You want to hire a new director of finance but don’t know what to ask them in an interview. Hiring the wrong person for this important job can be very bad for the business.
You can avoid this by asking the right interview questions and taking a skills test in a relevant area, like accounting or financial management.
Below, you’ll find 20+ questions that can help you get to know candidates better. Using these questions can be beneficial to understanding their experience, skills, and personality.
We’ve also included our comments and sample answers to help you evaluate each applicant you interview.
Finance and accounting are central to the success of any organization. As such, hiring a skilled director to lead these critical functions requires asking the right interview questions.
You need someone able to manage complex budgets, oversee financial reporting, and provide strategic guidance. Their financial acumen and leadership abilities will determine how well they fulfill this influential role.
This guide covers the 25 most insightful director of finance and accounting interview questions to help assess candidates’ qualifications It provides sample responses and tips for identifying the best hires
Discussing Strategy and Financial Oversight
You want a finance leader able to connect operations to overarching strategy. Ask them:
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With what other executives would you work together to make sure that financial planning fits with long-term goals?
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What methods would you use to regularly monitor budgets and financial performance?
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How would you improve financial oversight and compliance processes?
Look for strategically-minded answers focused on enabling growth through financial visibility. They should demonstrate familiarity benchmarking performance and forecasting to guide decisions.
Evaluating Their Approach to Forecasting and Reporting
Accurate forecasts and timely reporting are fundamental. Ask candidates:
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Walk me through your approach to developing financial forecasts.
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What methods would you use to identify risks or inconsistencies in forecasts?
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How would you ensure accurate and transparent financial reporting?
Responses should cover leveraging data analysis, monitoring variances, communicating across teams, and upholding compliance standards.
Gauging Their Budget Management Experience
Handling budgets is a core responsibility. Ask questions like:
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What strategies do you use to build departmental budgets?
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How would you approach optimizing budgets to maximize investments?
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In what ways have you successfully reduced costs through budgets?
Look for demonstrated experience aligning budgets to business objectives and adjusting them based on changing needs.
Understanding Their Financial Analysis Abilities
Sharp analytical skills are essential. Ask them:
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How would you analyze financial statements to uncover opportunities for improvement?
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What key metrics would you track to gauge financial health?
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How have you used analysis to provide strategic financial advice to executives?
Strong answers will demonstrate their ability to derive insights from data to enhance performance.
Learning About Their Accounting Skills
While directors delegate tasks, accounting expertise still matters. Ask:
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How have you maintained your accounting skills throughout your career?
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What experience do you have overseeing external audits?
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In what ways have you improved financial accounting processes?
Look for up-to-date knowledge and leadership ensuring accounting quality and visibility.
Discussing Their Experience with Financial Systems and Tools
Modern directors must be tech-savvy. Ask:
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What financial systems or tools are you proficient with?
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How have you used technology to improve financial workflows or reporting?
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What factors do you consider when evaluating new financial tools?
Look for knowledge leveraging automation and data integration to provide accessibility while maintaining security and compliance.
Understanding Their Approach to Risk Management
Mitigating financial risks is a priority. Ask them:
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How do you identify and address risks related to financial management?
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What methods would you implement to reduce the likelihood of fraud?
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How have you successfully minimized financial risks at past companies?
The best answers will demonstrate proactive, systematic approaches to controlling threats through strong policies, audits, and analysis.
Learning About Their Communication and Leadership Style
Finance leaders must connect strategy across the organization. Ask:
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How would you communicate key financial information and guidance to executives?
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What is your leadership style and philosophy?
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How have you motivated finance team members to perform at their best?
Look for clear communication skills focused on transparency, collaboration, and development.
Assessing Their Executive Presence and Influencing Skills
Directors must interface with executives and stakeholders. Ask:
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How have you successfully influenced executives as a strategic finance advisor?
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How would you convince executives to support proposed investments or budget changes?
The best answers will highlight soft skills crucial for partnering with leadership, including relationship building, influencing, and executive presence.
Evaluating Their Cross-Functional Partnership Ability
Collaboration enables insight. Ask questions like:
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How have you successfully partnered with heads of other departments?
