Top Interview Questions

The resume helps land the interview, but when it comes to making hiring decisions, employers are looking for less-obvious clues that an applicant is right for the job, according to an Accountemps survey. Forty-two percent of chief financial officers polled cited their “go-to” interview questions as those related to personal attributes—for example, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and “Describe your work ethic.” Thirty-four percent of executives prefer to ask about qualifications, such as “Tell me about your previous experience” and “Why should we hire you?”

CFOs were asked, “When interviewing job candidates, what is your favorite question to ask?” Their responses fell into three basic categories: Those questions designed to learn more about the applicant’s work style and personal attr…