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Financial Manager Interview Questions

Financial Managers look after an organization’s finances and are also involved in
financial planning and risk management. When hiring a Finance Manager, look for
someone with significant experience in their field. They must be comfortable making
(and advising on) financial decisions. You’ll want to ask questions to determine their
knowledge of accounting, planning, budgets, and risk management. See our
question templates for Financial Controller and Treasurer for more ideas.

Here’s some fantastic interview questions we suggest for hiring a Financial Manager:

 Tell me about your experience preparing and managing budgets.

 What has been the biggest budget you’ve managed to date?

 How has your previous experience prepared you for this role?

 What has been most significant financial advice you’ve ever given, and what
was the outcome?

 Are you comfortable making and advising on important financial decisions?

 Tell me about your experience with risk management.

 Are you comfortable creating and presenting financial reports?

 Can you tell me about a time you had to communicate to executives that an
error/loss had occurred? What happened? What did you learn from this
experience?

 Are you comfortable working independently and having this level of

responsibility? Please explain why.

 What is your ideal process for setting up budgets?

 What is working capital?

 Please name three types of financial statements and describe their purposes.

 What appeals to you the most about this position?

 

Sample Answer

Why Should We Hire You? 5 Best Answ...x

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Why Should We Hire You? 5 Best Answers
“Completing my education in the finance major made me highly interested in pursuing my
career as a finance manager. I am looking forward to making the most out of my skills and
knowledge. Working with your reputed organization will allow me to excel in my career and
have an insightful journey.”

2.    Shed Some Light on Your Working Experience

as a Finance Manager.
Here, the interviewer wants to know about your past jobs and experiences as a finance
manager. He will assess your skills and know if you hold up to their standards.

Tip 1: Read the job description before you appear for your interview and relate it with your
past experience.

Tip 2: Your answer should reflect on how you brought value to the company. 

Sample Answer

“As a finance manager with ABC Company, I worked on numerous projects. I was
responsible for preparing the financial plans and strategies for projects, keeping the records,
and leading my team to rational decisions. I always managed to meet the deadlines, which
helped the company minimize their expenses and maximize their earnings.”

3.    How Can You Benefit our Company with Your

Knowledge and Skills?
By what you answer, the interviewers will try to assess the value you can bring to their
company.

Tip 1: Highlight your skills and knowledge areas.

Tip 2: Your answer should demonstrate how you can be a beneficial asset to the company. 

Sample Answer

“Throughout my career, I have always focused on improving my skills and knowledge. Time

management, transparent communication, and a planned schedule are my priority areas.
These help me fulfill my roles and responsibilities efficiently and effectively. I believe I can
help this company maximize the profits with my utmost dedication.”

4.    Why Do You Think Financial Management is

Important for a Company?
From your answer, the interviewer will assess if you are pursuing finance management as a
career simply to earn or because you share the same perspective as core objectives and
principles of financial management.

Tip 1: Relate your ideas with the objectives of financial management.

Tip 2: Highlight the legal significance of financial management for business.

Sample Answer

“Financial management is important for every company, no matter what scope, as it helps run
a business successfully. Enough supply of funds, managing shareholders’ ROIs, framing
financial policies, filing tax returns, and fulfilling legal requirements, and ensuring financial
control helps a business meet organizational and legal demands.”

5.    Can a Company be in a Huge Trouble but Still

Show Positive Cash Flows?
Here, the interviewer wants to judge how well you know the techniques and tactics of
maintaining the organizational reputation to ensure you do not lose existing clients.

Tip 1: Answer by your knowledge and experience.

Tip 2: Offer at least two options/ways.

Sample Answer

“It is definitely possible for a company to reflect positive cash flows but actually be in huge
financial trouble. While there are several ways to do so, two significant ones can be by
showing improvements in working capital (by selling inventory but delaying payables) and
including a lack of revenues in the pipeline. These can largely help a company save its public
reputation in the hour of need.”

6.    If You Ever Disagreed with Your Superior, How

Did You Manage the Situation?
A good finance manager might have a conflict with superiors but always handles the situation
ethically and professionally. Here, the interviewer is trying to judge your ethical and
professional values as a finance manager.

