27 The Sovos Group Interview Questions & Answers
Below is a list of our The Sovos Group interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view 5 answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.
1. Talk about a time you had to work with a very difficult person. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
How to Answer
At some point in any person's career, they have to work with a colleague or customer who is extremely difficult. Rather than looking to hear the fine details as to why this person was difficult, your interviewer will be looking to gain insight into how you personally handled the situation and others like it to ensure that a sound relationship was fostered even when you faced difficult circumstances. In your answer, some key things to focus on are your ability to be tolerant, understanding and a great communicator in these situations.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, I have a customer that flies off the handle very easily if things don't happen just right and I learned this from my first interactions with him. In seeing this happen from the start, I have always maintained a calm demeanor when he was upset and showed empathy by asking questions about his expectations and how to fix situations for him. To this day, I expect difficulty from him when we work together and the years we've had a working relationship together have better prepared me for more clients like him in the future."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"A couple of years ago, a close colleague of mine had a very abrupt turnaround in her attitude and performance on the job. She was very curt and abrasive in conversations when she was normally very talkative and friendly on the job. After noticing some concerns in her work, I approached her with an open mind and asked her what was going on to cause these things to change. I showed concern and approached her as a friend and this approach prompted her to tell me about some issues happening in her personal life. By taking this approach, rather than getting upset or even made with her, I showed her that I cared and valued her as a person and my approach helped her open up and turn her life at work back around to the positive side."
2. A key component to success here at The Sovos Group is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?
How to Answer
The fast paced world of business consulting requires the ability to build relationship after relationship with all of the clients that you will potentially be working with. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to gain insight into how you build relationships with new people from the first time you interact with them. In your answer, talk about how you gain and build trust with new people and explain how the little things in your initial interactions go a long way toward building long lasting working relationships.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
Answer Example
"I am a firm believer that success in any role I've played in my career was due in part to the relationships that I've built in those roles. Whenever I have the chance to work with a new colleague or a new customer, my approach is to create an initial connection with them to build trust. After that point, my interpersonal skills take over through active listening. I use my listening skills to learn about the motivating factors and needs of the person that I will be working with and this helps mold that respect and trust between us even more. I think this approach would be very critical in working with new clients on a regular basis here at The Sovos Group and I'd love the opportunity to bring these skills to the table for you."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
3. In what ways would our clients here at The Sovos Group benefit from your knowledge and services?
How to Answer
This question is your chance to talk about the unique skills and knowledge that you would bring to The Sovos Group and that is exactly what your interviewer is looking to hear. In your answer, keep your focus centered on how clients of the organization will benefit from the things that you bring to their table because The Sovos Group is client focused in all that they do. To be effective with this answer, be sure to do your research on the clients at The Sovos Group and think about how your experience will be beneficial for them.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, I have extensive experience in risk management in the healthcare industry. Having worked with some major players in the industry, your healthcare clients would benefit the most from the experience and solutions I could help provide them. Not to leave other industries out, I think my experience in the healthcare realm will also translate nicely to your clients in other areas of the private sector."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"Having worked in accounting and tax law in a few different industries during my career to this point, I also have the unique experience of creating new organizational policies and procedures in my current role. In hearing more about this role, I think this experience would be very beneficial for your clients as I would be helping advise them in their practices and creating new policy would be crucial in that process."
4. Beyond revenue, how do The Sovos Group's products benefit our clients?
How to Answer
An excellent software product can positively affect a business in a multitude of ways. From organization to client relationships, increasing leads, offering better data collection and, and information management. The interviewer wants to see that you have spent the time getting to know the features and benefits of their software before your interview. Discuss the ways that The Sovos Group's offering can benefit potential customers far beyond revenue.
Written by Rachelle Enns on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"I fully understand that, although revenue is a significant driver, it is not everything to companies when they are deciding on their software products. Additional benefits to The Sovos Group's software, from my research, include better organization of data so that information can be leveraged in areas of product development, market research, smarter hiring decisions, and more."
