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Controller Mock Interview

Question 16 of 25 for our Controller Mock Interview

Controller was updated by on December 19th, 2020. Learn more here.

Question 16 of 25

Have you ever had to explain complex accounting concepts to non-finance leaders? How did you go about that task?

"When I was Accounting Manager at ABC Retailers, we noticed that bad debt expense was higher than normal. After analyzing the situation, we determined that our sales teams would need to change their product selection in order to return bad debt expense to an acceptable level. In order to do this effectively, I first needed to explain what we were seeing on the accounting side and the impact to the financial statements. I created a deck that laid out some concepts like accrual accounting and the components of how bad debt expense was measured. These were concepts I knew the audience would not be familiar with. Then, I gave examples of what steps could be taken from the sales side and the impact it would have financially."

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How to Answer: Have you ever had to explain complex accounting concepts to non-finance leaders? How did you go about that task?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Controller job interview.

  • 16. Have you ever had to explain complex accounting concepts to non-finance leaders? How did you go about that task?

      How to Answer

      This is a question to gain insight into your communication skills. Controllers and other financial leaders will often need to present to other leaders who may not have strong financial backgrounds. Give a specific example of a time when you were able to communicate with other non-finance functions.

      Written by Brian Schuchart on December 19th, 2020

      Answer Example

      "When I was Accounting Manager at ABC Retailers, we noticed that bad debt expense was higher than normal. After analyzing the situation, we determined that our sales teams would need to change their product selection in order to return bad debt expense to an acceptable level. In order to do this effectively, I first needed to explain what we were seeing on the accounting side and the impact to the financial statements. I created a deck that laid out some concepts like accrual accounting and the components of how bad debt expense was measured. These were concepts I knew the audience would not be familiar with. Then, I gave examples of what steps could be taken from the sales side and the impact it would have financially."

      Written by Brian Schuchart on December 19th, 2020

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "Yes. In my current role, I periodically partner with members of our operations and biz development team to collect on client accounts. Our operations team, are local and has direct access to decision-makers at the client location. I first give them an overview of what I am seeing on the finance side and the impact on the financial statement and often find it necessary to explain basic accounting terms and concepts to convey the importance of their involvement in collecting past due accounts."

      Amanda's Feedback

      It sounds like you regularly work to explain financial issues or concepts to those outside the accounting field. You can strengthen this answer further by explaining how you make complex concepts easier to understand. Do you avoid using accounting jargon or acronyms? Do you explain how the numbers impact that particular team's bottom line or budget? Do you leave room for your listener to ask questions to make sure they understand?

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