Whether you’re hiring to fill openings in your accounting department or for mission-critical projects and cyclical needs like tax season and year-end close, you’ll want to be prepared for the interview.
Certified Public Accountants (CPA) perform general financial transactions, monitor bookkeeping activities, and conduct regular audits to make sure documents, expenditures, and investments are accurate.
Ideal candidates for this role will hold an Accounting or Finance degree along with a CPA certification.
Here are 16 questions every hiring manager should ask:
If you missed the deadline for paying our company’s taxes, what would you do? How would you inform your manager if we had to pay a fine, in this case?
How would you help a manager decide if an investment was a good idea?
Tell Me About Your Background.
What Accounting Processes Are You Most Familiar With?
What Is Your Technical Experience With Accounting Software?
How would you set up an internal control system for processing invoices?
If you had to explain a financial procedure to a non-financial audience, how would you ensure they understand all the details? For example, tell us in plain terms about the process of preparing a department’s budget.
What accounting software have you used? What features increase your productivity?
How do you check large datasheets for accuracy?
Describe your familiarity with accounting standards such as FASB and GAAP.
What information and tools do you need to create an annual tax return forecast?
Describe a time when you helped your company or a client decrease costs.
How do you keep up with tax law changes?
Recall a time you analyzed financial risks and prevented senior executives from making a bad investment.
How do you stay motivated while doing repetitive tasks, like processing invoices?
Describe a time when your attention to detail saved you from making a mistake at work (e.g. in a report.)
Let us help you find the right candidate.