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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

You have two investment options: 1)50% debt/50% equity 2)70% debt/30% equity. Which investment option do you choose, i.e. which spread of the two options, and would you invest in the debt or equity. They then explained that you can ask any questions, but this was the only preliminary information that was given. It was clearly an exercise to better understand my thought processes surrounding such decisions.
avatar

Analyst - Finance (Controllers)

Interviewed at Goldman Sachs

3.7★
Dec 28, 2014

You have two investment options: 1)50% debt/50% equity 2)70% debt/30% equity. Which investment option do you choose, i.e. which spread of the two options, and would you invest in the debt or equity. They then explained that you can ask any questions, but this was the only preliminary information that was given. It was clearly an exercise to better understand my thought processes surrounding such decisions.

Can you walk me through a time when you discovered a material discrepancy or control weakness in the fund’s financials or operations? How did you identify it, what steps did you take to resolve it, and what changes did you implement to ensure it wouldn’t happen again?
avatar

BDC Controller

Interviewed at Goldman Sachs

3.7★
Apr 15, 2025

Can you walk me through a time when you discovered a material discrepancy or control weakness in the fund’s financials or operations? How did you identify it, what steps did you take to resolve it, and what changes did you implement to ensure it wouldn’t happen again?

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