As an executive search firm, we are constantly asking questions to help us connect the dots between an organization’s leadership needs and an individual’s leadership capabilities. The process of hiring to achieve the best possible outcome for every role begins long before the interview process. Show
Here are a few executive interview questions you need to ask yourself before you start talking to candidates:1. Is my company crystal clear in its purpose and values, and who in my company will serve as the culture evaluator during the interview process? 2. Has the hiring manager collaborated with multiple stakeholders to establish a clear vision for the role and the image of what success looks like when the right person is added to the team? (Note: if you are still thinking of your hiring process as filling the open box near the top of the org chart using yesterday’s job description, you have work to do) 3. Do you know what the most important leadership traits look like for your company? Our clients have constantly asked us for Relentless Learners, People/Colleague Developers, and Results Drivers. Yours may be different, but these have consistently come up for us over the past 4 years. Once you have clear answers to the questions above, you can begin your outreach and alignment process. Your goal when you get to an in-person interview stage is to spend time with as few, highly aligned candidates as possible. Your time is valuable. Their time is valuable. Make sure your initial screening process is so strong that only the best of the best make it to the in-person interview stage. At Y Scouts, we focus on 3 main areas when interviewing C-suite and other senior level leaders: 1.) Purpose and Values Below is a sampling of 15 executive interview questions and the logic behind each related to Purpose, Values and Leadership Trait discovery.(Functional Expertise questions should be specific to the success outcomes you’ve defined in the Role Visioning Process) 1. If you were going to teach a college course, what course would you teach? 2. What leader or leaders do you look up to and why? 3. What is one truth you believe in that most people disagree with you on? 4. What’s one assumption people make about you that is dead wrong? 5. Who is your mentor/s and what recent challenge/s have you sought their advice for? 6. Tell me about a time when you had to make a tough business decision that supported your company’s purpose, but may have had a negative, short-term financial impact. 7. Tell me about a time you broke a rule for an employee. 8. If you could go back and give your 21-year old self a valuable piece of advice, what would you say? 9. As you think about your career, who is a team member you had a huge impact on and what are they doing today as a result of your
leadership? 10. If you could work on solving any problem in the world, what one problem would it be? 11. What is your leadership philosophy? 12. What’s the one mistake you’ve made in your career that you wish you could go back and fix? 13. Tell me about a contentious situation between colleagues you’ve had to resolve. Specifically, how did you work through the tension? 14. What specific mental, physical, emotional and/or spiritual activities do you engage in to keep yourself operating at your optimum level? 15. What are you learning right now? If you’re ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization, please contact us. If you’d like to share some of your favorite executive interview questions, we’d love to share them with our Leadership Community. You may enjoy these executive level posts about interview questions: // 15 High Level CTO Interview Questions [/fusion_text][fusion_alert type=”general” accent_color=”” background_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” text_align=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” text_transform=”” dismissable=”” box_shadow=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”custom-fusion-alert-grey” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””] Y Scouts is an executive search firm that helps nonprofits and social enterprises find exceptional leaders. Contact us if you are looking to find an exceptional leader. To be considered for exceptional leadership opportunities with our clients, please take the first step by joining the Y Scouts Leadership Community. [/fusion_alert][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container] What questions should I ask at a senior management interview?7 Questions Senior-Level Candidates Should Ask in a Job Interview. What brought you to this company/role? ... . What does a typical day look like? ... . What are some of the biggest challenges within the department currently? ... . What sort of person would be successful in this role? ... . How would I be evaluated in this role?. What are good questions to ask a leader in an interview?Top 20 Leadership Interview Questions and Answers. Tell me/us about the time you demonstrated leadership skills at work? ... . What is your leadership style? ... . Which supporting skills do you think are more important for a leader? ... . How do you manage a conflict situation? ... . What was the hardest decision you have taken as a leader?. What are good questions to ask a VP in an interview?Interview Questions for Vice Presidents:. What are some major challenges in the future of the industry? ... . What methods do you use to oversee multiple departments and ensure your work is error-free? ... . Can you describe a time when you have had to deliver negative feedback?. What is a good question to ask a leadership panel?Leadership Panel Questions that Beg for Specifics
How do you balance planning for the future and being present for your employees? How do you keep your team on track with the mission, vision, and values of the organization? How do you inspire others while keeping yourself inspired about the organization's mission?
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