1. Tell me do you think you would be a good adviser to me? Why?
You ought to think about what kind of answers you would want before the interview. Then, as you get responses from the advisers, you'll have a better idea whether this adviser is suitable for you and may be a better fit than the others you are considering.
2. Tell me how do accept criticism?
This is a team player question and is asked to see how open and willing you are to being asked or told what to do. Are you someone who can follow directions? Can you accept criticism? Or, are you the type of person who does not like being told what to do or being criticized?
3. Where do you expect to be in five years' time as Personnel Adviser?
This is another question that allows you to show off your employer research and your understanding of your chosen career path. You'll want to come across as enthusiastic, but not arrogant. Tailor your response to reflect the nature of the organisation, the sector, and your own experiences and skills. Specific details will impress.
4. Explain me what types of customers are you comfortable working with?
I provide an extensive offering of services including advising on financial budget and planning. I have mostly worked with corporations in the past, but I am also comfortable with handling individual finances. I am dedicated to providing the best services appropriate for each situation.
5. Tell me how do you get along with different types of people?
The workplace is loaded with a variety of different people with varying personalities and the interviewer wants to know how you think you will fit in.
When answering interview questions with HR, you want to show your interviewer that it does not matter what kind of people you work with – just that work gets done. This shows the interviewer that you are more concerned with outcomes than personalities.
“I work well with anyone who delivers what they promise.”
6. Explain me what investment firms do you use in your practice?
Vanguard, Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, and Schwab are among the better choices. Dimensional Fund Advisors funds are low costs but may make it difficult to extract yourself. Be cautious if the answer for investments is an insurance company.
7. Tell me how do you maintain client loyalty?
Regular updates and communication are an important part of maintaining client relationships. I regularly contact them with updates, and I am always available to address concerns as quickly as possible. If there is a specific issue, I set up a face to face meeting to resolve these concerns.
8. Tell me an example of a major organizational change that you contributed to?
These human resources interview questions explore your organizational awareness and your ability to identify potential organizational problems and opportunities from an HR perspective. Focus on your interaction with a wide range of people in the organization and your ability to stay in touch with what is happening at all levels in the organization.
9. Tell me do you accept fiduciary responsibility?
This is a legal term meaning they have a fundamental obligation to provide suitable investment advice and always act in your best interests, not theirs. They should also be willing to give you a written statement that they accept this responsibility.
10. Do you know the cost change if an employee leaves?
Because pricing is often based on whether or not a particular candidate gets hired, many clients will want to know if a new employee leaves the company shortly after they are brought on board. It is very important for a recruiter to have this policy laid out as clearly as possible upfront so that there is no question later on. Most recruiting agencies offer rebates for such situations, based on a sliding scale, depending on the length of employment.
You will want to know the number and skills of associates, whether this is a stand-alone firm or part of a large company, the amount of money they have under their control, the kind of clients they serve, and who will help when the person you are interviewing isn't available.
12. Tell me what approaches do you use when giving advice?
Because individuals process information differently, it is important to provide printed budget materials. Additionally, it is crucial to meet with clients in person to work through the details. I believe this approach helps give clients a full understanding of their current finances and future goals.
13. Tell me what does this type of service cost?
How much a recruiter or recruitment firm charges will always be on the short list of things clients will want to know. After all, businesses must keep an eye on their budget and watch their bottom line! There are two typical ways that recruitment agencies charge for their services – a retainer or a percentage fee.
The latter is based on starting salary of the candidate and is payable once the candidate is recruited while a retainer is more like a flat fee for their services up front with a remaining balance paid at a later date. Successful recruiters always provide clear pricing schemes to their clients.
14. Tell me what kind of investments do you recommend?
Good responses include index funds, real-estate investment trusts (REITs), highly rated bonds, certificate of deposits (CDs) and a portion of money markets. Be cautious when the replies seem to promote managed funds, individual stocks, a directly owned real-estate property, reverse mortgages, commodities, long short funds, partnerships of any kind including master limited partnerships (MLP), options, hedge funds, investments with limited withdrawal privileges, collectibles, thinly held securities, and annuities with high costs and lots of fine print that provide flexibility for the insurer but not you.
Also be VERY cautious about replies that imply the adviser can do much better than the S&P 500 index with the adviser's selection of equities. Very few professional beat the index, and it's rare when they beat it for several years in succession.
15. Tell me what is your investment approach?
If you have a strong preference for a particular philosophy, ask the advisor what his or hers is. For instance, if you prefer to use low-cost funds, you can ask whether they plan to used actively managed funds or passive investments. Wacks gives an example of the kinds of differences in investment philosophy that can arise: “I say to the client, ‘I'm not here to make you a lot of money. If you want someone to do that, and trade stocks back and forth, then I'm not the person. If you're looking for someone who makes investments consistent with your risk tolerance and goals, then I can help you.'”
16. Tell me three clients' names, phone numbers and email addresses as references?
It's important to call these references. Ask them how they found the adviser, the length of time they have been served, what kind of help they get, what they believe are the adviser's strong and weak points and whether they would recommend that adviser to someone in your situation.
17. Tell me how Do You Choose the Particular Products to Suggest to Clients?
I enjoy listening and getting to know my customers, building long-term relationships with them. By taking the time to understand their goals and needs, I am better able to identify what products will help them succeed and grow.
