Abstract
This interview package gives a reflection on the position of the Chief Accounting Officer. The package also provides the criteria which shall be used when interviewing the candidates for the position of the Chief Accounting Officer. It contains a series of areas which are going to be points of focus.
These areas include the role of the interview panel, the relevance of the interview process and the aspects of the interviewee which are going to be analyzed. This document is based on theoretical and scientific approaches which have been researched and utilized in the past. Thus, it is based on what scholars have identified as key areas which are fundamental within the interview process.
Introduction Interviews are critical processes which guide in the process of recruiting staff in organizations. This paper is based on the above premise. In this light, this paper presents a process which shall be followed when recruiting an officer for the vacant position of the chief accounting officer. This segment sheds light into the requirements of the task at hand. It clarifies on the issues which need to be put into considerations highlighting the important values which the position requires.
Behavioral criteria
The behavioral aspect will focus on the following behavioral aspects the candidates. Communication, interpersonal capabilities, networking abilities, motivation abilities, administrative abilities and the intrapersonal abilities. It is worth noting that the stated post requires a person who is able to manage oneself as well as others.
Due to the fact that this position is administrative, it is important for the candidate to be in a position of building links and managing the team members who one is working with. It is therefore central to this position that the candidate display high degree of self awareness. In addition, this person ought to be able to engage people in a manner which is logical and persuasive.
This is because this will enable the company to use this person as the central person with regard to the organization of financial records as well as mobilization of personnel to work in stated accounting fields when called upon to do so.
In this category, there is going to be an emphasis on intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Due to the fact that this position requires an accountant who will assume the leadership role, it implies that the person to fit this position should be able to understand the organizational accounting dynamics as well as work with people from diverse background.
This is because as a multinational company, the chief accounting officer will have to work with accountants who hold similar positions in organizations which are across the globe. Secondly, one will have to be able to understand how to establish teams which will deliver results. Thus this calls for a person who is able to articulate a vision and state the objectives of that vision in a clear manner such that the subordinates will pursue it in a clear fashion without any confusion.
In addition, due to the fact that this position forms a central position within the organization, the holder of this position will have to be able to form links with other departments and offices within and without the organization to ensure that the needs and objectives of the organization are realized within the stipulated time.
This position will require someone who can be able to work under pressure. This is because it will entail working with people as well as ensuring that the results are achieved. Furthermore, it will need the holder to be conversant with the demands of accuracy and the international dynamics which are associated with commerce.
Thus, the employee should be a person who is aware of oneself in terms of ability to perform and at the same time should be able to communicate well when the occasion arises. This should be both in a written format and verbal form. Background and work experience
The candidate should bear a string background in organizational management with a bias in accounting. This will be in line with the organization’s objective of nurturing independent and hardworking employees. Furthermore, the applicant should highlight some experience in the field of management and accounting, preferably five years in a multinational organization.
The applicant should also illustrate depth in a variety of computer applications which will be needed in establishing digital accounting standards within the organization. Any qualification in computer applications will be an added advantage to the applicant.
The screening criteria
The applicant must within the following criteria in order to considered for an interview; first, the candidate must have at least one year of professional work and experience in accounting and organizational management. The applicant should have served in active leadership positions and exhibited the drive to accomplish based on the achievements realized during the term of leadership. The applicant must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in business management.
The interview: Types of interviews There are several types of interviews. These include, the selection interview, the performance interview, the career development interview, information gathering interview and the problem solving interview. The process of interviewing among other things relies heavily in applying one of the stated approaches. In this case, the objective of the interview process is to get the right candidate for the stated post.
Thus, the interview panel is going to apply the selection interview. During this interview process, there are several techniques which might be preferred. In this case, the interview panel is going to consider the screening interviews, traditional interviews, behavioral interviews, the panel or group interviews and the case interviews.
This is because the objectives of the interview panel include weeding out any unqualified candidates who might turn out for the interview process, to evaluate the candidate’s ability to communicate, to match the candidate’s past performance to the job requirements basing the candidate’s ability on the past performances in similar positions, ascertain a candidate’s skills and approach to problem solving, problem diagnosis and communication.
Planning for the interview
This process entails several steps of analysis. First and foremost, it is important to establish the legislation governing the interview process. Determine the objective of the interview is also important. This is because this will enable the panel to find out which approach or combination of approaches will work.
