I ask candidates what books and blogs they are currently reading. Learning what someone reads provides you with great insight into his personality, passions and dreams.
2. How do you explain your job success?
Be candid without sounding arrogant. Mention observations other people have made about your work strengths or talents.
3. Is Money the No. 1 Motivator?
What salary would you pay yourself if you were me? I love this question because you can get an idea if they are only money-motivated, or if they're joining the team for the right reasons.
What is the one thing you would change about the company if you could today? I love to ask this question to find out how much they've thought about my business. The answer isn't super important. What is important is that it is thoughtful.
5. What books and blogs are you currently reading?
Learning what someone reads provides you with great insight into their personality, passions, and dreams.
6. How Would You Pitch Our Service?
If you are hiring at the executive level, no matter the function, you need people you feel can represent the business as well as you do. Have them pitch the company to you as if you are in a sales meeting, and you'll get a sense as to whether you'll feel comfortable with them in an outside-facing role.
It helps me identify the journey and their sense of the situation from the get go. Most people who are trying to impress you will be more than happy to give you a syllabus of their credentials as to why. But the gems are usually the ones that answer with something simple and impactful like, "Let me show you why…"
8. What are your communication skills like?
I generally like to question his or her communication skills. If someone's going to join my organization immediately in a senior role, they have to know how to effectively communicate with myself, their colleagues, and direct reports. This is a must if they're joining my company as an executive.
9. When did you have to resolve conflict among your subordinates?
Conflict resolution is a valuable skill. With downsizing, mergers, and problems in corporate management, this could be your winning ticket. Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes to know what interpersonal issues are current stumbling blocks at the company. Then come up with an experience of your own that parallels the company's.
10. What Are We Doing That Resonates With You?
What we do every day and what we try to accomplish for our customers is unique to other accounting companies out there. We are trying to change the value proposition of accounting for businesses in general -- so it is important for us to know our team is in the same boat. Besides being technically capable for their positions, we want to know that every team member sees the same vision we see.
11. Teach me something I don't already know?
A good friend of mine informed me of a brilliant question that is asked from the top heads at Google during the hiring process. The candidate is asked some iteration of, "teach me something I don't already know." The candidate then has to quickly think of something unique on the spot to teach that will effectively portray their intellect and personality.
12. What Inspires You? What Are Your Hobbies?
In a startup, it's important to connect with people beyond their skills, and understand their drivers. We ask what inspires them in life -- a person, quote, book or mission. If they haven't thought about this, they lack a sense of depth we require in our employees to get behind our company mission. I also like to know their hobbies to truly get to know them as people, not just employees.
13. Where Do You See Yourself in One Year?
Where to from here? Entrepreneurs are constantly a growing community, always looking for bigger and brighter days. Some are success-driven, others are money-driven and, for most, it's a little of everything. Understanding their vision will help determine where they will take the company a year from now to get themselves to where they want to be (similar to a dream within a dream).
As a purpose-based executive search firm, we interview people for executive roles every day. Y Scouts tries to understand the interviewee's purpose during the first phase of the executive interview. The majority of the questions we ask can be traced back to the simple question, "Why do you work?" Their reasons must align closely with a company's purpose if they're going to be leading the company.
15. What salary range are you seeking?
It is to your advantage if the employer tells you the range first. Prepare by knowing the going rate in your area, and your bottom line or walk-away point. One possible answer would be: "I am sure when the time comes, we can agree on a reasonable amount. In what range do you typically pay someone with my background?"
16. Why Are You Wrong for This Role?
Anyone who has made it to an interview with our company will have been recommended by someone who knows Modify well. We do not hire from cold calls -- interviewees are strong candidates. At that stage, we want to make sure they are humble, yet confident. Ideally, they share grand visions for our brand and are hesitant only because they have big goals.
17. Tell Us Tell Me What Is Your Dream Job?
Too many founders make hiring about themselves and their companies. Your job, as a founder, is to provide a fertile ground for your team to grow and evolve as people and professionals. If a candidate's idea of personal success isn't in alignment with the trajectory of your company, it's not a good fit. By all means, make them love your company and mission, but make the job about them, not you.
18. Why did you leave your last company?
At high levels, issues that relate to personality and temperament become more important than they might otherwise. The recruiter wants to know if you will fit in with the client company. The recruiter may also be fishing for signs of conflict that indicate a potential personality problem.
Be honest and straightforward, but do not dwell on any conflict that may have occurred. Highlight positive developments that resulted from your departure, whether it was that you accepted a more challenging position or learned an important lesson that helped you to be happier in your next job.
