Category: Insights

An interview process is a two-way street. Not only is the interviewer evaluating the candidate, but the candidate is also assessing the company and the role. While many candidates are prepared with a list of questions to ask at the end of an interview, there’s one question that every candidate should ask the interviewer: “Do you have any reservations about my suitability for this opportunity?”

Let’s explore why this question is turning heads and how candidates can wield it effectively.

Why The “Reservation Question” is Significant 

• Demonstrates Confidence: By directly addressing potential doubts or gaps in one’s profile, candidates show a level of self-assuredness. They’re not shying away from their weaknesses but are instead keen to address them head-on.
• Puts the Interviewer in a Reflective Position: This question requires the interviewer to critically evaluate the interview while it’s still fresh, allowing candidates to gauge the interviewer’s initial reactions.
• Offers Instant Feedback: Instead of waiting anxiously for feedback after the interview, candidates get a real-time insight into how the interview went, and where they might stand.
• Opportunity for Immediate Clarification: If there’s a particular aspect the interviewer is uncertain about, the candidate gets the chance to clarify or provide additional details then and there.

Benefits for the Candidate

• Addressing Misunderstandings: Perhaps the interviewer misunderstood a particular point or missed a detail on the candidate’s resume. This question gives candidates a platform to rectify that.
• Highlighting Adaptability: Even if there’s a genuine skill gap, candidates can explain their learning agility, past experiences where they’ve quickly acquired new skills, or their strategy to bridge the gap swiftly.
• Reaffirming Interest: By asking this question, candidates signal their strong interest in the role. They’re eager to understand the company’s concerns so they can address them — showing commitment and enthusiasm.

How Interviewers Might Perceive It

While many interviewers appreciate the frankness and confidence this question reflects, others might be caught off-guard. Some could view it as too forward or presumptive. However, the majority would value the candidate’s proactive approach and interest in personal growth.

Tips for Candidates

• Be Genuinely Open to Feedback: Don’t ask this question if you are not prepared to hear constructive criticism. Embrace feedback with an open mind.
• Be Prepared to Address Concerns: Think about potential reservations in advance and be ready with concise, effective responses.
• Maintain a Positive Demeanour: If the interviewer does express reservations, respond gracefully. This is not a challenge but an opportunity to clarify or learn.

Conclusion

The “reservation question” is more than just a query. It’s a strategic move, designed to provide candidates with insight, offer clarification, and demonstrate confidence. For those bold enough to ask it, the rewards — in terms of feedback, opportunities to clarify, and impressions made — can be substantial. As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, standing out positively in the mind of an interviewer can make all the difference, and this question might be the key.

My views are based on my 15 years+ of recruiting for Accountancy Practice and Insolvency professionals.

For advice about your career options, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing practice-trained accountants and insolvency professionals across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.

In the professional realm, the term ‘networking’ often conjures up images of industry events, B2B groups, or coffee meetings with potential clients or contacts outside one’s organisation.

However, a frequently overlooked, yet invaluable, networking terrain exists right under our noses: our very own workplace. For those in accountancy practices and insolvency specialists, internal networking is particularly crucial. Why? Let’s delve into the importance and benefits of connecting within the firm.

Why Internal Networking?

• A rounded understanding of the Firm: Interacting with colleagues from different teams or departments provides a comprehensive view of the organisation’s operations. This perspective helps professionals better understand their role within the larger context and equips them to offer more integrated solutions to clients.
• Mentorship Opportunities: Establishing relationships with seasoned professionals or higher-ups can provide mentorship opportunities, guiding younger professionals through the complexities of the industry.
• Boosting Team Synergy: When you know your colleagues beyond their job titles, collaboration becomes smoother. It’s easier to approach someone you’ve had a conversation with for insights or assistance.
• Unlocking Hidden Opportunities: Many opportunities or projects within firms aren’t advertised on official channels. They’re often filled through word of mouth. Networking internally can ensure you’re in the loop for these chances.
• Personal Development: Engaging with a diverse group of professionals within the firm can expose you to different working styles, strategies, and perspectives. This variety is a rich resource for personal growth and skill enhancement.
• Job Security and Progression: Building robust internal relationships can be a safeguard during tough times. When you’re known (and valued) by many, it’s less likely you’ll be the first on the chopping block. Moreover, if there are openings in senior roles or different departments, your internal connections can be your advocates.

