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Controller Interviews

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Controller Interview Questions

"When hiring a controller, a company will look for candidates who have the business mindset, accounting experience, and essential soft skills to oversee the entire accounting department. Before interviewing for a controllership, prepare to answer questions not only about your knowledge of accounting, but also about your management strategies, communication skills, and knowledge of business operations."

Top Controller Interview Questions & How to Answer

Question 1

Question #1: What would you do if you found a discrepancy in a document an executive provided?

How to answer
How to answer: A controller reports to the top of the management hierarchy. The individual may report directly to a board of directors or a CEO. With this question, your interviewer wants to know how you'll handle a sensitive matter such as this one. Think about ethics. The company interviewing you will want you to demonstrate strong ethics in handling sensitive information.
Question 2

Question #2: Can you tell me about a time you set up accounting or financial controls?

How to answer
How to answer: In answering this question, focus on how you've set up controls at previous jobs to prevent fraud and errors. The interviewer wants to know how your knowledge and skills will improve the company you're interviewing for, especially regarding reducing fraud and financial mistakes. If you don't have previous experience setting up controls, mention industry standards and briefly talk about how you will successfully implement controls for the company in question.
Question 3

Question #3: What is your approach to working with your financial team?

How to answer
How to answer: Highlight your leadership skills as you describe how you work with other financial professionals. Let the interviewer know that you can balance motivating a team to work while insisting on financial accuracy. Demonstrate your soft skills because controllers need to see the big picture, the details, and the financial team's operations.

6,841 controller interview questions shared by candidates

Questions, in approx order, were: -What do you know what about the company? (Straightforward) -Talk us through your CV. (Requires some confidence, and applies a bit of pressure if you don't have it in front of you). -Why did you apply to this company? (straightforward) -What do you think are your strengths? (again, straigh tforward) Finally, they asked my salary expectations, which I had cleared with HR prior to the interview (why waste my time otherwise?) but I know are on the high side. One of the two interviewers seemed shocked
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Credit Controller

Interviewed at AVASK Global Compliance

3.2★
Sep 16, 2021

Questions, in approx order, were: -What do you know what about the company? (Straightforward) -Talk us through your CV. (Requires some confidence, and applies a bit of pressure if you don't have it in front of you). -Why did you apply to this company? (straightforward) -What do you think are your strengths? (again, straigh tforward) Finally, they asked my salary expectations, which I had cleared with HR prior to the interview (why waste my time otherwise?) but I know are on the high side. One of the two interviewers seemed shocked

How would I build and budget for a new product that we were going to build. They dug in on what problem solving techniques and assumptions I would make before starting the analysis and then talking through a hypothetical deliverable.
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Controller

Interviewed at Policygenius

3.1★
Sep 6, 2017

How would I build and budget for a new product that we were going to build. They dug in on what problem solving techniques and assumptions I would make before starting the analysis and then talking through a hypothetical deliverable.

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Glassdoor has 6,841 interview questions and reports from Controller interviews. Prepare for your interview. Get hired. Love your job.