12 Essential Financial Controller Interview Questions *

The candidate should be able to explain cogently a process for ensuring that errors are minimized. This will come down to a combination of technical skills for navigating spreadsheets and an understanding of the interconnectivity between accounting statements. Exceptional candidates do not eschew responsibility, nor pass blame onto others.

Among other potential examples:
1. GAAP is rules-based, and IFRS is principles-based.
2. IFRS prohibits the use of last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventory accounting methods, GAAP rules do not.
3. GAAP requires financial statements to include a statement of comprehensive income. This element is optional under IFRS.

This is entirely subjective and can provide clues to the candidate’s vision and ambition. It is also a less obvious way of assessing how they stay up to speed with developments of their profession (and accreditations).

Assess for a broad mix that has a correct blend of both behavioral and technical qualities. One specific red flag would be for answers that would indicate a preference for hiring staff that - from either a technical or behavioral perspective - would be seen as “unthreatening” to the candidate’s position.

An enlightening answer is one that stresses the need to delegate and empower other team members but where there are suitable checks and balances that are in place. From a technical perspective, the use of control sheets in spreadsheets to organize assumptions together and precedent/dependent formula auditing are direct examples of actionable processes.

This inquiry sheds light on the cognitive abilities of the candidate to understand the commercial output of their business, and also on their objectivity. For example, if their answer includes elements of self-conducted research, alongside sitting with internal product teams, it highlights that they challenge - and verify - the base assumptions that they are provided.

Another example of probing into the commercial mindset of the applicant and how naturally it comes to them to try and improve efficiency and strive for commercial excellence, despite their role traditionally being seen as a process-led, back-office function.

Pay attention to the criteria used to prioritize work. Good points are when it is assessed based on timing, commercial importance, and spillover benefits to other priorities. Negative points would be when an arbitrary/subjective hierarchy is followed, such as the seniority of who the request is for.

The answer can be anything, so long as it’s not a very standard function (i.e., =SUM) of the software. Look more for how they can explain technicalities without visual aid and their elaboration on how learning such features helps them save time and/or work more efficiently.

Controllers can meet resistance from commercial team members that are looking to meet targets and book deals that may just solely suit their agenda. An effective controller is both inquisitive, persistent, and brave enough to get to the bottom of issues. Their answer should emphasize more the parts of how they worked to resolve the conflict in a professional manner, with a clear path toward a more amicable relationship going forward.

Controllers may find themselves in difficult situations where they are trying to appease the needs of commercial units and their responsibility to file objective accounts. Assess for a convincing progression through the STAR framework - situation, task, action, and result. Pay specific attention to action and result aspects, more so over any salacious details of the situation.

An insightful answer will shed light on how the applicant views ethics in their profession and how they reconcile situations in accordance with their responsibility.

A controller’s role will be constantly evolving due to new accounting standards and the general evolution of the business area that they work in. A proactive candidate that keeps abreast of changes to policies and industry macro trends demonstrates that they are more of a proactive worker than a reactive follower.