Hiring Guides
Accountant
Specific duties of an Accountant can vary from business to business — along with factors like company culture, work environment, and team dynamics — it’s vital to tailor any template-based description to your company’s needs and expectations.
Hiring Guide: Accountant
Accountant interview templates
Skills Interview
Accountant
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Why you should hire an Accountant
Accountants help companies achieve success by collecting, tracking, and reporting on finances in order to inform business decisions. They also ensure all financial reports and records are compliant with relevant laws, regulations, and generally accepted accounting principles.
In this hiring guide, we'll provide everything you need to hire a great Accountant.
Top 12 skills for Accountants
Financial Analysis and Reporting
Business/Industry Knowledge
Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills
Self-Management and Integrity
Sample Accountant job description
Accountants manage all financial transactions and related matters within a company. Their primary goal is to provide accurate information on financial position, liquidity, and cash flow to help inform business decisions and ensure the company is in strong financial standing. They also are responsible for ensuring the business is compliant with tax regulations. Their main responsibilities vary between positions but generally include auditing financial documents, tracking payments to relevant stakeholders, reconciling bank statements, budget forecasting, and processing tax payments and returns. They may also be required to communicate effectively with senior management by synthesizing and presenting key findings from financial analyses and forecasts.
Sample interview questions for Accountants
Question 1
Imagine you found out a colleague of yours had engaged in an unethical practice and violated a Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP). How would you respond?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to uphold ethical standards by ensuring GAAP is adhered to across the organization
Answer tips
- Ensures their assumption about the violation is correct
- Privately confronts colleague to inquire about their knowledge of the error
- Works to understand why the principles were violated (e.g. mistake/intentional)
- Proposes a solution that follows the relevant GAAP
- Emphasizes the importance of following GAAP to minimize business risk
Question 2
In your current/former role, have you ever missed a transaction or identified an incorrect transaction? How did you detect it, and what did you do when it was identified?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to analyze and maintain accurate ledger records
Answer tips
- Elaborates on their missed/incorrect transaction
- Explains how they detected and corrected the error
- Discusses the implications of the error(s)
- Shares tips for how to avoid errors in ledgers in the future
