Interview questions for an accounts payable clerk

A good candidate for accounts payable will have the ability to focus on details, be fast enough to be productive, but not so fast that she/he makes careless errors. A good candidate also knows how to be organized and how to prioritize the work. In other words, always pay the utility bills first, pay the inventory suppliers next because if these are not done a company will be without electricity or without product to sell.

A good payables candidate will also be honest in their work. It is guaranteed that all payables clerks will eventually pay the wrong vendor (similar vendor names). When this mistake is discovered, will the clerk immediately report this error to her boss or will she try to hide the mistake?

When I used to interview candidates I would get the candidate to talk about his/her interests and how he/she handled conflicts on the job. The less I talked and let the candidate speak, the more I could tell if the person would fit in the culture. Sometimes you will come across an candidate who seems excellent, you hire her/him and it turns out to be a huge mistake. Hiring is an art, not a science.