19. Can you please tell me in your own words what we do?
This question quickly separates individuals who are committed and passionate to our vision from those who are simply looking for a job. We find that our best hires have thoroughly researched us, determined the general and specific impact(s) they could have on the organization, and expressed this to us confidently in their first interview.
20. Why did you leave (are you leaving) your job?
If you're unemployed, state your reason for leaving in a positive context: "I managed to survive two rounds of corporate downsizing, but the third round was a 20 percent reduction in the workforce, which included me." If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: "After two years, I made the decision to look for a company that is team-focused, where I can add my experience."
21. How many and what types of networks are you a part of and why?
Today's business executive needs to be tapped into something greater than just the four-walls of their office. Social connectivity and involvement with community causes is a key indicator of a candidate who is passionate about their role and wants to be a bigger influencer.
22. Have you ever accomplished something you didn't think you could?
The interviewer is trying to determine your goal orientation, work ethic, personal commitment and integrity. Prepare a good example where you overcame difficulties and succeeded. Prove that you're not a quitter.
23. Explain the rationale behind each of your career moves?
When hiring someone for a leadership role, I always ask them to start with their graduation from college and explain the rationale behind each of their career moves. Their answer to this question helps me determine if they are a strategic thinker who executes effectively on well-planned goals.
24. What are some important trends in our industry and how do they affect us?
Any executive candidate worth his salt will be in touch with the changes in the industry and any upcoming legislation that could change things. This demonstrates passion for the field and a commitment to staying ahead of the curve - two traits that make great leaders.
25. Give me an example of how you built consensus within your team?
An effective manager gains buy-in from his staff so that everyone experiences success, both individually and as a group. To respond to this question, you could speak about one of your experiences in morale building, creating incentive programs, or using your fine management style to increase cooperation among your staff.
26. What Are Your 3 Biggest Accomplishments?
I ask this because the answers are very telling. First, I can see if they consider all of their successes to be professional or if life experiences factor in. It's also interesting to see what a person considers an accomplishment - is it a time when they set a big goal and reached it? Is it when they can contribute to a team? When they've made a certain amount of money?
27. Ask questions that determine cultural fit?
As a firm specializing in CEO branding we focus highly as you can imagine on having "branded hires." Think about your company culture and the brand you are conveying; then ask questions that tell you whether or not the employee is aligned with your brand and culture. There are plenty of talented people out there, however; the key to success is finding the best fits.
28. Tell us why have you applied for this particular job?
By asking this question, your future employer is looking for evidence that the job suits you and involves doing things you enjoy. On the other hand, it gives him or her a chance to test your knowledge about the industry as well as the whole organisation. Make sure you have a good understanding of the role and the place you're going to take in the company. Prove to them that your job goes in line with your character and passion.
Candidates at the executive level must be able to perform their jobs with the highest regard to ethical behavior at all times. Sometimes, this means being a whistle-blower. Look for a candidate who holds to high standards and shows a knack for handling a scenario like this with tactfulness and respect for the company.
30. What methodology do you use to evaluate the financial success of a business?
Candidates who are well-suited for executive level assignments are astute in matters of finance. They are able to glean information quickly from financial reports and take the appropriate actions to ensure profitability for the business.
31. What do you like/dislike most about your current or last position?
The interviewer is trying to determine compatibility with the open position. Be careful; don't say you dislike overtime, like management, or get too detailed. It's safe to say that you like challenges, pressure situations, opportunities to grow, or that you dislike bureaucracy and frustrating situations.
32. Tell me about a creative approach you used to increase profits?
There are two ways to increase profits: decrease spending and increase revenue. This question is designed to find out if you're going to bring new profit-making ideas to the company, especially ones that work. So tell about a time when you either cut costs or drove up revenues.
33. Why do you want to work in this field as International Business Executive?
Think of a story to tell about how you first became interested in this type of work. Point out any similarities between the job you're interviewing for and your current job. Provide proof that you aren't simply shopping in this interview. Make your passion for your work a theme that you allude to continually throughout the interview.
34. Have you ever had to terminate an employee? If so, why and how did you handle it?
Being a manager means making tough decisions sometimes, for the betterment of the company as a whole. An executive level candidate should be comfortable making hiring and firing decisions, and doing so in a legal and ethical manner.
35. What do you do when you are not working?
The more senior the position, the more important it is to know about the candidate's qualities that will impact his or her leadership style: is the person well adjusted and happy, or is he or she a company zealot?
Discuss hobbies or pursuits that interest you, such as sports, clubs, cultural activities, and favorite things to read.
Avoid dwelling on any political or religious activities that may create conflict with those of the interviewer.