Benefits of Networking Across Hierarchies

• Peers: Networking with contemporaries offers peer support. They understand your challenges best, can provide real-time advice, and together, you can brainstorm innovative solutions.
• Higher-ups: Forming relationships with senior professionals and decision-makers can be particularly beneficial. They can provide insights into the industry’s future trajectory, offer guidance based on their experiences, and may even consider you for high-profile projects or teams they’re leading.

Tips for Effective Internal Networking

• Attend Company Events: Whether it’s a training session, team-building activity, or an informal get-together, ensure you’re present. These are excellent opportunities to interact and connect.
• Volunteer for Cross-functional Teams: If there’s a cross-departmental project or committee, volunteer. It’s an excellent way to meet professionals from other areas of the firm.
• Lunch and Coffee Breaks: Instead of heading out alone or always sitting with the same group, invite a colleague from another department or a senior you respect.
• Be Genuine: Internal networking shouldn’t be approached with a transactional mindset. Seek genuine connections, be curious, and aim to learn.
• Stay Updated: Keep yourself informed about the firm’s developments, industry news, and any training or courses that might benefit your role. Being knowledgeable makes you a valuable conversationalist.

Conclusion

Internal networking is a goldmine of opportunities, especially within accountancy practices and insolvency firms. It not only facilitates better working relationships and team dynamics but also paves the way for professional growth and advancement. As you navigate your career in this specialized industry, remember: sometimes, the most influential connections are just a desk or a floor away. Don’t miss out on them.

My views are based on my 15 years+ of recruiting for Accountancy Practice and Insolvency professionals.

For advice about your career options, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing practice-trained accountants and insolvency professionals across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.

Change is an inherent part of life. From the changing of seasons to the phases of life, everything around us is in a constant state of flux. Yet, we often find ourselves resistant to change, especially when it comes to major life decisions like switching jobs. The very idea of leaving the familiar behind can ignite feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and doubt.

Why is change, particularly job change, so daunting? Let’s understand why we feel these fears and identify ways to overcome them.

Understanding the Fear of Change

• Loss of Comfort: The adage, “better the devil you know” sums up this fear. We grow accustomed to our routines, colleagues, tasks, and even the route we take to work. This familiarity breeds comfort.
• Fear of Failure: “What if it doesn’t work our?” This nagging doubt can prevent many from seeking new opportunities, fearing they might fail in a different role or company.
• Uncertainty of the Unknown: Stepping into a new environment, with unfamiliar faces and tasks, can be intimidating. We don’t know what to expect, and that unpredictability can be scary.
• Perceived Lack of Preparedness: The belief that we’re not adequately equipped for a new role can also deter us from exploring new avenues.

Exploring New Opportunities Doesn’t Mean Committing

It’s vital to remember that exploring doesn’t equate to committing. Job hunting and interviewing offer you a chance to gauge the market, understand your worth, and assess potential growth areas. Here are some reasons why looking at your options are beneficial:

• Assessing the Market: By diving into the job market, you get a clearer picture of the demand for your skillset, potential salary increases, and other perks you may be missing out on.
• Building Confidence: Going for interviews and interacting with potential employers can boost your self-esteem. It’s affirming to realize that other companies value your experience and expertise.
• Gaining Perspective: Exploring opportunities can provide you clarity about what you want from your career – be it growth, work-life balance, a better work culture, or increased remuneration.
• No Strings Attached: The crucial point to remember is that even if you’re made an offer, there’s no obligation to accept it. Offers are opportunities, not shackles. If none of the new offers feels like the right fit or offers significant advantages over your current role, you can decline and stay where you are until you feel a better opportunity arises..

