Interview guides

Accounting Professionals

Hire finance experts fluent in accuracy, analysis, and financial software.

Accounting Clerk
  • Have you worked on full-cycle accounting or specialized in specific areas?
  • Are you familiar with general ledger reconciliations?
  • Tell me about a time when attention to detail was critical. How do you minimize errors?
  • Describe your role in month-end or year-end processes.
  • What accounting processes have you improved or automated in past roles?
  • How have you helped increase revenue, reduce cost, or save time for your employer?
Accounting Professionals Initial Questions

Career Motivation & Background

  • Why did you choose to pursue a career in accounting?
  • What is your academic background in accounting?
  • What licenses, credentials, and certifications do you possess? How do they benefit you in your profession?
  • If you could create your own job description for two years from now, what would it look like? Please include your top five responsibilities.

Professional Knowledge & Standards

  • How do evolving regulations in accounting standards affect your role today?
  • What criteria have you used to evaluate the reliability of financial data you receive?
  • What does the term “creative accounting” mean to you in today’s environment?
  • What internal controls have you implemented or monitored to comply with SOX or other regulatory requirements?

Communication & Teaching Skills

  • Give an example of a time when you had to explain a complex accounting or financial process to a team member. How do you simplify concepts for non-financial colleagues?
  • From an administrative standpoint, do you write correspondence (letters, emails, etc.) in your current role?
  • Would you describe your correspondence as professional or casual?
  • How effective is your written communication?

Tools, Technology & Workload Management

  • What is your proficiency with MS Excel, ERP systems, and AI-powered accounting tools?
  • How do you balance daily responsibilities with external audits or compliance reviews?
  • How do you stay organized when managing multiple priorities or tight deadlines?
Accounts Payable (AP)
  • Explain the AP cycle as you’ve experienced it.
  • How do you manage invoice deadlines and calendar priorities?
  • On average, how many invoices have you processed daily/weekly/monthly?
  • Describe the most complex invoice issue you’ve had to resolve.
  • Have you disputed or escalated invoices? How did you approach it?
  • What steps do you take before approving an invoice for payment?
  • Have you ever missed a payment deadline? How did you correct the situation?
Accounts Receivable (AR)
  • Please detail your AR responsibilities.
  • Why is strong AR management critical for business success?
  • Describe how you’ve resolved a challenging AR recovery.
  • What steps do you take to collect overdue invoices, and when do you consider them bad debt?
  • How comfortable are you making collection calls? Which techniques work best?
  • How have you managed billing disputes?
  • How do you handle insufficient funds received from a customer?
Asset Management
  • What types of fixed assets have you managed?
  • Have you valued intangible assets? If so, how?
  • What are the journal entries in an asset’s lifecycle from purchase to retirement?
  • Have you managed asset retirement obligations (ARO)?
  • How do you choose depreciation methods in different scenarios?
Auditing and Assurance
  • Have you worked on compilation, review, and audit engagements?
  • What industries or business lines have you audited?
  • What internal controls have you tested, and how did you ensure objectivity?
  • Share a time you uncovered a small detail that revealed a major audit issue.
  • How do you handle situations where clients delay information?
  • How do you approach auditing unfamiliar areas?
Education and Certifications
  • Do you hold a CPA designation (CA, CGA, CMA streams)?
  • Prior to pursuing CPA, what was your highest level of education?
  • Are you currently working toward a CPA designation or other credentials (CFA, CBV, CIA, etc.)? At which stage are you?
  • What additional certifications or learning have you completed in the last 3 years (e.g., data analytics, AI in finance, ESG reporting)?
Cost Accounting
  • What manufacturing or product costs have you analyzed?
  • How did your work impact pricing or profitability?
  • Have you estimated costs for new products?
  • What systems and methods have you used for cost allocation?
  • Tell me about a major error or dispute you uncovered in cost reporting.
  • How do you meet tight deadlines for weekly or monthly cost reporting?
  • Describe your approach to analyzing overhead spending for management decisions.
Financial Analysis and Reporting
  • Which accounting principles have you applied most (IFRS, ASPE, NFP standards)?
  • Describe your experience preparing financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow).
  • Which financial statement is your favorite to analyze, and why?
  • What has been your role in fiscal year-end (reconciliations, GL review, tax strategy)?
  • How do you determine depreciation methods for new fixed assets?
  • What profitability models or forecasting methods have you used?
  • What systems/tools do you use for financial reporting (Excel, Power BI, Tableau, ERP modules)?
  • Have you worked with external auditors? What did you learn from the experience?
Forecasting and Budgeting
  • What role have you played in annual budgets and quarterly forecasts?
  • Describe a time you developed a forecasting tool/report.
  • How do you apply cost-benefit analysis to support decision-making?
  • Have you had to enforce budget discipline? How did you do it?
  • Can you manage budgeting for multiple departments simultaneously?
  • Share a time your analysis influenced a strategic decision.
Payroll and Benefits
  • How many employees have you processed payroll for (weekly, biweekly, monthly)?
  • Did your payroll duties include attendance or vacation tracking?
  • Do you have experience reconciling payroll GL accounts?
  • How have you handled employee pay disputes or errors?
  • What processes do you use to stay organized with deadlines?
  • How familiar are you with employment law, benefits, and pension compliance?
  • What is the purpose of a T2200 form?
Property Accounting
  • What types of properties have you supported financially?
  • Were you responsible for GL maintenance, HST returns, reconciliations, and reporting?
  • How many properties can you effectively manage at once?
  • Have you determined whether expenses should be capitalized or expensed? Provide an example.
  • Were you responsible for property tax billings and shortfall analysis?
Soft Skills for Accounting Professionals

