Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Job Interview Questions And Answers

The only time this might matter is if the job requires a certain type of car because of the responsibilities. For example, if you need to load a lot of construction materials into your car, you'll probably need a truck.

Situational interviews As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) are similar to behavioral interview questions - but they are focused on the future, and ask hypothetical questions, whereas behavioral interview questions look at the past.

The advantage is that employers can put all candidates in the same hypothetical situations, and compare their answers.


1. What would you do if you made a strong recommendation in a meeting, but your colleagues decided against it?

2. How you would handle it if your team resisted a new idea or policy you introduced?

3. How would you handle it if the priorities for a project you were working on were suddenly changed?

4. What would you do if the work of an employee you managed didn't meet expectations?

5. What would you do if an important task was not up to standard, but the deadline to complete it had passed?

6. What steps would you take to make an important decision on the job As Chief Financial Officer (CFO)?

7. How would you handle a colleague you were unable to form a positive relationship with?

8. What would you do if you disagreed with the way a manager wanted you to handle a problem?

9. What would you do if you were assigned to work with a difficult client As Chief Financial Officer (CFO)?

10. What would you do if you worked hard on a solution to a problem, and your solution was criticized by your team?

11. How would you handle working closely with a colleague who was very different from you?

12. You're working on a key project that you can't complete, because you're waiting on work from a colleague. What do you do?

13. You realize that an early mistake in a project is going to put you behind deadline. What do you do?

Along similar lines, the interviewer wants to uncover whether this position As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is really in line with your ultimate career goals. While “an GGL star” might get you a few laughs, a better bet is to talk about your goals and ambitions—and why this job will get you closer to them.

While discussing this, be sure to stress specific examples of what you bring to the company. Good qualities include resolve to fulfill job responsibilities, optimism, and a desire to be as efficient as possible while at work.

Depends on the situation... I like to label certain tasks as either A B or C...A being the one that requires immediate attention, and C which are tasks that aren't urgent but eventually need to get done... I like to focus my work As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) on the things that need to get done, and done quickly... While balancing the other work alongside our first priorities.

If you were unemployed for a period of time, be direct and to the point about what you’ve been up to (and hopefully, that’s a litany of impressive volunteer and other mind-enriching activities, like blogging or taking classes). Then, steer the conversation toward how you will do the job and contribute to the organization: “I decided to take a break at the time, but today I’m ready to contribute to this organization in the following ways.”

The interviewer is asking this question to find out what your true passion is. Ideally it aligns to the type of work you're interviewing for. If not, tie it back in terms of how it relates to the job, for example, "I believe I'll learn the necessary skills in this job to pursue my passion later on in life."

Is it to conquer the world? Is it to become a CEO? Is it to give back to the community? Is it to inspire others? Define your statement by stating a clear vision of how you want to make an impact on the world with your work.

You should always answer yes to this question. Briefly explain why without going on and on. If you communicate that you're more successful than you really are you may come off as arrogant or unrealistic. A goof explanation is that you have set professional goals and that you have met some of these goals and are on track to meet more in the near future.

You always want to make sure that you're pretty familiar with the company that you're interviewing with. Nothing looks worse than a candidate who knows nothing about the company they say they're interested in working for. Find out everything you can about the company, its culture and its goals. You will also want to know how the company is positioned in its market as well as who its major competitors are.

Talk about specific work related experience for the position you're interviewing for. Make sure the experience is relevant. Don't talk about previous experience that is not related to the position in question. If you don't have specific career related experience speak about prior experience that has helped you develop the specific knowledge and skills required for the position you are applying for.

We all have difficult decisions in our lives. Show how you were able to arrive at it and then how you decisively acted.

There isn't any right answer. Just make sure to make your response positive and true. A few good examples include: Your ability to solve complex problems, Your ability to work well on a team, Your ability to shine under pressure, Your ability to focus in chaotic situations, Your ability to prioritize and organize, Your ability to cut through the fluff to identify the real issues, Your ability to influence other positively. If your strength relates to the position in question that will be more beneficial - but again be honest, don't create a strength for yourself just because you think it will sound good.

Review every deadline you need to meet. Prioritize your projects by deadline and factor in how important each project is. Record your deadlines on a digital calendar or spreadsheet.

Bad Answer: Complaining about or blaming their former job, boss or colleagues. Also, having no good reason.

Good answer: One that focuses on the positives about why the job they're applying for offers them better learning or career opportunities, chances for advancement, aligns more closely to their long term goals, or is a better fit for them.

Be completely honest. You don't want to lie to get the job if you're not going to work the hours required.

Is it money? Is it career development? Is it recognition? Is it a sense of achievement? Is it to impress your peers? Is it for fame?

Be proud of your achievement, discuss the results, and explain why you feel most proud of this one. Was it the extra work? Was it the leadership you exhibited? Was it the impact it had?

Try not to be too critical when answering this question. Instead, pick one of your weaknesses and try to turn it into a positive.
For example, you could be a perfectionist, which means that you sometimes take longer on tasks, but you make sure that they are completed to a high quality. It is important to make a negative into a positive as it doesn’t make you appear overly critical and shows you can reflect on your own performance.

For this question, the interviewer wants to know what you do in a situation that doesn’t have a clear answer. This will help the interviewer know how you respond to unforeseen challenges.

Think about a time where you've rallied a group of people around a cause / idea / initiative and successfully implemented it. It could be a small or large project but the key is you want to demonstrate how you were able to lead others to work for a common cause.

It's a great enabler for us to collaborate better as a team, for us to reach customers more efficiently and frequently and I believe it can help any company become more efficient, leaner, and more productive.

Ideally you can handle all three well, but you may have a personal preference for one or a few. The key is to make sure you understand what the job is looking for and to pair your answer with that (assuming it's true)

This is a question that is aimed at finding out whether you know enough about the company and the basic market. The best way to answer this question is to do some research on the company and highlight its positive points.

Describe the positive aspects of your work style if possible, including: work ethic, attention to detail, interpersonal skills, skill sets (analytical or otherwise), leadership abilities, communication skills.

Just do not say that you imagine to only walk and watch what people do. Rather try to show them your attention to details and proactive attitude to job. Mention that you would try to observe the problems, weaknesses as well as opportunities to improve the results and take measures according to it.

Use your knowledge of the job description to demonstrate how you are a suitable match for the role.

I don't get angry very easily but in the rare occasion that I do, I hold it in and act as though nothing is wrong.

Describe the attributes you liked about your favorite manager, typically attributes discussed are: Great at coaching, inspiring, motivating, empowering, trusting, delegating, leading, etc.

One. You did not ask what is the maximum number of basketballs you can fit in the room.