Tackling the Fear Head-On

• Information is Power: Before making any decision, arm yourself with knowledge. Research companies, roles, and even reach out to current or past employees for genuine feedback.
• Visualise Success: Instead of getting bogged down by fear, picture yourself succeeding in the new role. Visualisation can be a potent tool to combat negativity.
• Acknowledge the Fear: Accept that feeling scared is natural. Instead of suppressing the fear, confront it. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?” Often, you’ll realise that the worst-case scenario isn’t as bad as you imagined.
• Stay Grounded: Remember, you always have a choice. Just because you’ve explored other opportunities doesn’t mean you’re obligated to leave your current job.

Conclusion

Change, while intimidating, can be the gateway to growth. Embracing change, especially in our professional lives, can lead to uncharted territories of success. Remember, the act of exploring new job opportunities is merely an exercise in understanding your worth in the market and realising your potential. It’s a journey of self-awareness and growth, not a binding commitment. So, the next time you find yourself contemplating a job switch, approach it with curiosity and openness, leaving the crippling fear behind.

My views are based on my 15 years+ of recruiting for Accountancy Practice and Insolvency professionals.

For advice about your career options, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing practice-trained accountants and insolvency professionals across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.

As a specialist recruiter with over 11 years experience of working with accountants, we have had many a conversation with accounting professionals at all levels and across different disciplines about their careers and plans for the future.

During this time, we have always found that the biggest crossroads tend to be when people are approaching qualification to become a newly qualified chartered accountant. Having entered the profession as a graduate, trainee accountants tend to be on what could be classed as a pretty straightforward path for the first 3-4 years of their career. Within the larger firms, they generally tend to specialise within a specific accountancy discipline such as audit and as the year’s progress and they pass further exams, the level of responsibility they take on increases.

We have found that during this time there is a real split in how people approach and think about their future careers. Whilst some have very set plans beyond qualification, the majority tend to focus on what they are doing now as the workload and exam pressure can become quite consuming. Once they have a chance to lift their head and look to the future, the natural tendency when thinking about career progression and change is to move away from what they are currently doing with a ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ approach rather than trying to embrace what they have achieved and where it can take them internally or within another accountancy practice firm in the same discipline.

As a specialist recruiter and career consultant, it is key for us to understand not just what skills they have obtained but to dig deeper and try to gain a better understanding of their personality, what motivates them and where they would like to progress in their career. This then allows us to offer advice and assist them to plan effectively to achieve their short, medium and long term objectives.

“I want to be more commercial!”

Most conversations and meetings we have with potential candidates normally start with:

Candidate: “I want to get out of audit” or “I’m not sure what I want to do but it needs to be something more commercial”

Levitate Recruitment: “OK, why do you feel you need to move away from audit and what would you class as more commercial?”

At this point, we normally receive a blank stare before a few job titles are thrown at us such as, corporate finance executive or working in industry as an analyst or a Financial accountant. When asked why they feel those areas would be more commercial? We have received some great answers but more than often, an answer that hasn’t been considered and one that has no real evidence of why it would be the right move for them in seeking out something ‘more commercial’

We can see why people may initially believe these disciplines are more commercial, they are certainly different to audit but it’s fundamental that people research both areas to gain knowledge of the different types of opportunities that are available, what the day to day duties will be and how the move will improve their CV and develop their skillset further. Once you have done this then you will have a better idea if it really is more commercial than a progressive audit role and if it is in fact the right move for you.

It is also important to understand if a certain move is available at this stage of your career and if not, what do you need to do to improve your chances. This is one of the many reasons why experienced consultants that have worked in accountancy recruitment can be invaluable when people are looking to take the next step. Many newly qualified accountants choose to apply for lots of roles directly and whilst this can be a good way to secure a new role, there is no harm in at least having a conversation with an experienced recruiter that understands the current market as this can not only provide useful insight but also remove the risk of you applying for roles that you will not be considered for at this stage. If it turns out that the move isn’t possible just now then they will be able to assist you in working towards this move within your current role or providing a stepping stone move that will get you closer.

“I made a mistake!”

Whilst many jump ship into industry to get an extra few thousand pounds and a move out of audit, we regularly receive calls from the same people 6 months later to state that the move wasn’t all they thought it would be and whilst they are working for an industry company, the role is anything but commercial. Some will move as analysts and find themselves looking at spreadsheets with no real communication with business leaders and some will move as management or financial accountants and find themselves working on the same accounts every month in a role that has very little impact on business strategy.