Tip 1: Include an example of your past experience that ended well.

Tip 2: Explain how you would handle the situation positively.

Sample Answer

“I once disagreed with my executive regarding the financial plan for a project. However, I
calmly discussed it with my bosses and together came up with a solution that would benefit
the company more than it would benefit us individually. As an employee, I always keep a
professional and respectful attitude towards my superiors.”

7.    How Would You Handle a Mistake Made by

Your Subordinate at a Critical Time During a
Project?
Sometimes, a small mistake at a critical time can put the entire project at stake. Here, the
interviewer is trying to analyze your attitude as the team leader and how you would react
towards a subordinate’s mistake.

Tip 1: Your answer should reflect a positive and encouraging attitude. 

Tip 2: Explain how you would ensure the mistake does not happen again.

Sample Answer

“I always plan my projects in a way that there is enough room to face any such challenges. If
my subordinate commits a grave mistake, I will try my best to show him what and where he
did wrong, how he can avoid it next time, and engage him in a short exercise as a practice
before letting him work on the same thing again.”

8.    What is Strategic Financial Management?

Here, the interviewer is trying to evaluate your knowledge regarding financial management.

Tip 1: Give a brief answer.

Tip 2: Explain the significance and how it works. 

Sample Answer

“Strategic financial management is all about managing the finances of a company under a
sound strategy. It helps achieve the company’s goals and objectives while increasing profits,
ROIs, and shareholder value.”

9.    Describe Your Role as the Finance

Team/Department Leader.
Here, the interviewer wants to judge is you are capable of leading a team or a department.

Tip 1: Your answer should demonstrate your team management and leadership skills.

Tip 2: Offer a realistic explanation.

Sample Answer

“As the leader of a finance team, I will make sure that I fulfill my responsibilities timely to
make my team follow the same path. I will ensure transparent communication to keep
everyone on the same page. With my positive and flexible attitude, I will maintain a
professional environment.”

10. How Would You Eliminate Errors while

Recording Financial Documents?
Here, the interviewer is trying to assess your risk and error management skills.

Tip 1: Enlist ways to eliminate human errors.

Tip 2: Offer a realistic explanation.

Sample Answer

“To eliminate human errors, I recommend using reliable software and ensure double-

checking. Also, I will make sure the responsible team member does not have a lot of
workloads.”

11. How Helpful is a Cash Flow Statement to a

Company?
 By what you answer, the interviewer will know how valuable you think a cash flow
statement is.

Tip 1: Explain the significance of a cash flow statement. 

Tip 2: Be precise!

Sample Answer

“A cash flow statement is largely helpful in recording the liabilities and assets of a company
and helps evaluate a company’s financial state.”

12. Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

Here, the interviewer wants to know your ambitions and objectives as a finance manager. It
helps the interviewer judge if your goals align with the company’s outlook.

Tip 1: Enlist your goals and objectives.

Tip 2: Be realistic.

Sample Answer
“In 5 years, I see myself working as a finance manager with a reputed organization. I look
forward to gaining enough skills and experience to offer enough value to my career and each
project I take part in.”

13. How Do You Manage Your Time as a Finance

Manager?
By what you answer, the interviewer will evaluate if you are good at time management as it is
one of the most important skills for a finance manager to acquire.

Tip 1: Your answer should demonstrate that you are a punctual individual.

Tip 2: Describe your time management approach.

Sample Answer

“I believe in following a schedule to make sure that things get done on time. I include must-
do tasks in the initial hours of the day while leaving the rest for later.”

14. How Would You Manage to Meet a Tight

Deadline?
Here, the interviewer wants to know how well you can handle a tough situation.

Tip 1: Describe your approach briefly.

Tip 2: Your answer should reflect that you have a confident and positive attitude.

Sample Answer

“I usually start off by making a quick plan to sort out things according to the available time
and resources. I would break down the tasks into small deliverables and prioritize them as per
the requirements.”

15. What Tools and Equipment Have You Previously

Used as a Finance Manager?
By what you answer, the interviewer wants to know if you have a good know-how of
financial management tools and software.