18. What is your greatest strength as Personnel Adviser?
This is a great question and allows hiring managers to get a feel for the talents, strengths, and skills a potential employee has. The response to this question tells the hiring manager what will make a candidate a great addition to the team, so a well-thought out answer is an absolute must.
Thrive under pressure? Then let them know. Brilliant problem solver? Include that. This is a chance to shine, but remember to have plenty of examples to back up the claims.
19. Tell me what about candidate referencing?
Today, checking references is a big part of the hiring process, but it is incredibly time-consuming. Many clients will want recruiters to do this legwork for them – but not all recruiting agencies provide this service. If the client doesn't ask about this, it may be worth mentioning during the first conversation to gauge their expectations.
20. Tell me what experience do you possess for this position?
I received a degree in finance from “X” university. I completed a financial advising internship at “X” company where I gained a range of hands on experience. I recently received my CPA and stay up to date on current financial and stock trends. I am looking forward to growing further in your company.
21. Do you know how does the CV review process work?
The main reason businesses use recruitment consultants is to save time and money on selecting job candidates. Busy managers don't want to be inundated with resumes and applications, but they still want to know how the whole process will work. Clients will not only want to know how a recruiter will handle the selection process, but they will also want to know how many CVs to expect, what sort of information they will receive, and what sort of timeframe in which this will occur.
22. What is your greatest weakness as Personnel Adviser?
Most interviewees actually dread this question, and rightly so. Potential employers are well aware of the fact that job candidates are people; so knowing their faults allows them to get a bigger picture of that person. When answering this question, it is easy to draw a lot of negative attention to oneself. Avoid that by providing a positive but honest answer.
Think carefully about this question. Everyone has a weakness, whether it is focusing too much on the details or always saying yes or prioritising smaller work projects. The best response should include a small, work-related flaw that won't mean that the interviewer's interest is terminated there and then. Be sure to include the efforts made to manage this 'fault' and turn it into something positive.
23. Explain me about a recent experience you had handling a grievance issue?
This behavioral HR interview question explores your ability to manage conflict and evaluates your communication skills. In your example focus on the behavioral process you used to deal with the grievance issue. What methods you used to uncover the cause of the grievance, clarifying the different perspectives of the parties concerned, looking for a constructive solution and monitoring future behavior.
24. Tell us do you have different models or investment pools dependent on client's risk tolerance?
Risk usually relates to the decisions you would make in a volatile security market and the amount of money you might be willing to lose in a market downturn. It's usually measured with a series of standard questions, but it's important to know the degree to which the adviser tailors your investments.
25. Tell me what makes your client experience unique?
“Basically, ‘Why do I want to work with you? “And people should be able to answer that.” This will also give you insight into whether their strengths are the ones you seek in a planner. For instance, she would tell clients, “I'm your financially savvy best friend,” and explain that her focus is on using their money to match their values. This pitch would appeal to some clients, but not ones who, for instance, are out to maximize returns in the market.
26. Tell me what were some ways you overcame difficulties?
There was a time that the mines went for strikes for like 3 months or so, it was difficult for most of the advisors as policies were lapsing due to non payments.
27. Tell me how do you gain the trust of new clients?
I think that it is important that clients feel listened to from the very beginning. Their money is important, and they want to be understood. Therefore, I clearly note all their priorities and work with them to address their needs.
28. Tell me where do you expect to get your clients?
I am intending to make relationships with human resources/recruitment managers so they can always make me aware of new recruits whom I can come do a presentation for.
29. Tell me do you prefer working with others or alone?
Basically, the interviewer is asking if you are a team player. If your answer is with others, then the interviewer will think you can't work alone and if you answer alone, then the interviewer may think you have some personality issues working with other people.
30. Tell me what services do you/does your firm provide?
Implicit in this question is also what assistance the advisor will not give you. “Some people are just investment advisors and only provide you advice on your investments,” says Bera. “Other people do comprehensive financial planning around retirement, insurance, estate planning and tax planning.” Go with someone whose offerings suit your needs.
31. Tell me; will I be working only with you or with a team?
This question will also help you see how often you'll be in touch with your advisor. “Some will say, ‘I'll meet with you once a year, but Gina will reach out to you regularly and is my right hand person and does a lot of data gathering for me.' Some companies have a team approach rather than an individual approach, adding that one isn't better than the other. “It's really whatever your preference is. But I wouldn't want someone to get into a relationship and say, ‘I only see my advisor once a year, and I thought I'd be seeing him more often.' Then others really like the team approach because they know if their planner is on vacation, they can still get an answer right away.”
32. Explain what is your educational background?
Look for a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), likely with Registered Investor Advisor (RIA) credentials. Some Certified Public Accountants (CPA) with Personal Financial Assistant (PFS) degrees have suitable qualifications as well. Avoid brokers, insurance agents, real-estate promoters, business associates, relatives, golfing partners and hairdressers.
33. Explain me what are some of the things that bother you?
This is a common question, but don't dwell on it. The interviewer is looking for a job related answer, more like “what bothers you about your job or the people you work with?” If you dig deep and think of what really bothers you, you'll find that it's other people and their ideas, right? But don't tell the interviewer that, you can be more clever than that.
“It bothers me the most when other people I work with don't meet their deadlines or deliver what they promise.”
34. Tell me what do you believe a financial planner does?
I believe in giving the client information and the best plan that suits their budget and life style.
35. Explain me about how you have established business relationships in the past?
I often keep in contact with my clients once in 6 months to check if there is any amendments they might want to do or if they are still happy with their current plans.