Another key factor for people coming back to us to reconsider a career in practice is that they miss the client interaction they were once accustomed to and they often miss the opportunity to work across different sectors and with a whole range of different business sizes that operate in a totally different way. We frequently hear “I didn’t think that working in audit was that commercial or interesting, but I now realise that I learned so much more about different businesses when I was working on-site and interacting with my clients”

This is of course not the same for everyone and many people do make immediate moves into industry that work for them. Below we have provided a few points to consider that may assist you to make the decision to further your career within practice first.

Legacy & Time invested within your current firm

You have worked long hours and developed goodwill within your current firm – Try to take advantage of this and sit down with your managers and directors to discuss a career plan that will take you further – They will more likely be open to investing in you than a new person joining and as someone that is more senior, they can hopefully educate on the different options that will also work for the firm. One of the hardest parts of running a successful business is to attract and retain good staff that are motivated to assist the business to move forward. Why not try to utilise your commitment and loyalty as a strength to either push on within your current specialism or move across to another area of the business to gain further skills.

Change Specialism

There is the obvious choice to push on within your current specialism but if this is something you really don’t wish to do then why not ask about other areas of the firm that you can work in. It is important to do your research first. This should include looking at all areas of the business and taking the opportunity to speak with people in these departments to understand what they do and what they enjoy about their roles. Once you have done this then ask the question! If it isn’t available then perhaps another great accountancy practice down the road can make it available?

Further training and a structured career path

It is well known that accountancy firms can offer further training and a structured career path. This is not often the case when moving into industry as many firms do not embrace or feel there is a need for further training. Depending on the size of the firm, there may only also be a few steps up that you can take and you, therefore, see yourself sitting in the same role for quite a long time which means you then need to make another move to push forward. Accountancy departments are just one part of their business and as a cost to the business, rather than a revenue generator, it is often the area that receives less investment in training and development. We also find that there can be a big gap between the newly qualified roles and FC/FD roles which normally means they recruit someone more experienced into the business above you.

Same firm – New Opportunity 

Working as a newly qualified accountant within practice also means that you have now dropped the exam pressure that was hanging over your head. You are most likely about to receive a promotion and pay rise where your role will gradually begin to change and your responsibilities will give you more feeling of importance and value to the firm. Try to embrace this chance as a new start in the business where you can build on your knowledge and focus on the next step. Setting timelines and objectives for promotion is certainly more manageable within a practice structure and most firms will provide 2 years programmes for you to take the next step up. You can make slightly more money stepping into industry at a newly qualified level but the rise in salary and opportunity to push to manager will generally happen quicker in a practice firm due to the structure and 2 yearly promotion cycles. Once this does happen, you will see the salary level jump up much quicker each time. We also find that those that have had further training and decided to move into industry at manager level are more than likely going in at a higher level than their peers that may have left at NQ level.

Candidate Pool & Competition for jobs

As external audit is a specialist area, accountancy firms are unable to hire just any qualified accountant. They need people that have relevant experience in audit within certain sectors and people that have years of experience in working with a range of reporting standards. Since the day I started recruiting in practice (over 10 years ago) there has always been a shortage of experienced auditors both in the UK & overseas, which means there is a great opportunity for you to capitalise on this and push on into a more senior role.

Within industry, this is a totally different scenario! Yes, there are roles available for NQs to secure but the competition for these roles is extremely high. You will be up against people from all different backgrounds that have worked in different firm environments and within different sectors. Many of the larger FTSE firms will have some criteria based on the career path they have followed and will generally seek out Big 4 trained professionals or those with a specific sector background.

You will also find you are not only up against newly qualified individuals from practice but a much larger candidate pool of people that have either trained in industry or those that have already made the move and now have industry experience. As an employer looking to make the best hire, it is much easier to take a safer bet and employ someone that already has industry experience and is settled in that environment rather than a practice first-time mover who hasn’t had this experience and may require some further on the job training.

Touching on the point above: Remaining with your current employer where you have built a legacy and proven loyalty will generally be respected and rewarded. If you are making a move into industry with a new employer then building loyalty and trust is back to the start.

