Finance Manager Interview Questions

Finance managers are business specialists who manage important financial functions of an organization. They produce financial reports, manage investment activities, and create strategies and plans for the long-term financial goals of an organization.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Finance Manager or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Finance Manager position, these Finance Manager interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Finance Manager Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Finance Manager interview questions.

1. Shed some light on your working experience as a Finance Manager.
2. How can you benefit a company with your knowledge and skills?
3. Why do you think Financial Management is important for a company?
4. Do you have experience with relational database management systems, such as Oracle?
5. What impact has your attention to detail made on an organization’s profitability?
6. How good are you at preparing financial reports?
7. What kind of financial reports does upper management need and why?
8. Was there ever a time when you had to prepare a financial report with a very tight deadline. What steps did you take?
9. What procedure would you follow in a financial feasibility analysis?
10. How do you achieve a proper mix of equity and debt to minimize costs?
11. What criteria do you use when making recommendations on a risky investment?
12. What are your methods for avoiding errors when recording and examining financial documents?
13. How would you rectify the situation if you made an error in a financial forecast?
14. As a finance manager, how will you motivate and reward your team?
15. In your opinion, can a cash flow statement tell how well a company is doing?
16. Have you ever disagreed with a member of upper management about an investment decision? What example can you provide and how did you handle the situation?
17. When you have to deal with multiple priorities, how do you manage?
18. If one of your subordinates made an error, how would you handle it?
19. Imagine there’s a conflict between two accountants you supervise. How do you resolve it?
20. If new equipment is bought, how would the financial statements change?
21. How would you help staff change from a “this is how it’s always done” approach to new processes you implement?
22. What methods/metrics do you use to evaluate the organization’s progress?
23. What are key elements to look at when evaluating the company’s investments?
24. How helpful is a Cash Flow Statement to a company?
25. Can a company be in huge trouble but still show positive Cash Flows?
26. Differentiate between Free Cash Flow to Firm (FCFF) and Free Cash Flow to Equity (FCFE).
27. What do you understand by Interest Rate Swap?
28. What do you know about Working Capital?
29. How do you calculate and interpret ROI?
30. What’s your experience with benchmarking studies?
31. What is strategic Financial Management?
32. What tools and equipment have you previously used as a Finance Manager?
33. What is the difference between Earnings per Share and Diluted Normalized Earnings per Share?
34. What do you believe is the most important leadership skill, and how would you bring it to this role?
35. How would you go about explaining a complicated financial concept to someone who doesn’t work in finance?
36. What is your opinion on automation and A.I. in finance?

Finance Manager Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Finance Manager interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. Why Do You Want This Job?
2. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
3. Tell Me About Yourself
4. Why Should We Hire You?
5. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
6. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
7. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
8. What is Your Salary Expectation?
9. What is Your Greatest Strength?
10. What is Your Greatest Weakness?