Written by Rachelle Enns on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"From what I see, there are a plethora of benefits to The Sovos Group's products. When a company embraces organization, has access to insightful analytics and a full support team, they can make business decisions that improve not only profits but also employee morale, customer feedback, or research and development."
5. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?
How to Answer
The role that you are interviewing for with The Sovos Group will likely involve providing education to clients in your area of expertise. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are comfortable and effective in providing education by having you talk about a time that you have done so. In the example that you provide, try to point out some key items to making business education successful like developing a plan/goals, respecting differing viewpoints/opinions, making it hands on and making it fun.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"Probably the aspect that I love the most about my current job is being the lead for training new hires into our department. Because of my years of experience and my innate ability to effectively orientate new employees, my director asked me to take this duty about four years ago. My approach with any new hire is to customize their training based on their knowledge and experience so the training is effective for them. What works for one person may not work for another and I always need to be fluid with this. I also prioritize the need to make orientation and training a hands on experience for the new hire because classroom learning can only take a person so far in the learning process."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, I've spent the last seven years working in the corporate tax field. While in this job, I worked very independently for a private organization, so I've been out of the training and education side for a while now. During my first job out of college as a CPA though, I was very adept at providing education to the clients that I worked with on a daily basis. What I learned in that experience was the importance of putting material out there in a manner that the person being trained understood. As well, talking to clients and understanding my client's wants and needs were very important for me to be able to best educate them. I really believe that these skills would enable me to hit the ground running with The Sovos Group and your clients would benefit greatly."
6. What are the biggest regulatory concerns for financial services?
How to Answer
Regulations are of huge concern to the financial services institutions and their vendors/partners such as The Sovos Group. Changes in the regulatory environment could offer opportunities for new products and services for The Sovos Group and its competitors. After the financial crisis in 2008, the government passed many regulations such as Dodd-Frank which banks are still struggling to implement well.
Guidelines for answering this question:
Discuss one of the most significant regulatory reforms such as Dodd-Frank - how it's changing today and its impact on the financial services
Include any recent, expected changes that the industry is concerned about - you can find reliable information and analyses from big 4 consulting firms
Consider both US and international regulations since many banks have to worry about the global regulatory environments beyond the US.
Written by Jen Hong on October 3rd, 2019
Answer Example
"Many banks and financial institutions are still dealing with stricter reforms proposed by Dodd-Franks, spending millions of dollars a year in finding tools to automate the implementation of checks and tests (such as stress tests) for compliance. It's still changing today - but in the industry's favor - as noted by the congressional approval of certain rollbacks which allowing smaller banks to be free from strict scrutiny which big banks such as Goldman and JP Morgan are still subjected to. However, for all banks, this could reduce compliance costs by the millions. These efforts seem to have republican and at least some democratic support so the entire industry is watching them closely. We also have to monitor Basel III reforms as most banks operate in international environments and the final rules were published this past summer which include challenging elements such as real-time risk calculations."
Written by Jen Hong on October 3rd, 2019
7. Walk me through your experience in enterprise software sales, and complex sales cycles.
How to Answer
Software sales can be complicated, time-consuming, and rarely come with a quick close. The interviewer would like to discuss any experience you have had, selling software products into enterprise accounts, where the sales cycle is even more robust than the typical small to medium-sized businesses.
The typical software sales cycle includes:
- Prospecting and generating leads
- Initiating contact
- Qualifying the lead
- Presenting the product or offer
- Booking a product demonstration
- Overcoming objections
- Closing the deal
- Implementation
- Training
This list is just a simplified breakdown of the steps and could occur throughout weeks, or even months. Discuss the exposure you have had in closing complex software deals.
Written by Rachelle Enns on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"Although I have never had an official sales title, I am often called into the sales process as the subject matter expert when it comes to data migration and security questions. I know enough to understand the typical questions asked during the sales cycle, and also know that it's important to give case examples for most FAQ's. Decision makers feel much better knowing that their concern has been presented, and corrected, in the past."