Tip 1: Enlist the tools and equipment you have used.

Tip 2: Show that you are good at operating the tools.

Sample Answer
“I learned to use various financial management tools, including software during my
educational years, such as Oracle, Tibero, and Microsoft SQL. As a finance manager, I have
been using Oracle for the past few years and have a good grip at SQL.”

16. How Good Are You at Preparing Financial

Reports?
Here, the interviewer wants to evaluate your efficiency with reporting tasks.

Tip 1: Your answer should demonstrate your knowledge of financial reports.

Tip 2: Share your practical expertise.

Sample Answer

“Preparing financial reports is something I did the most during my educational years. As a
finance manager, I have a great experience with preparing financial reports. My knowledge
helps me understand reporting tools with great accuracy and efficiency.”

17. What is the Difference between Earnings per

Share and Diluted Normalized Earnings per Share?
The interviewer wants to test your theoretical knowledge here.

Tip 1: Answer precisely.

Tip 2: Focus on explaining the difference well.

Sample Answer

Earnings per share (EPS) and diluted earnings per share help in calculating the companies’
profitability. However, EPS only includes common shares, while diluted EPS also account
for convertible securities like convertible bonds and preferred stocks.”

18. Differentiate between Free Cash Flow to Firm

(FCFF) and Free Cash Flow to Equity (FCFE).
Here, the interviewer wants to evaluate your theoretical understanding of significant terms in
finance management.

Tip 1: Always revise technical terms before the interview.

Tip 2: If you do not know the exact differences, answer with your understanding.

Sample Answer

“FCFF does not include the interest expense and net debt repayments, whereas FCFE
includes both of these factors to measure levered free cash flow.”
19. What Do You Understand by Interest Rate Swap?
Here is another technical question to understand your knowledge.

Tip 1: Share your understanding.

Tip 2: Answer professionally.

Sample Answer

 “Interest rate swap helps companies exchange their interest rate payments. These are really
helpful when one company wants a variable interest rate while others prefer a fixed-rate
payment. Length and terms of the swap are the most significant factors in an interest rate
swap.”

20. What Do You Know About Working Capital?

By what you answer, the interviewer will judge your understanding of terminologies used in
everyday financial management.

Tip 1: Give a confident answer. The interviewer does not demand a theoretical definition but
a practical understanding.

Tip 2: Stay precise.

Sample Answer

“Subtracting current assets from current liabilities gives the working capital. It acts as the
financial statement and tells how much cash the business has, including receivables and
inventory. It also gives a good idea of the liabilities that need to be paid off in the next 12
months.”

Conclusion
These are but a few financial manager interview questions that you need to prepare yourself
before attending an interview. Hopefully, these interview questions for finance managers will
help you land your next dream job.

Finance Manager Interview Questions & Answers

 

Table of Contents
 Why have you decided to apply for this particular job?
 Tell us something about your working experience. (Tell us more about the job you had
with ABC company.)
 What do you want to accomplish working as a Finance Manager?
 Tell us about a time when your knowledge helped your past employer to save money.
 Where do you see yourself in five years time?
  Describe a time when you had to meet a tight deadline (preparing budget, report,
presentation, etc).
 If one of your subordinates made an error, how would you handle it?
 What do you expect from your subordinates, and from your superiors as a finance
manager?
 Other questions they may ask you in a finance manager job interview
 Summary and next steps

Why have you decided to apply for this particular job?

Try to talk about the value you can (and want to) bring to their organization as a Finance
Manager. You can explain how your education and previous experience prepared you for
the role, how all jobs you had, and skills you gained while doing them, helped you to
understand the life of an organization in terms of cash flow and profit and loss.

You can also refer to their company, the products/services they offer to final customers,
their excellent reputation, values and goals, a great perspective for the future, or simply
to anything that motivated you to apply with them, and not with some of their
competitors, or with a completely different organization.

