Top 3 Interview Questions for a Contract Accountant

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Whether it’s because there’s a skills gap on your team for an upcoming initiative, or you’re trying to fill a role temporarily, a great contract accountant can be a true asset.

To ensure that you hire someone who can start adding value immediately, ask these interview questions.

Determining Match – When? What? For Whom?
Assuming that you screened for industry-based experience prior to the interview, the first question(s) that you need to ask is geared at determining how well that experience fits into your current requirements. Ask how long ago they performed their salient duties, for whom they worked and the duration of their experience. At the end of the day, you need someone who can hit the ground running, not someone who is going to need a lot of training to get started.

Have you ever left a contract early?

With this question you’re trying to determine if you’re going to be left holding the bag six months down the road. If their answer is that they have left a contract early, then you need to determine why. Look at how they transitioned. If they left with only 3 days notice, that’s not someone you want to add to your team even if the reason they left was for “a chance of a lifetime.”

Why do you want a contract role?

You ask this because you’re determining if your contractor is taking the role for the right reasons. Some people are career contractors. They love the flexibility and choice that comes with working contract. They typically have a history of delivering under tight timelines and flourishing in changing landscapes. This makes hiring a career contractor a good bet since past success is a great predictor of future success. If they’re not a career contractor, then look for answers that show they’re interested in the industry or have done a specific project that was similar and loved it. Ultimately you want someone who will stay and deliver for you, not leave two months down the road for a permanent position.

When you ask the right questions you increase your chances of hiring an accounting contractor who possesses the industry based, skill specific experience that will allow them to ramp up to a high level of productivity quickly – exactly what you want.