My favorite question to ask Finance & Accounting candidates is: "What do you like to do for fun on the weekends?" This gives me an idea about what they could possibly be in the market for from a company culture perspective. It also helps build a collaborative relationship between the candidate and myself. In many ways, I can relate and that really solidifies our relationship and builds trust amongst each other!
What is an accomplishment that you are most proud of in your accounting/finance career? This gives people an opportunity to share something that is not on their resume. It allows them to show confidence and gives them self-esteem; to showcase their abilities outside of the job duties/description. The answer to their question shows hiring managers how they work, how they may have been able to think outside of the box, and can paint a picture of the person before they meet them. People love to talk about accomplishments, and hiring managers love to hear them!
Finding out what truly motivates a candidate not only aids in finding them the right job, but also helps the candidate have to think deeply about their passions and reasons for making a career change. Since life changes can be difficult for many individuals, finding the trigger for that particular person helps ensure the new opportunity will not only be exciting, but will have a long lasting positive result.
What are you hoping is different in a new job compared to your current job? I like to ask this question because not only does it help me understand their motivation for leaving but it will also open up the conversation to discus counter offers. I will know if the candidate is passively scanning the market or if they are actively looking to leave their current job. This allows allows me to understand if they are just looking for a salary increase or a better job fit for them.
I like to ask candidates 3 things they like and 3 things they dislike about their manager, because it tells me about their work style, what would be a good environment/management style in their next role, and if they like to work on a team or as an individual. This also gives me insight into their personality so I can better match the candidate and client together.
One of my first questions to nearly every candidate is “Tell me a little bit about yourself?” This is a powerful question for a multitude of reasons. It first allows the candidate to let their guard down and have some friendly rapport before diving into deeper questions. This gives me a chance to get to know them on a more personal level outside of career focused questions. Many times, this leads to learning why a candidate truly might be seeking a new opportunity. Building good rapport is the key to building a strong relationship which is mutually beneficial for both parties.
"Tell me about the last project you successfully completed on a team of 3 or more people?" This will tell you some of the following attributes and more: Is he/she collaborative What is this person's thought process when working to complete a project How did he/she react to obstacles If he/she is deadline driven, if he/she took a leadership role on the team or if the person opted to be an individual contributor, if the person presented, and more.
One of my favorite questions to ask is: What sets you apart from every other Accounting and Finance professional that does what you do? It is important for candidates to highlight their key accomplishments effectively and the value they bring to an employer. They should think about this ahead of time and be ready to sell their skills confidently.
I love this question because you get to know the candidate on a more personal level. You start understanding what really motivates and drives them, which will lead to a much deeper career discussion. This business is about relationships and those start with first phone call, so lets make them as valuable as possible.
When asking this question it allows the candidate to talk about the impact they have had on their company and/or department. It gives you the opportunity for follow up question to learn more about their background and character. Since it is not a common question it can catch candidates off guard which also gives you a glimpse of how quickly they can think on their feet.