Written by Rachelle Enns on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"My previous company was a startup that ran very lean, financially speaking. For that reason, I was both a front-end developer, product demonstrator, and sales assistant. I would be on the sales calls with the business development lead, offering my expertise for the most technical discussions. From the time we launched our product, to the first sale, was over 12 weeks, so I fully understand that the typical software sales cycle is complex and lengthy, especially when dealing with major corporations and large business."
8. Tell me about your experience with predictive modeling projects.
How to Answer
If possible, pick an example in which you worked end-to-end and highlight specific areas where you contributed the most. Make sure to include all the essential steps.
Also, it helps to add your thoughts about important factors and dependencies that these projects should incorporate. The interviewer wants to hear about your experience as well as your perspective on how these projects could be executed successfully.
Written by Jen Hong on October 3rd, 2019
Answer Example
"As an ABC in my company, I worked on various tech ops projects including evaluating our predictive analytics. For my latest project, I was asked to help lead an initiative focused on improving our ability to automatically flag possibly or probability fraudulent charges using probability analytics. First and foremost, I believe it was most critical to clearly articulate the objective and scope of the project. I structured the general project plan including 3 main phases - analyzing current state, testing the drawn insights and implementation. With the help of the quant team, finance, legal and dev ops, we evaluated historical data and examined them using various parameters. Based on data patterns, we hypothesized about which additional variables and their behaviors should be included in the new model, iterating as we proceeded. Then came the validation and deployment. Importantly, I ensured that we had a system in place to regularly check the performance of our model so we can be more proactive about enhancing the model going forward. My biggest contribution was identifying operational and systematic changes that we need to implement in order to ensure that the new predictive analytics were producing the desired impact. This is often not well-managed or overlooked in many organizations and I believe it makes a huge difference in terms of achieving the intended objective as well as understanding other possible implications that could be useful for situations outside of the project scope."
Written by Jen Hong on October 3rd, 2019
9. How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?
How to Answer
Working for The Sovos Group in the role you are interviewing for will require an innate ability to manage projects from conception to final implementation. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have the ability to maintain organization to meet deadlines and customer expectations. Talk about your personal methods for organizing project work and give any examples that you have of your methods being successful. In the consulting and advisory industry, customer satisfaction and word of mouth are integral to success and growth of a business and effective project management is key in satisfaction.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"I really pride myself on my ability to multitask and my ability to stay organized in key in multitasking. For me personally, organization starts with using technology to my advantage and I do this through the use of my Outlook calendar and tasks functions. I take time each day to update my tasks and project work and use my ability to prioritize tasks to ensure that the right things are being worked on. In looking to bring these skills to long-term project work with your clients, staying organized and on task will be extremely important for the success of both The Sovos Group and your clients."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"In my work, the ability to stay organized and on track comes down to having a plan of attack for each project and keeping track of the plan as milestones are hit. If you are familiar with the program Trello, it really helps me organize all of the components of the projects that I work on and give me the ability to track who is doing what, what deadlines are coming and what milestones have been hit. But even with a great program like this, I always have the ability to re-prioritize due dates and new tasks as needed with any project."
10. At The Sovos Group, you will have the opportunity to work with high level executives and leaders from the companies we contract with. What experience do you have in working with people at these levels?
How to Answer
As a business advisory and consulting firm, The Sovos Group works with Managers, Directors, CEO's, CFO's, CAO's and leaders with other titles on all of our projects. Your role will likely involve working closely with these leaders. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are comfortable in working with the leadership team of the organization's clients by having you talk about your experience. Make sure that the examples you provide include some details on how you worked effectively to get the job done with the leaders you worked with.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, I work directly under our Chief Financial Officer and sit on a couple of different committees that our Chief Executive Officer is on. Under the direction of my CFO, we have a great working relationship. I am comfortable approaching him at any moment with questions or to bring forward new ideas. He is aware of my strengths and respects my opinions on matters in my wheelhouse, so he never hesitates to come to me with important things. I think the keys to our strong relationship are the respect we show for each other and our open lines of communication."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"Throughout my career, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with employees at all levels of the organizations that I've worked with. To me, working effectively with anyone requires a personal touch and a respectful approach. Whether I work with front line sales staff or members of the C-Suite, I take the time to get to know the person, their job and how I can best be of help to them in my role. This approach really helped me build a relationship with a Sales Executive that a few of my colleagues had struck out with in recent interactions."
11. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?
How to Answer
Success in business consulting is most often measured in the achievement of goals for clients and for this question, your interviewer will ideally be looking to hear that you are driven by goals and that you have the ability to set them as well. In your answer, give your interviewer the sense that you are goal oriented by giving an example or two of a time where you set and worked towards a goal as part of a team effort. Explain your part in the achievement of the goals and your ability to stay focused on the end result.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"If hired for this position, one of the first things that you'll learn about me is that I am very driven to succeed in all that I do on the job. For me, personal drive definitely centers around goals and my desire to achieve them. I have the focus to set goals myself and to work towards goals that are set by my organization, my leaders or my customers and I would bring this ability with each client that I work with here at The Sovos Group."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"I would definitely say that I am goal oriented in the work that I do on a daily basis. In project management, I work off of both time related goals and production related goals and these really drive my daily tasks and my delegation of responsibilities to other team members. If given the opportunity to come work for The Sovos Group, my clients would greatly benefit from my ability to both set and achieve goals with them."
12. Discuss a couple of software sales techniques. Which sales technique do you think is most effective for The Sovos Group, and why?
How to Answer
The interviewer would like to see that you have researched The Sovos Group, putting some thought into the most significant selling features of their products and services. When it comes to software sales closing techniques, you could:
- Offer a short trial for free
- Have a great email marketing campaign showing off the features of your software
- Give product or software demos, but keep the short
- Sell pre-paid annual memberships
Perhaps you have some ideas of your own! Discuss which selling options you think would be the best fit for what The Sovos Group is offering. Be ready to support your answer with facts.
Written by Rachelle Enns on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"I recently read that free trial offers can increase conversions by up to 25% and, because, The Sovos Group has a straightforward product, I believe it would be very effective to allow people to try it for free for 14 days. The prospective customer would quickly see that it's simple to navigate and incredibly helpful."
Written by Rachelle Enns on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"Since there are so many customizable features that come with your product, I feel that the best sales technique would be a free 30-minute demo, followed up with a short trial period. I think it would be important for prospective customers to see the product in action, and how it would work for them, specifically."
13. Customer service is our top priority at The Sovos Group. What is your customer service philosophy?
How to Answer
Because The Sovos Group puts so much effort into their customer service reputation, the interviewer needs to be confident that your customer service values align with theirs. Be sure to research the The Sovos Group website and take note of any keywords they use when it comes to their customers. Match your language with theirs.
1st Answer Example
"I noticed on your website that you put a lot of value into your customers by actively listening to their needs. You also survey them regularly while staying on top of industry trends so that you can provide them with innovative new services. To me, customer service goes beyond friendliness and efficiency. You need to understand your customer's business needs and have the ability to analyze their future needs so that you can respond appropriately to their business landscape changes."
2nd Answer Example
"As overused as this phrase may be, 'Service with a smile' has always been my customer service philosophy. Very few people can resist a great smile and a friendly interaction! Friendliness warms customers up, makes them more inclined to work with you, and also diffuses a conflict quickly."