Tell us something about your working experience. (Tell us

more about the job you had with ABC company.)
The more you can relate to their industry and type of business, the better your chances
to succeed in this interview. Now it doesn’t mean that if you worked as a Financial
Analyst in a big retail store you do not have a chance to get a job of a Finance Manager
at school.
Because, at the end of the day, you work with budgets and forecasts and reports, and of
course with people, in both places. The key is to explain the connection of the two,
because hiring managers may struggle to see it. Of course, experience from the same
type of organization is always a plus.

Try to keep it brief though. Name a position, a few key duties you had (ideally relevant
for your new job), and one or two things you achieved in your work (for the organization,
not employee of a month award or some similar badge you earned).

What do you want to accomplish working as a Finance

Manager?
Try to talk about things you want to accomplish for your employer, and not only for you.
Typically you will have access to balance sheets and cash flow statements of the
company, for at least the last five years (in most modern world countries companies are
obliged to share the documents publicly, and you will find it on a website of a
governmental institution responsible for tax collection).

Study them in detail, and point out some areas for improvement, and particularly what
you want to accomplish in these areas. Obviously not everything is clear from the
financial documents, and you may need to ask them some follow-up questions in an
interview. But the bare fact that you studied the cash flow and balance sheet will make
impression on the interviewers.

Tell us about a time when your knowledge helped your past

employer to save money.
You have plethora of options in this case. You can talk about a managerial decision,
when you understood that some employees (accountants, financial analysts) working
under you were doing a bad job. Replacing/relocating/training/firing these people, you
helped your employer to save money.

Another good answer would refer to your accounting skills. Choosing the right method
of depreciation, or planning expenses properly in various fiscal terms, according to
profits of the company and their business plan, can also lead to significant cost
reduction (in terms of taxes paid).

You can also tell about a case when you reviewed a budget for a particular
project/department, spotted expenses that weren’t necessary, reduced them and again
saved money for your employer.

 
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
Try to connect your future with their company. If you apply for a finance manager job in
a school, smaller non-profit, or other similar organization, the best you can do here is
saying that you’d like to work as a Finance Manager in five years time—ideally in their
business.

Finance Manager is sometimes the highest, or even the only role they have in their
Finance & Accounting department, hence it makes no sense to talk about promotion
here. Not getting promoted doesn’t equal to stagnation, however.

You can say that you hope to become better in everything you do—reporting, analyzing,
forecasting, managing, communicating, and grow as human being and professional
manager, while helping their organization to progress and achieve their goals.

Situation changes when you apply for a job with a bigger corporation. Then you can aim
for a position of a Financial Controller or even Finance Director in five years time. Do
not be afraid to be ambitious. You won’t progress to these roles unless you do a
tremendous job as their Finance Manager, and that’s exactly what they hope for. Hence
it makes a perfect sense aiming for future promotion…

* Special Tip: To know how to answer a question, and to come up with a great answer
on a big day, when facing a panel of interviewers, are two different things. Have a look at
a new eBook I published, the Finance Manager Interview Guide. Multiple premium
answers to 25 most common finance manager interview questions will help you stand
out and outclass the other job candidates in this competitive interview. Thank you for
checking it out!

 
Describe a time when you had to meet a tight deadline
(preparing budget, report, presentation, etc).
Once again, your attitude matters more than the situation you narrate. Show the
interviewers that you do not panic under pressure, that you know how to prioritize your
work, do not mind staying overtime if necessary, and always do your best to meet the
deadlines.

You can even talk about a situation when you failed to meet a deadline (if that’s the one
that stayed in your conscious memory). The key is to show them that you tried your very
best, and did not panic.

If one of your subordinates made an error, how would you

handle it?
Errors belong to the work of an accountant and financial analyst. Even the best
accountants I had a honor to work with in my life made some mistakes (and they
typically realized their mistakes a few hours or a few days later).

Show the interviewers that you have the right attitude to your colleagues. You can say
that you would explain them the error, why it occurred, show them how to avoid it for the
next time, and give them a short test exercise to ensure that they understood the issue
clearly, and won’t repeat the same error.
What do you expect from your subordinates, and from your
superiors as a finance manager?
You have several options for a good answer to this question. First one is saying that you
have high expectations on one person only—on yourself. The hiring managers have for
sure done their job well, getting the right people onboard. It is not your duty to judge the
qualification or motivation of your colleagues.