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How would you work cross-functionally to improve financial processes?
Look for answers emphasizing open communication, stakeholder input, and breaking down functional silos.
Understanding Their Hiring and Talent Management Approach
The best leaders develop talent. Ask them:
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What is your approach to hiring finance team members with the right skills?
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How have you developed the capabilities of your finance teams?
Answers should demonstrate they build well-rounded teams, establish growth opportunities, and champion continuous learning.
Discussing Challenges and Failures
Growth emerges from setbacks. Ask candidates:
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What is the biggest financial mistake you have made in your career? How did you recover?
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Tell me about a time you failed to meet a financial goal. What did you learn?
The best responses will show humility, accountability, and the ability to reflect on mistakes to strengthen future performance.
Evaluating Problem-Solving Abilities
Challenges will emerge. Ask candidates:
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Tell me about a complex financial issue you have tackled. How did you approach and resolve it?
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When presented with vague or limited data, how do you prioritize decision-making?
Look for creative thinking and evidence-based approaches. They should focus on synthesizing information at hand while seeking needed data.
Understanding Their Industry Knowledge
Experience in their specific industry is invaluable. Ask candidates:
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How does our industry’s financial practices and needs differ from others you have worked in?
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What familiarity do you have with our competitors and suppliers from a financial perspective?
Targeted industry expertise indicates better strategic vision and contextual decision-making.
Determining Cultural Fit
Finance leaders must embody company values. Ask:
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How would you exemplify our organization’s culture through your leadership?
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What qualities do you believe are most important in fostering an ethical finance team?
Look for alignment to principles of transparency, integrity, and accountability.
Gauging Their Self-Awareness
Self-aware leaders recognize weaknesses and seek counsel. Ask:
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In what areas do you feel you have room for improvement as a finance leader? How do you strive to enhance these skills?
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Under what circumstances have you had to seek expertise from others to supplement your own knowledge?
Answers demonstrating humility and continuous improvement are ideal.
Uncovering Motivations for the Role
Passion drives excellence. Ask them:
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What makes you excited to take on the challenges of this director role with our organization?
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Where do you see this position leading you professionally in the next 3-5 years?
Look for ambitious yet realistic responses. They should be eager to apply their skills and grow in the role long-term.
Discussing Their Greatest Career Accomplishments
Past successes indicate future performance. Ask them:
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What financial accomplishments from your career are you most proud of?
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What strategies led to your biggest wins?
The best answers will highlight data-driven outcomes benefiting the business through improved financial management.
Determining Their Readiness for Leadership Growth
Development is continual. Ask:
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How will this director role expand your leadership skills?
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What specific training or development would help prepare you for this position?
Ideal responses will show they are eager to learn and lack ego about strengthening their management abilities.
Asking insightful, well-rounded questions is crucial for identifying directors ready to excel in finance leadership roles. Look for strategic thinkers with the communication skills and technical expertise to translate financial data into sound guidance. With an experienced leader at the helm of your finance function, your organization is well-equipped to pursue growth grounded in financial visibility. What questions do you rely on to hire finance directors? Let us know!
1 Tell me about a major challenge you’ve had to overcome.
There are many ways to assess problem-solving skills, but this is a great question for all candidates.
Expect the discussion might branch in a different direction with each person. Some interviewees might talk about a problem they solved in their personal life, while others might talk a lot about their job in finance.
As long as their answer tells you more about who they are and how they deal with problems, neither type of answer is better than the other.
People who are most qualified will talk about what they learned from the challenge and how it helped them get better.
How would your previous employer describe you?
The best candidate should be honest and open, and they shouldn’t use this question to say something bad about their boss or disagree with what they think.
Instead, look at how they approach the question. When candidates answer, you should pay attention to whether or not they seem to be choosing to leave out anything negative and whether or not they change the subject quickly.
Different people will give you different answers, but this question should help you learn more about their work history and how they might work with senior management.
3 most frequently asked accounting interview questions
FAQ
How to prepare for a director of finance interview?
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