14. What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?
How to Answer
Coming to work for a consulting business requires the ability to work as part of a larger team on the projects you will be heading. Teamwork in this setting requires versatility and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have that versatility in your answer to this question. Many times, you will be taking the bull by the horns and leading the way. Other times, you will be the worker bee researching behind the scenes. You may be tasked with being the organizer of projects behind the scenes as well. Make sure that you highlight your ability to be flexible when working as part of a team here.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"I am really comfortable working in any role within a team and I think my experiences throughout my career demonstrate this well. At many times in my career, I've been the legwork of team operations and have easily taken direction on projects and been able to hit pre-established deadlines. As well, I've lead many projects and have shown my ability to lead others in a team effort and the ability to delegate tasks and set milestones for projects. If hired for this position, you can be rest assured that I have the ability to be a key team players with your clients in helping better their business."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"From a very young age in my career, I've always been a natural leader in a team based environment. My excellent communication skills, honesty, critical thinking and decision making skills have proven time and time again that I can lead others in the most effective way possible. And while being a leader comes naturally to me, I can easily let others take the lead on projects."
15. A career move to a consultant with The Sovos Group may find you working on new challenges that you haven't faced during your career. What's been the most challenging project you've led up to this point in your career?
How to Answer
No matter what challenge you choose to discuss during your answer to this question, keep in mind that your interviewer is mostly looking to hear how you handled yourself during a time when you were pushed to your limits. In your answer, discuss the importance of being resourceful and team oriented and talk about how these things helped lead to success in the project. Also, be sure that your interviewer walks away from the interview knowing that you are willing and able to tackle any challenge in front of you.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"Looking back at the 12 years of project management experience that I have, the most challenging project I led was about five years ago. The challenge started from the beginning when I was tasked with improving waste efficiency at one of my organizations warehouses. At the time, I was not very well versed in warehouse operations, so I took the time to research and talk to experts within my organization to start the brainstorming process. The high level leader that tasked me with the project didn't really do a great job of defining any end goals for me and those are really important in planning for a project. So I scheduled several follow up meetings with him to define more specific goals for the project. In the end, I assembled a great team of experts that ended up reducing costly waste by almost 80% in our operation."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"I'd have to say that the most challenging project I have faced during my career was a project that assembled team members from different departments within a manufacturing plant operation. During the planning and kickoff process where we all met together, I got the sense that things would run smoothly and cohesively and was I ever wrong. As I monitored progress, I quickly noticed that we were getting off schedule on initial deadlines. In communicating out to team members, it became evident that internal communication at this plant was a struggle. As some team members told me in person that there was a lot of internal strife between some of the departments, I decided to call a project meeting to discuss my expectations for communications while also holding a team building exercise. I made it a priority to clear the air right away that bickering and childish behavior would not be tolerated and that we were all working toward a common goal that benefited everyone. Following that, the team building activity really helped make some eyes open up to who people were really working with. By taking the bull by the horns and putting people in an uncomfortable situation, a difficult situation turned into a team that accomplished a major task with ease and teamwork."
16. As a consultant with The Sovos Group, you will be relied upon to build trust with our clients as you work with them on financial stability and well-being. What would be your tactics to build trust from the start with a new client?
How to Answer
This role with The Sovos Group will entail you working with clients and learning about their financial status as an organization. You'll work with high level leaders with your clients and a key component to them accepting and opening up to you as their consultant will be trust. Let your interviewer know that you understand the importance of building trust with their clients and talk about the little things that you'd do to build rapport and trust with the clients that you'd be working with. If you have an example of a trusting relationship you've built during your career, don't hesitate to talk about the relationship and why it was important.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"In this role, I think it will be extremely important for me to demonstrate my value to my clients from the start and I would do this by using examples of prior successes and by projecting my knowledge in the financial world to them. By ensuring that they know I am a subject matter expert, they will be more willing to open up and be honest with me from the start and that is the only way we will be able to get places together in our client-consultant relationship. Moving forward from there, communication will be of utmost importance. I am a firm believer in regular updates on the progress of my work and I wouldn't hesitate to give updates to any of the key stakeholders that work for my clients."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"In the consultation world of finance, I think the key components to building rapport with clients would be a positive attitude and a genuine focus on their business. From the start with a new client, I would strive to know their business and put forth an effort to show that I am invested in their processes and successes just as much as an employee of the organization. This investment really suits my personality as I can only do a top-notch job if I am personally invested in a project."
