Potential Behavioral Questions

Tell me about a time you had to jump into a project with very little background information. How did you get up to speed?

Describe a situation where you had to adapt your communication style to work with a new team or stakeholder.

A good example of this was my summer associate project during my time at Navy Federal where collaborated with people from outside of my department. The first step is identifying my audience and how much time we have. Some people prefer or only have time for high-level summaries while other might want more details or a step by step process. initially, I was giving everyone the same level of detail and realizing it wasn’t always necessary or landing the same way. To adapt I start with asking a few quick questions on how they would prefer to receive this information and figuring out what I need from them. Once I knew what I was looking for or asking for, it was easier to adjust my communication style and it made collaboration much smoother and productive. I was able to get the information I need without causing confusion. The experience reinforced how important it is to stay flexible and tailor communication to your audience.

Tell me about a time you had to manage multiple competing priorities. How did you ensure nothing fell through the cracks?

Tell me about a time you had to use data to solve a problem or make a recommendation

Tell me about a time you identified an issue that others might have overlooked. What was your process for investigating it and summarizing it for your supervisor?

During my time as a Financial Analyst, I eventually took full ownership of AR and when I first started taking on that responsibility I noticed an issue with invoices not getting paid within the agreed net payment terms or even getting paid at all. How I investigated this was I looked at the invoicing process at each step to figure out if this was an internal issue or error. Then I proposed some questions about the process like “Why aren’t AR invoices sent when they’re created, or “How do we know if customers are receiving their invoices?” I looked within our ERP system at the time to find ways to automate sending the invoices when they’re created and testing out how that would work and what that would look like. I made my accounting manager and CFO aware of this issue but also presented solution as well. This is something we were able to implement and figure out and it resulted in a lower Days Sales Outstanding and I spent significantly less time focusing on collections.

DSO is used to measure the average number of a company takes to collect payment after a sale,

In this role, you’ll be interviewing department managers who are much more senior than you and may be defensive about their processes. How would you approach building a collaborative relationship with them?

In my current role as a staff accountant at Enterprise Mobility, we conduct audits at our branches throughout our region. I’ll introduce myself if they don’t already know me, briefly explain the purpose (but they already have an idea when we walk in) I approach them with the mindset of partnership. I want to build trust and I do by actively listening. I’ll ask open ended questions and let them share their perspective.

I let them know I’m here to understand risks, identify opportunities to make our jobs easier and support our goals and when I mean our I mean our goal as a region to be on top. (Our regions and groups are ranked so it’s very competitive) so it’s important that I remind them that we are a team and we have shared goals. So by making them feel heard and respected, they’re much more receptive.

Overall, my approach is professionalism, curiosity and clear communication so that they see me as a business partner who is there to support them not criticize them.

Can you give me an example of a time when you had to explain a technical or complex concept to someone who didn't have your background?

What specifically attracted you to a rotational audit program compared to entering a permanent, specialized role right away?

I think it’s a great opportunity to find out what I like best. I also like that I am able to build upon the skills and strengths I have while learning new skills and being able to work on my weaker areas like public speaking. I like that by the end of the rotational period, as Lisa phrased it “becoming a super auditor” with all this knowledge you learned, experiences you’ve gained.

Where do you see yourself at this company after completing the 2-year rotation? Which areas of the business currently excite you the most?