Moving to another practice firm

For some of the people we speak with about their next step, it needs to be totally different. They need a change as they really do not enjoy the area of accountancy they are working in. Some leave accountancy altogether as they realised early on that it wasn’t for them but didn’t wish to lose the time they had invested in working towards the qualification. Others that need a change will often work out that it’s not the work that is making them unhappy and clambering for change but the environment they are working in or the people they are surrounded by. Some are unable to work this out for themselves so you must take time to consider the pros and cons of your role so that you can understand what it is that makes you unsettled. If you are struggling with this then speak with a specialist recruiter who can assist you to break down what you do and don’t enjoy.

A move to a new firm and role provides a new start and is often viewed as an opportunity for you to shine and progress. As an experienced consultant, We will always advise everyone we speak with to sit down and speak with their current firm about their career path and what is on offer as it’s impossible to make an educated decision if this hasn’t been explored. If we are being totally honest, it’s also a way of protecting our time as firms do not wish to lose employees and 9 times out of 10 will sit down with their employees after they have tendered resignation to work out what they can do to keep them before providing a counteroffer to keep them. It is always the first place to start when considering options but we will also advise people to at least consider speaking with other firms at the same time so that they can get a better view of what else is on offer and how this compares to what is available within their current firm. Those that do this can then confidently move forward in their career knowing they have researched and considered all options before making a commitment.

Working Overseas

Achieving ACA or ACCA status means you can literally work anywhere in the world that recruit’s accountants. Most of the major International cities will have the same Top accountancy firms you would expect to see in the UK. If they don’t then there will most certainly be some kind of affiliation to one that you know. As in the UK, qualified accountants from a practice background are always in high demand and there is no better time to make an international move than at the newly qualified stage as this is when you are viewed as being ‘the most flexible’. Moving at a later stage in your career is still possible but there will always be fewer opportunities to consider. We also find that the older someone gets then the less likely an International move will be as their situation changes and can sometimes dictate available options.

Making an International move in industry is possible but is less likely if you do not have prior industry experience. As a recruiter that has assisted people to move all over the world to places such as Australia, New Zealand, The Caribbean, Canada, Luxembourg, Switzerland and South Africa, we have never once spoken with a newly qualified accountant from practice that has successfully made this international move without travelling over to work in a practice firm first. My advice is to make a move for a minimum of 12 months in a similar practice role and then make the move into industry. This way, you will have more locations & opportunities to consider, the move will be smoother as you are doing something you know and you will also have a chance to gain an understanding of any differences there are in accounting rules and processes whilst working with a wide range of specialist accountants.

As a specialist recruiter for accountancy practice roles, we will of course lean towards remaining in practice as a great option. We have seen the benefits of further training and career progression and witnessed people progress from newly qualified to Director and Partner level. Whilst this is the case, Industry also offers people great opportunities and we have also seen many people make great moves where they have progressed to FD and even CEO.

If you are unsure about your next step then we are always here to assist and provide advice. It may be that you want to consider both options and if this is the case then the best option is to also speak with recruiters that specialise in industry roles and try to meet with several firms that can offer you a different outlook on how your career can progress and develop. If you do your research and take your time then hopefully whichever way you go will be the right direction for you.

Career decisions are some of the most important life changes you will ever make. Let us help.

For advice about your career options, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing practice-trained accountants and insolvency professionals across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.

Within this post, we will talk about our experience of working with candidates before interviews and how important it is to define your goals and objectives when meeting with a potential employer.

Moving jobs can be a stressful time for most people as they are heading into the unknown. You will be stepping away from your comfort zone of walking into your current office where you are respected by colleagues (hopefully) and you know your job and what is expected of you. Suddenly you are putting your name out there and are now in a position where you will need to sell your skills, experience and personality to someone you have never met. Often this uncomfortable feeling will lead to nerves and it can often change the mindset of how someone approaches their search and how well they perform at an interview.

When speaking with candidates in preparation for interviews, we often find that 2 out of 3 candidates are unable to define their key objectives. Most people are good at explaining what they need to get across in the meeting and what they want to learn about the company but they are unable to clearly define what they want this to lead to.

