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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

- what is Zalando Lounge - why Zalando? why not Mercedes-Benz? why not Bosch? - why you're a good fit to this position - why you're not a good fit to this position - what kind of leader that you want to work with - what kind of leader that you want to avoid - what soft skills that you can bring to the team - what is your career plan - are you more comfortable in being an expert of an area or becoming a team leader - case questions (VBA & Excel)
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Junior Controller Lounge

Interviewed at Zalando

3.6★
Oct 9, 2017

- what is Zalando Lounge - why Zalando? why not Mercedes-Benz? why not Bosch? - why you're a good fit to this position - why you're not a good fit to this position - what kind of leader that you want to work with - what kind of leader that you want to avoid - what soft skills that you can bring to the team - what is your career plan - are you more comfortable in being an expert of an area or becoming a team leader - case questions (VBA & Excel)

General Questions (Common for all three interviews): 1. Why Deutsche Bank? 2. Why Accounting? 3. What are your future career/academic plans? 4. CV based questions- much focused on the certified courses I had on my resume and the finance internships I had done previously. 5. Where do you see yourself in the next 2 years.
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Financial Controller

Interviewed at Deutsche Bank

3.8★
Feb 20, 2021

General Questions (Common for all three interviews): 1. Why Deutsche Bank? 2. Why Accounting? 3. What are your future career/academic plans? 4. CV based questions- much focused on the certified courses I had on my resume and the finance internships I had done previously. 5. Where do you see yourself in the next 2 years.

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