The importance of robust financial management is vital to any organisation. In a school the significance of this is heightened by the fact that, in most instances, they receive funding from the government.
A school’s finance lead has the responsibility of managing the school’s money and planning for the future. The manager will typically prepare an annual budget for the school to be submitted to the governing body, whilst also providing specific expertise in long-term financial management.
Recruiting someone with experience in the education sector is certainly preferable, but not essential. There are many common elements in a finance director role in a school and in a business, and a number of these skills are transferable across sectors.
The recruitment process involves many stages. Firstly, you need to define the job title, description and advert - in this case, it may be for the school finance officer, finance assistant, bursar or business manager.
Then you need to establish where prospective candidates will be looking for school finance jobs. Good places to advertise include our very own ISBL jobs board. If the vacancy is for a manager’s role, such as a school finance manager, then include the salary, as job adverts receive higher response rates when the renumeration package is included.
Once the applications are in and you have a shortlist, you will need to map out what questions to ask during the interview process. To ensure you get the best insight into the interviewee’s skills and experience, it is vital to plan the questions in advance. Even though each conversation will be very different, all candidates should be asked the same key questions. Consistency is important to reduce the risk of unconscious bias, and to allow fair comparisons of the responses from various candidates.
Does the candidate see the bigger picture? Asking open questions gives the opportunity to show their knowledge of the role and what they think it will entail.
1) In which ways do you think school finance management is different to managing the finances of a business?
2) How would you oversee a school’s finances?
3) Why do you enjoy working in school finance management?
Managing a school’s finances requires someone with experience and maturity. It’s not a job for a school or college leaver. These questions will allow the candidate to expand on their past roles and the lessons they have learned during their career in school finance to date.
4) How has your previous experience prepared you for this role?
5) Tell me about your experience preparing and managing budgets.
6) What has been the biggest budget you’ve managed to date?
7) What has been most important financial advice you’ve ever given?
A finance manager must be able to work under pressure and be comfortable communicating with senior leaders, whether it is the headteacher, school governors or a director at an educational trust. They need to be assertive when necessary.
8) Are you comfortable making or advising on important financial decisions?
9) Are you happy presenting financial reports?
10) Are you comfortable working independently with this level of responsibility?
11) Have you ever disagreed with a member of senior management about a financial decision?
12) How did you handle the situation?
13) Can you tell me about a time when you had to prepare a financial report with a very tight deadline? What steps did you take?
14) How do you normally manage your time?
It is important that the candidate demonstrates their accounting experience. Ideally, they will be familiar with the school’s finance software too. You may wish to provide this information to the applicant ahead of the interview, perhaps even in the job description. It is also common for candidates to provide practical exercises for roles.
15) What experience do you have in calculating financial forecasts?
16) Explain your processes when setting up budgets for a school.
17) How familiar are you with the financial software we use?
18) Do you regularly use any third-party financial management tools?
Mistakes can happen but every step should be taken to lessen the risk. You will need to ascertain whether the candidate is a safe pair of hands?
19) What are your methods for avoiding errors when recording and examining financial documents?
20) Can you provide an example of when you have improved processes in a previous role?
If the role includes managing people, then the following questions may also be useful:
21) In previous roles, how have you motivated and rewarded your team?
22) Can you give an example of when you have had to deal with under-performing team-members or other staff issues? How did you manage the situation?
Does the candidate really want the job? Do they think they can successfully do the job? Is the job just a stepping-stone before moving on elsewhere? These questions must be successfully answered:
23) What appeals to you the most about this position?
24) Why do you think you are the right person for the job?
25) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
The 25 questions listed will provide the candidates with ample opportunity to outline their experience, express their enthusiasm for the role and convince you that they are the right person for the job.
This guide provides a useful starting point for a conversation; however, an interview is not a static Q&A session. You want someone who will engage and inspire, and ask you questions in return.
If you are recruiting, good luck in your search. Find out more about becoming an ISBL member here.