Preparation for ADM requires a shift in mindset. You are interviewing with a company that values longevity, operational stability, and deep domain expertise. While technical skills are required, your ability to apply them to ADM’s massive industrial context is what will set you apart.

Focus your preparation on these key evaluation criteria:

Functional & Domain Fluency – You must demonstrate an understanding of the business processes you will support. If you are interviewing for a Financial Systems role, you need to speak the language of accounting (GL, balance sheets, R2R). If you are in an ERP role, you must understand supply chain or manufacturing workflows. Interviewers need to know you can communicate effectively with non-technical business users.

Technical Pragmatism – ADM values tools that work. You will be evaluated on your proficiency with Microsoft Excel (advanced), SQL, and reporting tools like Power BI. You do not need to be a software engineer, but you must demonstrate the ability to manipulate data independently to solve problems without waiting for IT support.

Process Improvement & Ownership – Candidates are evaluated on their initiative. You should be ready to discuss how you identify gaps in current processes (e.g., manual Excel workarounds) and propose standardized, automated solutions. The ability to "bridge the gap" between business needs and technical capabilities is the core competency here.

Cultural Alignment (The ADM Way) – ADM places a high premium on collaboration and integrity. You will be assessed on your ability to work in cross-functional teams, handle pressure during critical periods (like month-end close), and maintain a service-oriented mindset toward internal stakeholders.

The interview process at ADM is thorough but generally straightforward, designed to assess both your technical competence and your fit within their established corporate culture. The process typically moves at a steady pace, reflecting the company's methodical approach to hiring.

Expect the process to begin with a screening call from a recruiter, focusing on your resume, location preferences (as many roles are location-specific to hubs like Chicago, Decatur, or Erlanger), and high-level experience. Following this, you will likely proceed to a hiring manager interview. This round delves into your specific experience with the tools mentioned in the job description (e.g., IFS, Blackline, SQL) and your history with similar projects.

The final stage usually involves a panel interview or a series of back-to-back conversations with key stakeholders. This often includes a mix of technical peers, business counterparts (such as Senior Accountants or Operations Managers), and leadership. In these rounds, expect a blend of behavioral questions and practical scenarios—such as how you would handle a data discrepancy during a financial close or how you would manage a difficult stakeholder during a UAT phase.

Use the timeline above to structure your preparation. The process is heavily weighted toward the later stages, where you meet the team you will actually work with. Ensure you have concrete examples of your past projects ready for the "Onsite / Panel" stage, as this is where the depth of your experience will be tested.

To succeed, you must demonstrate competence across three primary pillars: Technical Data Skills, Business Process Knowledge, and Stakeholder Management.

Technical Data & Systems Proficiency

ADM relies heavily on specific data ecosystems. You will be tested on your ability to navigate these systems to extract insights or troubleshoot errors.

Be ready to go over:

• SQL & Database Management – Writing queries to retrieve data, joining tables, and understanding data relationships. This is critical for roles involving commission payouts or financial reporting.
• Advanced Excel – Pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP are the baseline. Knowledge of VBA/Macros to automate repetitive tasks is a significant differentiator.
• ERP & Financial Systems – Familiarity with systems like IFS, Blackline, AFRM, or Hyperion. You don't need to know every button, but you must understand how data flows through an ERP.
• Reporting Tools – Experience with Power BI or similar visualization tools to create dashboards for leadership.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a time you used SQL to investigate a data discrepancy. How did you structure your query?"
• "How have you used Excel macros to improve a manual accounting process?"
• "Walk me through your experience with ERP implementations. What modules were you responsible for?"

Business Process Analysis & Mapping

You must show that you can translate messy human workflows into structured system requirements. This is especially true for roles involved in ERP rollouts or system upgrades.

Be ready to go over:

• Requirements Gathering – How you conduct workshops, interview stakeholders, and document functional vs. technical requirements.
• Gap Analysis – Identifying the difference between "out-of-the-box" ERP functionality and what the business actually needs.
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT) – How you define test cases, coordinate testing with business users, and manage defect resolution.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How do you handle a situation where a business stakeholder insists on a customization that goes against standard ERP best practices?"
• "Describe your approach to mapping a 'Current State' vs. 'Future State' process."
• "Tell me about a time a project was at risk of missing a deadline. How did you prioritize features to stay on track?"

Domain Knowledge (Finance & Operations)

For many BA roles at ADM, "Business" means Finance or Supply Chain. You need to understand the context of the data you are analyzing.

Be ready to go over:

• Accounting Concepts – Understanding the impact of system changes on the General Ledger, Balance Sheet reconciliations, and the financial close process.
• Supply Chain Logic – Understanding how inventory moves, how costs are captured, and how procurement links to payment.
• Regulatory & Compliance – Working within audit constraints and ensuring systems are compliant with internal controls.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Explain the Record-to-Report (R2R) process and where system failures typically occur."
• "How do you ensure that a new feature upgrade does not negatively impact financial reporting accuracy?"

As a Business Analyst at ADM, your day-to-day work is a mix of project-based development and operational support. You are the "first responder" for system issues and the architect for future improvements.

On the project side, you will collaborate with business stakeholders to document requirements for new initiatives—such as rolling out the IFS ERP to a new geography or building a new commission payout system. You will act as the liaison between the non-technical business teams (who know what they need) and the technical IT teams (who know how to build it). This involves creating documentation, running "fit-gap" workshops, and coordinating UAT cycles.

On the support side, particularly for Financial Systems roles, you will be heavily involved during the month-end close. This is a fast-paced period where you must troubleshoot errors in Excel files, fix broken automated processes, and ensure data integrity so the accounting team can close the books. You will also maintain documentation, manage system access controls, and train users on new features.