You will focus on your job and duties, giving your 100% at work each day, and trying to
be attentive to the needs and feelings of your colleagues, in order to maintain good
relationships in the workplace. This applies especially to your superiors.

Speaking about your subordinates, you will try to guide them in work, and you expect
them to take care of their duties, and to try hard—following your example.

Another option is referring to communication. You can say that you hope to
get constructive feedback from both your superiors and subordinates. And they should
be receptive to such feedback from your end.

As long as people communicate openly together across the organization, regardless of

their position within the corporate hierarchy, and everyone tries their best, the financial
department and the entire organization will thrive…

Other questions they may ask you in a finance manager

job interview
 Why did you leave your last job? (Why do you plan to leave your present
job?)
 Tell us about a time when you used logic to solve a problem.
 What’s your experience with bench-marking studies?
 How do you ensure that the company meets all compliance obligations?
 Describe a crisis of motivation you faced in one of your former jobs.
 Describe the situation in which you were able to use persuasion to
successfully convince someone.
 Have you ever worked on a project that was a failure?
 Describe a time when you struggled to build relationship with someone
important.
 What are your salary expectations?
 …

Special tip: If you are not sure how to answer the questions, or experience anxiety
before your interview, have a look at a new eBook I publishede, the Finance Manager
Interview Guide. Multiple brilliant answers to all 25 questions (included the dreaded
scenario-based questions) and winning interview strategies will help you streamline your
preparation, relax, and outclass your competitors in the interviews. Thank you for
checking it out!

Summary and next steps

Finance manager is a prestigious job title, and you will always compete with
other people for the position. In most cases you will interview in front of a small panel,
consisting from upper managers and some HR people. External recruiter may also be
present.

They will use a combination of personal and behavioral questions, trying to get a good
grasp of your personality and motivation, of your accounting,
finance and communication skills.

The discussion about your working experience, especially any jobs you had within
finance & accounting, will also form an important part of this interview.

Your success (or failure), however, is not question of luck. Prepare for the questions
from this article, research about the company, and learn how to make a great impression
on the interviewing panel. The more time you devote to your preparation, the better your
chances to succeed will be. And if you struggle to figure it out, consider hiring an
interview coach or check our specialized eBook.

Thank you, I wish you good luck!

Matthew Chulaw, Your personal interview coach

FINA N CE MA N AG ER IN TER V IEW

Q U ESTION S
Researching common interview questions can be helpful, especially if you have
not given many interviews.

However, they can only go so far, and eventually, you will have to answer job-
specific questions.

To help you prepare as much as you can, we have compiled a list of questions
you may encounter when interviewing for a finance manager position. We have
given a sample answer to give you inspiration for writing your answer.
1. Why did you choose a career in financial management?

I chose a career in financial management because I wanted to join a

respected and trusted profession that helps firms make tough
decisions about their company’s direction. I felt such a position would
allow me to make a valuable contribution to an organization.

I joined this field because I can use these skills in any industry, and I
was attracted to its versatility. Businesses will always require financial
managers to keep their bottom line in mind and keep their operations
running smoothly.

2. What makes a good financial manager, in your opinion?

A good financial manager is someone who is not only adept at

working with and synthesizing data but also someone who
has excellent management skills.

They will often be working as the lead of a finance team or

department, so they should have data analysis skills, attention to
detail, and the ability to manage and motivate others.

To be a good finance manager, you will need to work well with data

sources and people.

3. Why do you think financial management is important for a

company?

Financial management is important for a company because it allows

them to make money-smart decisions at every turn, which in the long
run will make them more competitive in their industry and help them
create manageable growth.

No matter the industry, financial success determines a firm’s future,

and finance managers are tasked with creating and managing that
financial success, making them integral parts of
any business organization.

4. What do you believe is the most important leadership skill, and

how would you bring it to this role?

I believe the most important leadership role is communication.

Completing projects on time, ensuring your team is in the loop, and
avoiding errors require proper communication skills.
 I will encourage my team members to communicate with one another
and with myself by creating an atmosphere that encourages open and
honest communication, making it easier for errors to be identified and
fixed faster and preventing errors from occurring.

