often indicate their intellectual ability, as well as how well they will fit in with an existing team structure.
How do you choose what to do first when you arrive at work? One of the best non-traditional job interview questions, asking the candidate to provide information about how he or she prioritizes work tasks is critical to being successful on the job. Most candidates will say something about checking their calendar or doing tasks that are assigned to them by their boss, but the best candidates will indicate being self-managed and driven to accomplish multiple tasks first thing in the workday.
If you had a million dollars, how would you use it? Candidates often dream about being wealthy someday, especially those who work in the financial sector. When you ask this non-traditional interview question for financial candidates, the answers you receive can shed a lot of light on each candidate’s personality. Those who say they will spend it all may be careless, while those who say they would invest the money or better their community tend to be more careful with money matters.
Where do you want to be in five years? This has been a very effective non-traditional interview question for candidates, because it asks each person to evaluate where he or she wants to go in life and in career. In terms of a specific finance or accounting job, it means the candidate must relate personal goals to the company itself. Look for answers that indicate a candidate’s willingness to adapt and grow with your organization.
For more help with interviewing candidates for finance and accounting roles, be sure to look to the career experts at Venteon staffing today!