For a business as capital-intensive as a private jet charter, hiring a highly skilled accountant is vital to success. You need to be meticulous in your hiring process and ask the right questions because there’s a lot that can’t be gleaned from someone’s CV alone. Here we’ve put together a list that might aid you in finding the right person to help your business take flight.
- “What’s the most difficult accounting problem you’ve had to solve?”
This question not only allows them not only to display their competence and hard skills, but also gives you insight into how they handle problems. Their description of the nature of the problem, and the steps they took to figuring out a solution, will give you an idea of their professional character: are they organized, calm, logical, or creative? - “Describe a situation in which you felt very stressed, and how you dealt with it.”
This question might be a better alternative to the hackneyed “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Knowing what sort of situations they find difficult or stressful will help you determine if they’ll thrive in your company. They might be stressed when things are disorganized, when plans are disrupted, or when there’s conflict between co-workers; this could tell you a lot about their personality. - “Do you have any past work experience that you feel is relevant to our company?”
Private jet charter companies aren’t all that common, so depending on your location, there’s a chance most of your applicants will not have worked in one previously. Still, see if they could relate any of the experience and skills they gained from their past work to how they’ll need to work in your company. - “Do you have any knowledge of, or interest in, aviation?”
This isn’t always necessary but could be a plus. Having some familiarity with aircraft, or an eagerness to learn about them, can be of great use on the job. They’ll be less likely to get confused by any technical aviation terms that might arise in their work – or at least, be more inclined to learn. - “Describe your experiences in tax accounting.”
Proper handling of taxes can draw the line between success or failure, especially in a business that deals with such huge sums. An inept accountant can lead to massive fines and land your company in hot water. Find out about the applicant’s experience in handling taxes; bonus points if they’re from the area and know about specific tax regulations where you operate. - “What software have you used for accounting?”
It’s possible that they have no prior experience with the particular software you use at your company, but at least try to gauge how well they learn. - “Do you have experience in helping to reduce costs?
With the high operating costs of a private aircraft business, someone adept at making cost-effective decisions can help immensely. - “What do you do to try to prevent errors in your work?”
Try to learn if they have any personal routines or methods they do to make their work more accurate and organized, beyond just following company instructions. - “Why do you want to work for us?”
It’s unrealistic to expect every applicant to be a fan of your business; it’s more likely that they have been sending out CVs to a lot of different companies just to find any Still, it could shed some light on their career goals and motivations: they might be aspiring to work in a new company where they could have a more impactful role, moving in your city to be with family, or are looking to get started in the aviation industry. - “What is your relationship with your past employers?”
This will help you find out if they are capable of forming positive working relationships, or have a history of burned bridges.