5. How do you handle tight deadlines?

I handle tight deadlines by keeping a current calendar

and planner and breaking up tasks into smaller pieces to keep them
more manageable.

I also try to remain as flexible as possible, adjust my priorities when

needed, and change plans when more pressing tasks come along.

6. What software have you used previously?

I have experience with Quickbooks and Xero, but I am a fast learner,

and I could easily pick up new software.

7. How would you go about explaining a complicated financial

concept to someone who doesn’t work in finance?

Whenever I try explaining a complicated financial concept to another, I

always think back to how I was taught this concept, and I use this as
my model for teaching others.

I also make every effort to avoid a condescending tone, as this can be

offensive to others and does not help productivity.

I believe that anyone can understand finances if given the proper

tools to do so.

8. When making a financial decision that will have a large impact,

what factors do you consider?

First, I do my research, and I make sure I have all of the information

available. I evaluate the options I have, analyzing the benefits and
costs of each. Then I consider the impact this decision will have on the
firm’s finances, the clients we are serving, and our employees.

I believe it is important to consider the impact this decision will have

on people, rather than just considering the financial impact.
 While there are tough decisions to be made, I find that measuring the
effect it will have on our clients, and our employees helps me make
decisions that are better for everyone in the long run.

9. How would you describe your management style?

I believe I am a manager who wants to be a team member rather than

a boss or superior. My management style is centered around creating
a collaborative, friendly atmosphere focused on doing the best work.

I believe this management style creates a more productive

environment and allows for more work to be done. I also find that this
management style creates happier employees, and happier
employees tend to create higher quality work.

10.What experience do you have in this and other industries?

I have experience in the insurance industry, where profit margins are

particularly narrow, which has made me more aware of money-saving
techniques. I also have experience working in the automotive
industry and retail.

11.How would you handle a disagreement with a superior?

I would first start an open discussion with the superior, explaining our
points of view.

If I find that neither of us can be persuaded to the other’s position, I

would try to find an area of shared ground and propose a
compromise that would make us both happy with the outcome.

No matter the disagreement, I would always remain respectful of

my supervisor and recognize their decision-making capabilities. They
are the ones who have the final say.

12.How would you motivate your team members?

I would motivate my team members by reminding them that we are

all in this together, have a common goal, and others depend on them.

Working in teams increases accountability, and people are more likely

to produce quality work when they are a part of a team.
 In this case, motivation would come from a desire to avoid letting
others down or keeping others waiting.

13.Tell me how you have improved financial situations in past

positions.

In my most recent position, I improved the process by which financial

reports are generated, allowing them to be completed quicker and
more accurately.

I was also able to reduce costs by running a large-scale audit of the

company’s expenses, identifying where we could make changes, and
making budgeting recommendations to my superiors.

14.What is your opinion on automation and A.I. in finance?

I believe technology such as A.I. and automation can be a great tool,

as they can complete processes faster, generate reports with ease,
and identify errors when they are made. Having access to the right
technology can also help prevent calculation errors that one can make
in traditional processes.

I believe that automation and A.I. are the next steps for the industry,
and we must use them to our benefit rather than resisting change.
While I do not believe that automation will replace the need for
human employees, I do believe it will change how accounting and
finance work is done.

15.Tell me about the kinds of reports you have experience making.

I have experience creating all sorts of financial reports and presenting

them to others, including annual budgets, balance sheets, spending
reports, and cash flow statements. I also have experience presenting
these reports to others, including higher-level management and C-
level executives.

FINA L TH OU G H TS
Interviews are intimidating, and they can be especially daunting for many of us
who do not have practice talking about ourselves. While they can be scary, you
can help alleviate some of that fear by properly preparing and answering these
sample questions.
Even if you do not have your answers memorized, thinking them through or
perhaps writing them down can keep them swirling around in the back of your
mind. Then, when you are asked one of these tough questions, you will be able
to draw upon these answers, aiding you in coming across as more prepared and
more confident.

EDIT THIS RESUME