17. At The Sovos Group, we often work with both small and large businesses on their tax preparation. What common deductions would you recommend for small businesses?
How to Answer
As a trusted adviser at The Sovos Group, you will be relied upon by clients to help them find every way possible to minimize their tax burden. To prove your expertise to your interviewer, try to talk about one or two common tax deductions that are often overlooked by small businesses. Explain why the deduction is important to consider and what impact that can have on a future client you would be working with in this role.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"In my experience in working with small businesses, the most commonly overlooked deductions that they could take advantage of are vehicle and fleet expenses. While many businesses know this is possible, many fail at maintaining proper documentation of vehicles costs and usage as part of the job. I take it upon myself to walk clients through the proper documentation for future use and they have all appreciated this insight."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"I see a lot of business owners overlook items that I would consider maintenance or facility costs that they can deduct at the end of each year. Repairs on equipment and property are deductible and business owners often fail to keep proof of payment for such repairs. On top of repairs, most utilities like electricity are deductible as well for a business. For small business owners, a huge part of my responsibility is educating them on these deductions. For your clients here at The Sovos Group, my education would help build trust and a long lasting working relationship."
18. Which accounting platforms are you familiar working with?
How to Answer
Coming to work for The Sovos Group as an accountant, your interviewer is looking to hear how fluent you are in working on the technical side of the job. Talk about your experience in working with some of the many accounting programs. No matter which programs you are familiar working with, make sure that your interviewer has the clear understanding that your readily adaptable to working on any program and that you understand the importance these platforms play in your work.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, my experience over the past 15 years has placed me in a few different industries. With each industry has come experience working with many accounting software programs. I have worked in Infor, QuickBooks, Net Suite and Patriot Accounting over the last five years alone. While they all have their features and benefits that are catered to each industry, I've found myself able to learn systems proficiently and adapt my work to the needs of the systems. If hired here at The Sovos Group, you can rest assured knowing that I would pick up any systems with ease."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"In my current role, I work exclusively with SBS Financials Suite. I love its ability to custom create reports that are reusable over time and adaptable to be able to use with different internal customers. I also love the budgeting and electronic invoice approval features of this system. In knowing other systems like Workday and QuickBooks, I am confident in my ability to pick-up and work on just about any system quickly and efficiently."
19. How did you maintain a good relationship with your most recent boss?
How to Answer
The interviewer wants to know that you are capable of maintaining a harmonious relationship with those who are considered your leaders.
If your relationship with your boss wasn't fantastic, what efforts did you take to make it better? Here are some suggestions:
- Try to understand what your boss values the most
- Keep your cool, even when you want to lose it
- Anticipate their needs and stay one step ahead
- Take leadership opportunities to show your worth
- Adapt to their preferences
Some basic ground rules for a stable working relationship with your boss are open communication, proactive listening, and not taking things personally. Discuss the ways that you cultivated a healthy relationship with your boss.
1st Answer Example
"My current boss is a very particular individual. Over the years I have taken the time to understand her preferences, her stress triggers, and what she enjoys seeing in my work. I find that if I stay one step ahead and maintain a positive attitude, we can work productively together."
2nd Answer Example
"I value having a strong working relationship with my boss. I want to learn what they do and take on as much work to help our team as possible. I scheduled regular update meetings with my boss and went the extra mile wherever I could."
20. If you were to join The Sovos Group in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?
How to Answer
The ability to lead others in project work or any other aspect of a business comes down to the fine details and traits of being a great leader. The experience you have can come from many different areas and can include project management, supervising/managing or even mentoring others. When you answer this question, be sure to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively, bring unity, lead by example and empower/teach others and talk about how you will use these skills if hired at The Sovos Group.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, I've been asked on numerous occasions to lead finance projects for my organization and I always do so with open arms and an open mind. On a recent project, I pulled together a team that included members of sales, production and upper management. to make this project successful, it was up to me to know each team member's area of expertise and delegate tasks based on their knowledge. A great part of the teams success was due to my ability to lead in a manner that promoted communication among individuals who never had the chance to work together and I accomplished this through fun ice breaking activities with the team and regular email communications outside of our in-person meetings."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"As you can see from my background, I have extensive experience as a Sales Manager and Director and I know that the skills I honed in these roles will transfer nicely to this position. I have always found that leading teams is best accomplished by leading by example and walking the talk that I put out to my staff. I feel that I've also developed great skills in mentoring and coaching my staff and I've been commended on these skills by both sales leadership peers and my team. In this role, I would bring this same approach when working with clients."
