Hiring Tips

Is the right person managing your card program? If not, the problem could be tied to the hiring or selection process your organization used. The next time a Commercial Card/P-Card program manager or administrator (PM/PA) is needed, ensure your organization is thoroughly prepared. Following are things to look for, sample interview questions, plus an often-overlooked piece of the hiring process.

In addition, if your organization would like assistance with developing the PM/PA role, please contact Recharged Education.

What to Look For

A valuable sign of card experience is the Certified Purchasing Card Professional (CPCP) credential. Beyond that, below are other important aspects to look for in the areas of experience, qualities and skills. Each organization will differ in regard to what is most important to them.

Sample Interview Questions

If an organization is seeking someone with card experience, they should dive into an applicant’s opinions/knowledge to assess whether they would be a good fit. For example:

  1. What is the biggest mistake an organization can make with respect to a card program?

  2. What do you think is the most effective approach for training cardholders and why?

  3. How would you help cardholders’ managers be successful at their reviewer/approver role?

  4. How would you maximize the process savings possible from P-Card usage?

  5. What are some key metrics for evaluating the health/status of a P-Card program?

  6. What is your philosophy regarding card limits (spend and velocity) and MCC restrictions?

  7. How important is Level III transaction data?

  8. What do you think is the best approach for auditing transactions?

  9. What are the benefits of card acceptance for suppliers? Can you share a time when you had to convince a supplier to accept card payments?

  10. Do you have experience using cards in response to a disaster or emergency?

  11. What are your views of a One Card strategy versus two separate programs—P-Cards and Corporate Travel Cards?

  12. Where do you see electronic accounts payable (EAP) solutions fitting into a payment strategy?

  13. Do you have a preference between Virtual Cards (pull payments) and buyer-initiated payments (push payments)?

  14. What roles should procurement and accounts payable fill in relation to a card program?

  15. When should an organization use non-card options—checks, ACH, real-time payments, and wires?

The interview questions your organization chooses to use will likely depend on the status of your card program, as well as your organization’s payment-related interests, priorities, and challenges.

What to Not Overlook

At some point, the hiring process should also test a candidate’s skills that are relevant to the job. For example:

  • To assess their training style, ask the candidate in advance to prepare a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation to deliver during the interview.

  • To confirm their writing abilities, request an on-the-spot writing sample.

For either endeavor, one possible topic is P-Card benefits. Further, to evaluate their analysis skills, provide card program data or a report and ask the candidate for their opinions/interpretation. Taking the time to conduct tests like these will improve your organization’s chances of hiring the best possible candidate.