Based on this, the panel should be able to formulate questions reflecting on each agenda which has been set. Developing an interview guide is an important aspect of this process. This is because it ensures that the objectives set are realized within the limits which have been set. The interview process
The interview process can go on for quite a while. First, the applicant will be asked to come in for a screening interview. The screening interview is the first interview with a particular candidate. In some cases it may even take place over the telephone. During a screening interview, the person interviewing you will usually be someone who works in the human resources department, and he will want to verify items that are on your resume, such as dates of employment and schooling.
These questions will pertain to the interviewee’s skills and abilities, accomplishments, education, and work history. Furthermore, the applicant will also be asked questions about one’s strengths and weaknesses, interests and hobbies, and likes and dislikes, all of which will enable the panel to learn about the applicant’s personal traits and characteristics. The goal on a job interview is to give the candidate an opportunity to express oneself through the best answers one can possibly give.
The applicant should be prepared to give detailed answers to job interview questions. The interviewer, for example will ask about skills. The applicant should know what skills one has and should be able to discuss how they acquired them. The interviewer will use the applicant’s resume to guide him through the interview. The applicant should be conversant with their personal; resumes and they must be prepared to talk about and elaborate every item on it since a resume, by definition, is a just a brief summary of the applicant’s work.
Preparation for the interview
This should be a process that should be completed before the actual interviewing process begins. During this phase, the organization should have established the persons who are going to seat on the panel and the steps which are going to follow in line with the interview. In this case, the preparation of the interview should ensure that the fundamental aspects which are necessary during the interview are adhered to.
These include; the questions, the location, the date and time for the interview to take place. It is also important to give the interviewer’s time to seat together and reason together as they come up with a team which will ensure that the process runs smoothly. We are going to look at the aspects mentioned above in detail in the next section;
Questions: these should be clear and statements which are aimed at bringing to the fore the actual meaning of the subject at hand. The questions should be stated in line with the position at hand and they should free from any ambiguities which might confuse the interviewee.
It is also important to ensure that the questions which are going to be put across to the applicant are questions which have been agreed upon by the panel. There are cases whereby the applicant might be allowed to have a look at the questions, in this case, that should be done early in advance to ensure that there are no delays.
The venue: it is worth noting that the location of the interview has got a major impact on the outcome of the process. It is vital to ensure that the environment where the interview takes place is place which is away from any form of distractions. The furniture should be comfortable both to the interviewers and the panellists.
The candidates: it is important to ensure that the candidates have knowledge with regard to the interview process. They should not be ambushed on the last day, rather they should be given a prior notice to enable them prepare in advance for the interview. In cases where there are special considerations, it is also important to communicate the same to the candidates. Legal requirements for interview process
There are several aspects which need to be put into consideration with regard to interviewing. These are aspects such as discrimination based on race, sex, marital status, religion, sex, and sexuality. These are factors which the interview panel will seriously need to put into consideration when they are carrying out the interview.
In addition to this, ethics should be maintained. That is, there are various issues which need to be put into consideration during the interview process. These issues which are known as the ethical codes vary from one organization to another. This implies that the interview panel should consider the organizational procedures that are governing the given profession. The universally held ethics include the UN declaration of Human Rights.
The introduction and conclusion
The interview should commence with formal introductions. That is both the panel and the applicant are given an opportunity to introduce themselves before the panel. Secondly, the chair of the panel should give the objective of the interview in light of time allocated and the expectations from the interviewee or candidate.
The panel should give the client an opportunity to state their expectations and special requests, if any exists before the interview. The chairperson of the panel should guide the panel and the applicant during the conclusion and bring the process to an end. It is during this time that the applicant will be informed on when and how to get the results from the interview.
The introduction which is recommended for the interview is;
Good morning sir/madam,
First and foremost we want to thank you for taking your time to be part of this process. We highly appreciate the fact that you have chosen to take part in this interview process for the post of chief accounting officer. My name is Mr. XYZ and I am the chairman of this panel as well as the head of the human resource in this company.
The other panellists will introduce themselves as they put across their questions. The process will take approximately one hour. It will entail a series of questions from the panellists and they will expect responses from you. In case of anything, just let us know and we will be willing to step in and assist in any way possible.
The recommended conclusion should be;
Well that question marks the end of this session. We are grateful that you took your time to respond to our questions carefully. Unless you have any questions or comments, we shall get back to you in the next five days via the email address to notify you on the results. Thank you.
In conclusion, the preferred theoretical approach during this process will be the behaviourist approach. This is because this approach monitors progress in quantifiable terms. This is important when it comes to establishing tangible results which have been achieved and which are likely to be achieved by a person within a given duration of time under certain conditions.
Reference List
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