The main answers we receive when asking ‘What do you feel are the 2 key objectives for you when attending an interview?” are as follows:

Category 1

• To sell my skills & experience
• To show them I am the right person for the role
• To get my personality across
• To demonstrate to them that I work well in a team and with clients
• To get on well with the interviewer

Category 2

• To find out more about the role and the client base.
• To see if I would be more suited to working in a smaller/larger work environment/firm
• To make sure the location of the office or clients work for me
• To see if they are a better firm to work for than my firm
• To see if the opportunity is better than another one I have been offered – It will give me a good comparison
• I have heard mixed reviews about the firm from people that have previously worked there but I would like to decide for myself

There are many more (some too ridiculous to mention), but the above are the main ones. As you will see, the responses have been split into 2 categories; the first is about impressing the interviewer and the second set are aligned to finding out more information on the company.

We often hear: “The interview is a two-way process. The company need to sell themselves to me so that I want to work for them”

It’s hard to disagree with this and we always speak with our clients before an interview and recommend that they do sell the opportunity as we are working in what many would class as a ‘candidate led market’ where there are often more opportunities being advertised than readily available candidates that are looking to make a move. In this case, candidates have more than one option to consider so clients should be selling the opportunity, whilst also trying to gain an understanding of the person’s skills and experience and suitability for the role.

From a candidate perspective, the client selling the role to you is important and it’s great for you to feel the love but it is also a Two-way process for the client so it is more important that you identify and align your objectives in the correct order to ensure you get the best out of the interview.

Main Objectives:

Objective Number 1 – GET THE JOB!

Objective Number 2 – Decide if you want it! – Gather enough information about the opportunity to decide if it is for you.

Obvious, right? In plain sight, it is but it’s very rare that people come to this conclusion straight away and will often order them in the wrong way. We sometimes hear, “what’s the point in being offered a role I don’t particularly want”  This is a fair point but unfortunately, it is very difficult to come to this decision until you have met with the firm and it can, unfortunately, lead to an unsuccessful and disappointing outcome.

Prioritising them in the right order will hopefully leave you in a position of control. If you lose this control, then ultimately you could lose it as an option. It is much better to be in control and have more than one offer of employment on the table. Once a firm has made the decision that you will add value to their business and they want to employ you, we now have more leverage to go back and ask further questions to assist you in determining, is this role right for me!

Candidates should also consider how much time they spend in an interview asking questions. This could be your only chance to sell yourself to the firm and they may have other candidates under consideration. There is nothing worse than not being offered a role purely because you were unable to tell them about something they needed to know to make a positive decision. Asking good quality questions about the role, the firm and the overall opportunity is a key part of the interview but most of your time should focus on providing reasons as to why you are the best candidate for the position, rather than, are you the best company for me. You will have the option to ask any further questions at the end of the meeting and again, greater leverage to ask further questions once an employer has offered you a position and want you to join the team.

Preconceived ideas and order of preference

It is also very natural for people to have preconceived ideas about firms and often candidates will start to rank opportunities in order of preference before they have even met with a firm. Reasons behind this can be any of the following:

• Size of the firm and where they rank compared to others in the Top 100
• Location of the business
• The number of offices they have
• Opportunity to work overseas -Do they have an international presence
• Company brand and how they represent themselves online
• Other people opinions of the firm and what they have heard
• The job specification
• What other service lines do they have
• The interview process – Do they have testing and how many interviews will there be

It is very difficult to move away from preconceived ideas and preferences as we are all human and whilst they can sometimes be positive, the problem of holding preconceived notions as being true is that they can also lead us to very negative and critical beliefs that can also affect behaviours and how well you perform in an interview.

This is something that we discuss with every candidate we work with and it’s amazing how many times people will change their mind about a firm and where it sits in their order of preference once they have met with them.

Put yourself in the position of this happening to you. You have met with a firm that has shown interest in you joining and you have now decided that you really want to work for them, this is the job you have been dreaming about – If you knew this before the interview, what order would your objectives have been in? Are you now worried that you won’t be offered the job? Have you done enough to be offered the job?