21. Give an example of a time that you brought an innovation to an accounting practice for an organization. What was your motivation to do this?
How to Answer
With this being a pretty open ended question, your interviewer is allowing you to have the opportunity to showcase your ability to think creatively and outside the box when it comes to your accounting experience. Whether you implemented a new technology or developed new processes to work more efficiently, make sure that your interviewer walks away knowing that you are an innovator in your work.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"Two years ago, I led the charge for my organization to integrate all of our systems together. Of course selfishly, my intent was to positively impact our accounting department by integrating our CRM and ERP systems into our accounting system. After walking through a stringent request for proposal process where we looked at many different vendors, a new interactive system was chosen that every department in the organization could work off of. To this day, we are still seeing the benefits in sales, production and finance. While struggles certainly happened at first with implementing new systems, the small headaches were well worth the benefits we are seeing now."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"When I took my current position six years ago, I began leading a finance department ten people. At that time, my employees were what I considered to be jacks of all trades, but masters of none as they were all doing different accounting and finance tasks with the departments that they worked directly with. Within a couple of months as the manager, it was easy to see that different processes among my employees were causing major troubles. Immediately, I created new job descriptions and placed my staff into task specific roles within the finance department. There were struggles with staff learning to work with new departments at first, but a focused work effort for each individual made our department much more fluent and efficient for our internal and external customers."
22. What tax preparation programs do you familiarity working on?
How to Answer
While there is a large variety of tax preparation software available to tax professionals with each having their own specific niche markets and benefits, your interviewer is really looking to hear that you can be fluent in learning and utilizing any system. To reiterate that to your interviewer, talk about the different programs that you have worked on and efficiently learned and mastered throughout your career. Let them know that you are willing and able to work off of any system.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"Currently, I've been using Lacerte for over five years and I love its ability to integrate with other programs and online versions of QuickBooks. Prior to Lacerte, I have worked on simple programs like Turbo Tax and other web based programs. Having what I would call great computer skills, I am able to learn new programs with ease to be able to use them effectively. As an organization, what program do you use here at The Sovos Group?"
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"Through my career to this point, I have worked on both Drake and CCH Axcess. When making the conversion to Drake a few years ago, it was a learning process that mostly involved applying the functions that I was used to in CCH Axcess to Drake. After just a few hours of playing with the system and preparing a few returns, I would have considered myself very fluent with the system."
23. For our clients here at The Sovos Group, we are brought in as consultant project managers that are working with unfamiliar teams of people. What leadership style would you bring to our clients that would be effective and efficient with our clients?
How to Answer
Successful project managers are able to bring a leadership style to their teams that both inspires and motivates them to work cohesively and efficiently. In a consultant role with The Sovos Group, the need to have an effective leadership style is compounded by the fact that you will be working with clients across many different businesses and industries. This elevates the need to have an effective leadership style. No matter how you answer this question, try to highlight your ability to inspire teams to work in a cohesive and efficient manner.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"My leadership style in a team setting is a good mix between a democratic and a coaching style. I'm a believer that gaining consensus on team decisions helps boost morale and vision within a team and I love facilitating team meetings in that style. I want to make sure that all have their voices heard and have a chance to weigh in on important decisions. Then, when necessary, I use my experience and knowledge to help develop and coach members of the team."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, I've had extensive leadership training. Through my years of experience as a project manager, I have developed the ability to cater my leadership style to the individuals and teams that I work with. I can be the pacesetter on a team that needs motivation and I can easily switch to the harmonizing leader when needed to build a team based atmosphere. My ability to be flexible with those that I work with has certainly contributed to my successes as a project manager and I'd love to bring this ability to the clients of The Sovos Group"
24. We value accountability at The Sovos Group. If a customer sent a formal complaint about an interaction with you, how would you handle it?
