Why this matters:
The answer to this question evaluates the candidate’s familiarity with commonly used accounting software, which might include QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, and other tools. If the candidate has previous enterprise-level experience, they may touch upon enterprise resource planning software (ERPs) such as SAP or Oracle’s NetSuite.
What to listen for:
- Familiarity with a few key accounting programs
- Comfort learning new technology and adapting to change
- Underlying expertise in the pros and cons of various workflow tools
Why this matters:
When it comes to compliance, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of meticulous record keeping — or of following pertinent rules and regulations. Great candidates will be able to explain their audit preparation process in detail, giving you the ability to evaluate their strategies for keeping a company’s credits in line with the general ledger — by the book.
What to listen for:
- Demonstrated understanding of accounting procedural rules and regulations
- Experience maintaining filing systems, especially aging documents
- Organizational skills with a proactive approach to audit preparation
Why this matters:
This question gets back to the basics — and gives your candidate a chance to demonstrate fluency with the foundational elements of accounting procedures and financial transactions. Candidates should be able to account for all necessary invoice contents, such as descriptions of product sold or service rendered, item quantity, pricing per unit, any discounts offered, payment due date, contact information, and sales tax.
What to listen for:
- Basic fluency and understanding of accounting principles and terminology
- A clear understanding of the required invoice components
- Experience using invoice templates to maximize efficiency
Why this matters:
Collections can get expensive — and when things go that far, it can reduce the chances you’ll get paid. One of the most important functions of your accounts receivable specialist hire is to stay on top of customer payments to avoid advancement to collections. Awareness of past payment patterns, vigilance with regard to aging AR, and effective communications can all help prevent unnecessary expense.
What to listen for:
- Willingness to balance sensitivity to customer circumstances with assertiveness
- An organized, systematic approach to checking aging AR and securing timely payments
- Experience using technology to run aging reports and interpret the results
Why this matters:
It’s important for your accounts receivable specialist to have a solid understanding of what makes a potential customer creditworthy before they allow any sales on credit. Answers to this question will reveal the candidate’s ability to apply key principles and make tough evaluations.
What to listen for:
- Understanding of the credit application approval process
- Explanation of what makes a customer “creditworthy”
- Ability to communicate fairly, without bias, and make difficult decisions
Why this matters:
Day by day, accounts receivable specialists must act on an immense quantity of numerical data. To do so, they have to be able to keep information meticulous, which involves an innate sense of organization and a strong eye for detail. Candidates who invest in administrative systems to improve accuracy and efficiency will be a great asset to your company.
What to listen for:
- Emphasis on the importance of organization and a systematic approach to their role
- Personal qualities like meticulousness, detail orientation, and commitment to accuracy
- Experience strategizing ways to elevate quality of work
Why this matters:
Mistakes happen, even to the most cautious and precise of accounts receivable specialists. What’s important is that your new hire catches them quickly, takes responsibility for them, and learns from the error to avoid making the same mistake again.
What to listen for:
- Emphasis on communication skills, teamwork, or process improvement to prevent errors
- Proactive approaches to reconciling discrepancies
- Sense of accountability toward work care and quality
Why this matters:
This question allows you to gauge the candidate’s sense of what it takes to be successful with accounts receivable — and whether those traits fit in with your team culture. Answers will also shed light on the candidate’s work values generally — and how they might add value to your organizational culture.
What to listen for:
- Alignment with your team’s culture, core values, and goals
- Discussion of traits like keen eye for detail, high degree of accuracy, and positive attitude
- Expressed work ethic and the ability to take initiative on complex tasks
Why this matters:
Accounts receivable specialists communicate with people outside the finance department regularly. This question primarily assesses the candidate’s communication skills, and their level of comfort with translating accounting and finance concepts in simple terms to colleagues (or even customers) who aren’t as fluent in the language of financial spreadsheets and data.
What to listen for:
- A level of comfort in discussing finance concepts with laypeople
- Ability to creatively translate high-level or complex information into general terms
- Positive attitude in collaborating with people from various departments
Contact a sales consultant.