Finance and payroll roles
Finance support work turns on records that must agree and rules that limit what can be paid or released. These guides cover three roles.
Try CalavionWhat does real-work assessment look like for finance and payroll roles?
Accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll are judged on accuracy and on what a person does when records disagree or an approval is missing. A real handled case, such as an invoice that does not match its purchase order, shows both.
The three roles differ in the pressure. Payable cases turn on a mismatch and a supplier chasing. Receivable cases turn on an overdue customer and a dispute. Payroll cases turn on a missing authorisation and a closing deadline.
Status in one line
Calavion has run one exercise end to end, a customer service cancellation case. For every other role on this page, Calavion would build the exercise with your company from a case your team has handled.
What you review
A Replay: what was available, what the applicant did and wrote, what changed and what stayed open. Calavion does not score or rank applicants. You decide.
Which finance and payroll roles have a guide?
Each guide has its own scenario, skills, questions and limits. Open the one that matches the role you are hiring.
| Role guide | Typical work | Example scenario in the guide | What needs another method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts payable specialist assessment | Invoice matching, supplier queries and month-end | An invoice that does not match its purchase order | Accounting software skills are not covered |
| Accounts receivable specialist assessment | Overdue invoices, disputes and credit rules | An overdue customer who disputes an invoice line | Collection calls are not covered |
| Payroll specialist assessment | Pay changes, records and authorisation | A pay change with no authorisation | Payroll software, tax and employment law are not covered |
Which skills do these roles share?
The skills below appear in several guides on this page. Each guide shows how they look in that role.
| Skill | Why it matters in these roles | What the employer would see in Replay |
|---|---|---|
| Matching records | Invoices, orders, timesheets and shift records have to agree | The figures the applicant quoted compared with the records |
| Applying the rule | Approval, credit and authorisation limits decide what can be paid | Whether the applicant paid, held or queried, and what they cited |
| Accuracy with numbers | Amounts, hours and dates must be right | The figures in the messages |
| Firm, courteous messages | Suppliers, customers and managers all need a clear answer | The messages as written |
| Cut-off prioritising | Month-end and payroll close have deadlines | What was done first and what was left |
Paying out
Accounts payable and payroll cases turn on whether something should be paid and who has authorised it.
Collecting in
Accounts receivable cases turn on how firmly and courteously to ask for money, and on separating a dispute from the undisputed amount.
What does Calavion not cover in these roles?
Accounting software skills; accounting standards, tax and employment law; and collection or supplier calls. Calavion does not record voice or video, run live finance systems or give professional advice.
Use another method for those, alongside a written exercise. Each guide lists the common alternatives. See also where Calavion applies and what makes work suitable.
Finance and payroll roles: common questions
Short answers about assessing finance and payroll roles.
Which finance and payroll roles can Calavion assess?
The guides cover accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll specialist. Only the customer service cancellation case has been built and run so far. For these roles, Calavion would build the exercise with your company.
Does Calavion test accounting knowledge?
No. The exercise is built around written cases with records and message threads. Accounting standards, tax and software skills need a separate test.
Does Calavion give tax or payroll advice?
No. The exercise is built from your own handled case and your own policy. Take professional advice for your location.
How do we start?
Bring one case your team has already handled. Calavion prepares the exercise with you, you approve it, and you invite applicants. Launch access is free for our first three companies. After that, Starter is $49 a month and Business is $149 a month, with Enterprise quoted.
Related role families
See Operations and supply chain roles, Claims, compliance and analysis roles, or all roles. Method background: how to choose real work for a hiring exercise, work samples, take-homes and job simulations compared and the Evidence Ladder.
Build this exercise with us.
Bring one case your team has handled. Launch access is free for our first three companies. Calavion prepares the exercise with you, by hand, and you approve it before any applicant sees it.