Why pre-screen finance leaders before the executive interview
The test of this role is the quarter when the numbers turn. Cash tightens, a covenant comes into view, and the forecast has to be revised in front of a board that did not expect it. Leaders worth hiring raise it early with options attached rather than hoping the next month recovers. A short screen asks about a forecast they had to revise downwards.
What actually matters when screening Head of Finance and Treasury candidates
- 01
Technical command
Check command of cash forecasting, bank covenant modelling, FX and interest rate hedging, IFRS 9 hedge accounting, and consolidation under IFRS or US GAAP.
- 02
Deals and deliverables that closed
Probe specific closes: refinancings, revolving credit facilities negotiated, ERP or treasury management system rollouts (Kyriba, Coupa), audits signed off, month end cycle time cut.
- 03
Risk judgement
Assess how they set counterparty limits, manage liquidity buffers, respond to a covenant breach risk, and balance hedging cost against earnings volatility.
- 04
Explaining it to decision-makers
Look for evidence of presenting to boards, audit committees, lenders and rating agencies: cash flow bridges, board packs, going concern discussions with auditors.
Pre-screening questions to ask Head of Finance and Treasury candidates
12 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Responsibility they held
3 questions01What is your experience with corporate finance management?
Listen forCompany size, turnover and team described, with what they personally owned made clear.
Scope described vaguely, or responsibility that was actually held by a chief financial officer.
02What is your experience managing investor or lender relationships?
Listen forDirect relationships with providers of capital, including difficult conversations during a downturn.
Relationships managed by others, or investor contact limited to preparing materials.
03Do you have experience with acquisitions or corporate transactions?
Listen forTransactions they worked on with their own role described, including the integration afterwards.
Involvement described at company level, or no responsibility during a transaction.
Cash managed actively
3 questions04Can you describe your experience with cash management and banking relationships?
Listen forRolling cash forecasting with known accuracy, and facilities arranged before they are needed.
Cash managed from the bank balance, or facilities sought only once cash became tight.
05What is your experience managing financial risk?
Listen forCurrency, interest rate and counterparty exposure identified and managed with a stated policy.
Risk described only as insurance, or exposures unhedged without a deliberate decision.
06Have you been involved in fundraising or negotiating with financial institutions?
Listen forFacilities or funding secured, with the covenant terms understood and monitored afterwards.
Covenants agreed without modelling headroom, or breaches discovered rather than anticipated.
Controls they built
3 questions07Can you explain your experience preparing forecasts and management reporting?
Listen forForecasts with known accuracy, revised on evidence and explained honestly when they move.
Forecasts adjusted to match expectations, or variances explained after the period closes.
08What experience do you have developing finance policies and controls?
Listen forControls introduced proportionate to the business, with segregation of duties actually enforced.
Controls written without enforcement, or approval processes bypassed for speed.
09Have you implemented a new finance system, and how did it go?
Listen forAn implementation they led, with an honest account of what went wrong during the transition.
Implementations described as smooth, or data migration problems not acknowledged.
Delivers bad news early
3 questions10Can you share a difficult financial decision you had to make?
Listen forA real decision with consequences for people or the business, and the reasoning stated plainly.
Decisions described without cost, or difficult calls attributed to others.
11How would you handle results falling short of expectations?
Listen forEarly disclosure with options and a revised forecast, rather than waiting for a recovery.
Shortfalls managed by hoping for a strong final month, or bad news delayed until unavoidable.
12Have you managed a finance team, and how would you describe your approach?
Listen forTeam size and structure described, with development and retention both addressed specifically.
Leadership described as delegation, or high turnover in a team they managed.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Technical command
35%5Explains rolling 13 week cash forecast build, hedge designation documentation, and covenant headroom calculations without reaching for generic finance language.
Deals and deliverables that closed
25%5Names facility sizes, lenders, pricing achieved, TMS go live dates, and audit outcomes, with their personal role clearly separated from the team's.
Risk judgement
25%5Describes a real liquidity or counterparty scare, the exposure size, the mitigation chosen, and what they changed in policy afterwards.
Explaining it to decision-makers
15%5Turns treasury detail into two or three decisions a board can act on, and recalls pushback they received and handled.
The test is the quarter when the numbers turn. A one-way video screen asks about the downward revision.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for this role take?
Fifteen minutes across eight to ten questions, answered async. Enough to establish the responsibility they held, test their cash and risk management, and hear how they handle bad news.
Is an async screen appropriate at this level?
Yes, and it is faster for the candidate. Ten minutes recorded beats several scheduling rounds, and every shortlisted executive answers the same questions before the first live conversation.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening this role?
A forecast revised downwards and how it was communicated. Leaders worth hiring raised it early with options. Anyone whose forecasts always held has not been through a difficult period.
How do I judge their treasury depth?
Ask about their cash forecasting horizon and accuracy. Real answers include a rolling forecast and known variance. Anyone who answers only about the annual budget is not running treasury.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