By clearly defining your objectives and putting them in the right order, you should have prepared extremely well for this interview and done everything you can to achieve an offer. If an offer comes then you have hopefully reached both of your objectives successfully – WELL DONE TO YOU. If an offer doesn’t come, you have only successfully met one objective of deciding that the firm is right for you but unfortunately, you have not done enough to be offered the dream role and Objective Number 2 now becomes irrelevant!

It is so important that you do your best to remain in control so again your focus and Number 1 objective of going to an interview should always be:

GET THE JOB and then decide afterwards if you want it!

For advice about your career options, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing practice-trained accountants and insolvency professionals across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.

As a specialist Accountancy Practice recruiter, it is our job to consult candidates throughout their career and during the job searching process which can be for many, a stressful time. There is a lot to consider in the early stages of a search to ensure we can identify together what is the best next step but further down the line and one of the key parts, is of course the interview stage as it is the first and potentially only opportunity for a candidate to sell themselves to the potential employer.

The general objective when interviewing someone for a specific role is to identify if that person has the right skills, experience, personality and attitude for the role they are applying for. Different firms and interviewers have different approaches of how best to discover if someone is the right candidate. Some will ask a few questions that are relevant to what they are looking for but without any specific aim in mind other than getting an overall impression of you as an individual. Most of these questions are generally quite ‘open questions’ and often will not test any specific skill or competency leaving the decision to determine if someone is right to be quite subjective.

Within this article, we are going to concentrate on what competency-based questions are, why they are used and how best to answer them during an interview. For some of the people reading this, it may not be anything new, but having prepared over 500 accountancy professionals throughout my career for interviews, we are confident that there will be many that have never faced a competency-based question and some that haven’t even heard of them or have no understanding what they are.

What is a Competency-Based Interview Question?

Competency-based interviews (also known as structured or behavioural based questions) are a series of questions relating to an individual’s behaviour in specific circumstances. The interviewer will generally decide what they feel are the most important competencies required within the role and they will expect specific examples of how you have managed and dealt with situations you have faced previously either inside or outside of the workplace.

It use to be the case that competency-based questions were generally only utilised by HR recruiters in the larger Big 4 and Top 10 firms. This was mainly because their recruitment processes were more refined due to the number of staff they employ each year and to ensure they are identifying the best professionals in the market.   As time has progressed and Mid-Tier and smaller firms have developed their processes, we have noticed that they are becoming increasingly popular and something that candidates should be aware of when preparing for an interview

Whilst competency-based questions can be challenging and put you on the back foot if you haven’t prepared for them, they should be seen as a great opportunity for professionals to demonstrate their skills and accomplishments and ultimately, a great chance to show potential employees why you are the right person for the role.

Preparation

The majority of interviewers will ask you to provide specific examples of previous work or situations you have faced whilst others may throw specific scenarios at you and then expect you to follow up with previous examples or if you have none to offer, how would you approach the situation to reach your objective.

Prior to the interview, it is important for candidates to think about what competencies are important for the role they have applied for. These competencies can often be uncovered within a job specification in the key skills section but it is also important for you to think about what other skills they may wish to uncover and what skills you are keen to get across during the interview.

Typical Competencies

It can be difficult to prepare for every question that an interviewer may ask as each person will have their own style and technique. The same goes for guaranteeing the competencies they will explore but we have set out below some of the key ones to consider:

Accountability – They will be looking for evidence that you are self-motivated and take responsibility for the decisions you make and the tasks you need to manage. Typically, they will ask you to tell them about a recent time when you took personal responsibility for delivering a project or assignment.

Business focus – The challenge here is to demonstrate your ability to identify business opportunities and successfully manage commercial risks. They will usually ask you about some of your recent client work and look for evidence of how you have helped grow the relationship and identify new business opportunities.

Building relationships – Much of your work will be in teams, so they will be looking for evidence of how well you work with others. They will ask you about times you may have helped a colleague or recognised the need to change your style to get the best out of others.

Making an impact – Clients expect you to be a confident professional who is capable of making an impact and building strong business relationships. They will therefore be judging how strong an impact you make on them during the interview, and are likely to talk to you about times when you had to persuade a client to follow your advice or successfully negotiate a difficult issue.

