Workplace reviews and discussion: 威朋大數據股份有限公司

At the end of last year, I interviewed for a finance and accounting manager position.

Interview process:

1. Written test first

The written test covered finance and accounting questions, such as translating finance and accounting terms from Chinese into English and English into Chinese, giving examples of how items are classified on a cash flow statement, accounting journal entries, and so on.

However, it made me wonder whether these questions could really assess the expertise and capabilities required of a finance and accounting manager.

2. Interview with the finance and accounting manager

As soon as I entered, I was asked to introduce myself in English. I admit that this is one of my weaknesses, and I did not perform well. However, the manager did not introduce herself at all, from beginning to end, which felt rather impolite. She also could not clearly articulate her specific ideas or expectations for leading the department. It seemed that, essentially, there was simply a lot of work to be done, so they opened the position to find someone. I could not sense the level of perspective expected of a manager. She came across as somewhat conceited without being aware of the limitations of her own experience.

3. HR interview

The interviewer was a young, sweet, and friendly woman. Compared with the interview conducted by the hiring manager, she came across as much more professional and experienced.

Result: Unsurprisingly, I was not hired.

Thoughts:

Perhaps I had high expectations of a startup and hoped to work with a young, passionate, and capable team, with an opportunity to strive together. The process and atmosphere of the written test and interviews were somewhat disappointing.

However, it is still no easy feat for a startup to achieve results. If key departments such as administration and finance and accounting—which shape the company culture and processes—could work harder and put more thought into their efforts, they could attract stronger team members.