A recruiter for executive search company forwarded the list of questions that are usually asked by one top technology company for newly hired IT managers, CIOs, CTOs and division Vice Presidents. No answers, naturally, as some questions are highly personal and there are no 100% correct answers.

1. Summarize the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the financial position of the company as you understand them.

2. We view the accounting/financial management functions in this position as more than tracking numbers, but tracking and analyzing number to find ways to reduce expenditures and increase revenues. What experience do you have in using your accounting and financial management skills to identify waste and opportunity? What were the results of your efforts?

3. How have you increased revenues in the previous companies you’ve worked for?

4. How much success have you had with budgets you have developed or assisted in developing? Explain.

5. When you think about managing the optical networking group, what do you think? How would you approach this responsibility? What would you like to know about it?

6. What are the most important policies and procedures in your philosophy to cash management?

7. When analyzing your group budget, what would you be looking for?

8. Describe two instances when you had to work weekends or evenings to meet expectations and/or “fill the gap” from other employees and/or subordinates?

9. What types of reports would you like to review your first month on the job and why? What kind of regular meetings would you schedule with your division managers?

10. What experience do you have with Local Area Networks/Servers/computer technicians and dealing with vendors?

11. What do you want staff to tell you about their position your first week on the job? After the first month?

12. How will you determine your expectations from your staff? At what point do you believe it is important to give staff a “Preview Review”?

13. How will you help staff change from a “This is how I’ve always done it.” to new processes you implement?

14. How do you reward excellence, innovation, initiative, teamwork?

15. How many performance evaluations have you conducted in the last 12 months? How did your reports fare? How did you help them do well? What could you have done to help them perform at the highest level?