Developing people – It is important as you progress your career as an accountant that you can support the development of colleagues. Sharing knowledge, giving constructive feedback and coaching or mentoring others are important people management skills. The questions here will focus on times when you might have supported the development of others or coached a colleague through a difficult problem.

Delivering quality service – It’s essential that you can deliver a high quality of service to clients (both internal and external). They might well ask you to describe a time where you have had to manage multiple tasks and they will need you to tell them about your ability to prioritise and delegate to make sure you deliver the service clients expect.

Problem-solving – They will question you about how you approach a problem and look for evidence of your ability to analyse complex data and reach an appropriate solution.

Professionalism – It goes without saying that acting with integrity and being professional at all times are business-critical requirements. The questions might ask you about a time when you received great client feedback for the quality of work you delivered.

Drive and Resilience – We’ve all faced times when we’ve had to overcome challenges or setbacks to achieve a goal. They will ask you about times when you’ve needed to overcome obstacles or worked under pressure with enthusiasm and a positive attitude.

Feedback and Learning – Most businesses encourage everyone to continuously learn from their experiences and seek out their own development opportunities. The questions here will focus on both your own recent learning experiences and how you’ve encouraged others to learn and develop.

Interpersonal Skills – Having the ability to build rapport and relationships with colleagues and clients is a key part of most roles within accountancy. The questions will focus on how you have managed to do this across different levels and they may also focus on when you have struggled to do this and how you have overcome the issue.

Organisation – It is key for you to be organised as an accountant, especially one that works within practice where you are managing a range of different clients and working on multiple projects at any one time. These questions will not just focus on how you manage your own workload but also potential projects and how you may have acquired people and other resources to accomplish a goal.

How to answer a competency-based Interview Question

If you were to type ‘How to answer competency-based questions’ online then you will find 1000s of results from HR and recruitment professionals. Whilst, not every opinion is the same, you will find the majority will advise you to use the ‘STAR’ approach.

S.T.A.R stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result.

• The ‘Situation and Task’ form the introduction: Here you will describe the situation and the task you were faced with, when did this happen, where were you at the time and who else was involved in the plan?
• Action: How did you achieve what you needed to? What action did YOU take? Sometimes people focus on what the group did and this makes it difficult for the interviewer to extrapolate your involvement. Make sure you refer to your contribution with statements such as ‘I did this’
• Result: What results did you achieve? What was the benefit of your involvement? What did you learn from the experience, what may you do differently next time?

By using this structure, you will be able to provide a comprehensive answer and demonstrate to the interview that you can take a considered approach to situations before finding a solution or reaching your objective.

Practice and rehearse your answers 

It is important that any question you answer in an interview is delivered in an articulate manner but it is also important with competency-based answers to ensure that they are detailed and structured in the right way. Try to think of a few examples you can give for each competency and practice them over and over to ensure your delivery is effective

How is the interviewer responding?

As you explain your examples, it is important that you can assess the interviewer’s body language and that you are generating a positive response. If this isn’t the case then be confident enough to ask if the interviewer would like any further examples.

If you are generally struggling to think of an example then make the interviewer aware that you may not have ever faced a certain scenario but if you were faced with a certain situation then explain what you would do so that they are aware you will be able to take action and you have the ability to manage a situation.

Working with Levitate

We appreciate that many of the professionals we work with are experienced in client meetings and can present themselves well. Whilst this is the case, searching for a new job and being interviewed to talk about yourself is a completely different scenario and can be for some, one of the most stressful situations they have faced. Not preparing properly can lead to a lack of confidence and the potential of not being offered the position or perhaps an offer but with a lower salary.

Everyone at Levitate Recruitment has been trained in Interview preparation and will work closely with the professionals we represent to ensure that they have thought about the questions that will be asked and how best they can demonstrate to the interviewer that they should be the preferred applicant and ultimately offered the job.

If you have any questions about the accountancy job market or interview techniques then we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your situation and provide educated advice to make your next step, a well thought out and success assured career move.

For advice about your career options, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing practice-trained accountants and insolvency professionals across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.