Attention to Detail & Accuracy

  • Tell me about a time you caught an error in financial data or a report before it caused a problem. How did you identify it?
  • What processes or habits do you use to minimize mistakes in your work?
  • How do you balance the need for speed with the need for accuracy?

Communication & Collaboration

  • How do you explain complex financial concepts to non-financial colleagues or clients?
  • Describe a time you had to deliver difficult financial information (such as budget cuts or audit findings). How did you handle it?
  • What steps do you take to build strong working relationships with auditors, tax authorities, or other external stakeholders?

Integrity & Ethical Judgment

  • How do you handle situations where you are asked to “make the numbers look better” but doing so would compromise compliance or ethics?
  • Have you ever identified unethical practices in accounting? What steps did you take?
  • What does professional integrity mean to you as an accountant?

Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking

  • Give me an example of a time you resolved a discrepancy in financial records. What steps did you take?
  • When you encounter conflicting data from different sources, how do you determine which is correct?
  • Describe a time you used your analytical skills to recommend a financial decision. What was the impact?

Adaptability & Learning Mindset

  • How do you stay current with changes in tax laws, accounting standards, or new technology?
  • Tell me about a time you had to quickly learn a new accounting system, ERP, or reporting tool.
  • What is your approach to learning emerging tools like AI and automation in accounting?

Time Management & Organization

  • Month-end and year-end reporting often comes with tight deadlines. How do you organize and prioritize your workload to meet them?
  • What strategies do you use to manage multiple tasks (audits, reporting, payroll) at the same time?
  • Tell me about a time you worked significant overtime — how did you maintain accuracy and productivity?

Teamwork & Leadership

  • How do you support team members who are struggling with complex tasks?
  • Have you ever trained or mentored a junior accountant? What was your approach?
  • How do you contribute to a positive team environment during stressful reporting periods?
Software, ERP & AI in Accounting

Accounting & ERP Systems

  • What accounting software have you used (QuickBooks, Sage, CaseWare, FreshBooks, etc.)?
  • What ERP systems have you worked with (Oracle, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Workday)?
  • Have you participated in ERP conversions or integrations? Describe your role.

Excel & Data Management

  • What is your proficiency level with Excel?
  • Which advanced Excel functions do you use regularly (PivotTables, Power Query, macros)?
  • How do you use Excel or spreadsheets to validate data accuracy?

Data Visualization & Reporting Tools

  • Have you used business intelligence or visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau) for financial reporting?
  • How do you design dashboards or reports for non-financial stakeholders?

AI & Automation

  • Have you used Robotic Process Automation (RPA) or AI tools to streamline AP/AR, reconciliations, or audit preparation?
  • How do you validate accuracy when using AI-driven forecasting or anomaly detection tools?
  • What’s your perspective on AI in accounting — more of an opportunity, or more of a risk?
  • How do you ensure ethical use of AI in financial reporting and decision-making?
Taxation
  • What experience do you have with corporate, personal, and trust tax returns?
  • Have you worked on tax audits, appeals, or compliance issues?
  • How do you stay current on tax law changes (federal and provincial)?
  • Have you handled M&A due diligence or cross-border taxation?
  • How do you manage client compliance with international tax treaties?
Treasury Analyst
  • What methods have you used to manage cash flow, surpluses, and shortfalls?
  • Describe a time you presented forecasts to management. What feedback did you receive?
  • How have you contributed to liquidity planning or investment strategies?

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