How to Answer
Assure the interviewer that you are a person of integrity who will take responsibility for any shortcomings in the workplace. Briefly explain to the interviewer that you will handle The Sovos Group customers with great care.
1st Answer Example
"I understand that The Sovos Group has put a lot of work into building these long-term client relationships. If one of your clients complained about my communication with them, I would take full responsibility for my actions and issue an apology. I would also be open to feedback to avoid future incidences. Rest assured, in my 15 years of employment, I have not had any clients complain to my employer about my work ethic or delivery of service."
2nd Answer Example
"Constructive feedback is difficult to swallow at times, but it's helpful for me to remember that everyone receives constructive feedback from time to time. I will always do what is required of me to renew a client relationship."
25. Tell me why you are the right fit for The Sovos Group, and this position.
How to Answer
A successful hire needs to feel like the right fit by both parties. Express to the interviewer that you think this position is a stable fit for your experience and your career goals.
1st Answer Example
"I feel that I am the right fit for this company because, from what you have described, my personality, skills, and drive are what you are looking for. The challenges that come with this position are all challenges that I welcome. I am confident that this is the right fit for both of us."
2nd Answer Example
"I am great at what I do, motivated, and I am an avid lover of your product. This mix creates a great match, in my opinion! Happy employees are more productive and; trust me, I would be thrilled to work at The Sovos Group."
26. At The Sovos Group, our clients look to us to help find new and creative ways to save tax dollars. Have you ever had a unique situation where you helped an organization save tax dollars through your work and insight?
How to Answer
The Sovos Group is a trusted advisor to their clients on their corporate and small business taxes and your potential work in this position will put you in a position to be creative with your clients. Prior to your interview, think of a time in your work history where you can demonstrate the situation for the organization and came up with a creative tax savings solution for them. Upon answering this question, make sure that your interviewer walks away from your time together knowing that you have the ability to create solutions for clients that make a real difference.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"Last year, I was working with an upstart small business in New York that employed around 20 people. Hearing that a big burden for him was providing health care coverage, which he chose to do to hire and retain great staff, I educated him on the savings he could see in starting an HSA associated with a high deductible plan. In the end, this plan was a win for the owner to see a ton of tax savings and the employees benefited with a great plan where the business was contributing towards their HSA on a yearly basis."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"When working with corporation on tax advising issues, I always walk through business expenditures with a fine toothed comb because how large expenditures are claimed can really make or break taxes for years to come. When working with a client a few years ago, I noticed that they were deducting full costs up front when the depreciation method would have worked out much better for them in their financial situation. The only thing it took to convince them was a simple educational meeting."
27. If hired for this position at The Sovos Group, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?
How to Answer
To fully understand the reasoning behind this question, your interviewer is looking to get a sense for what type of work you prefer to do, what your strong points are and where to best position you with clients if hired for the position. Prior to your interview, be sure that you research the clients of The Sovos Group and the typical projects that are led with them. Make sure your desires align in some aspect of the business and speak openly and honestly about your most desirable project.
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
1st Answer Example
"If I'm fortunate enough to come consult with The Sovos Group, my ideal project would be working with the leadership staff of a high profile employer on a corporate restructuring project that makes them more efficient and more profitable in a short amount of time. As you can see from my experience, I really thrive when working with high level leaders like CEO's and Presidents on what I would consider my greatest area of expertise."
Written by Ryan Brunner on October 3rd, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"Being passionate about manufacturing and technology, my ideal project would put me face to face working with a team of engineers and production staff to help implement the creation of a life changing product in the medical field. This area of manufacturing involves high cost materials and the need to produce items accurately and efficiently. My project management skills would thrive in this atmosphere."