(Originally posted November 2018, Updated April 2020).
Perhaps the most critical step of the recruitment process is the interview, for both the company and the potential employee.
It is the first opportunity for the interviewer to assess the candidate’s personality, professionalism, and charisma. To be an efficient executive director, these skills are necessary. Unfortunately, it is difficult to identify a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses without a list of stellar interview questions!
Lucky for you, we have developed a list of the best questions that will help you get a deep understanding of each candidate you interview.
Top 10 Executive Director Interview Questions to Consider
1) What do you believe our core competencies are? Do those values resonate with you?
The first question on our executive director interview questions list asks a candidate about their understanding of your company. Not only will it determine if your candidate knows about what you do and can accurately explain this, but it will also determine whether this candidate aligns with your culture.
These characteristics are crucial to evaluate when determining if a candidate should move on to the next step in the recruitment process. After all, a candidate who aligns with your culture is also able to motivate your employees towards your company’s shared purpose properly.
2) Describe an experience when you had to make a stressful, strategic decision.
As an executive director, this individual will have to make a lot of hard decisions. It is crucial to evaluate their thought process, stress management, and strategy to determine if they will be a good leader. If they lack experience of this kind, chances are they are not ready for a position of this magnitude.
3) If you could work in any other industry, what would it be and why?
This question is so important. Using executive director interview questions like this examine your candidate in a more comprehensive way.
In other words, questions like this help you understand the candidate on a deeper level. By knowing their various interests, you can determine whether they are T-shaped or not.
All in all, interview questions for executive director positions should look at a candidate’s functionality as well as their personality for a comprehensive fit.
4) If you could be remembered for one sentence for the rest of your life, what would it be?
This is a difficult question that Google asks its employees. They believe it gives insight into an individual’s character! It is simple, challenging, and requires the candidate to think on their feet.
5) What is your greatest weakness as a leader?
Nobody is perfect, and that is okay. What matters most is that an individual is aware of their weaknesses and takes measures to confront and work on them.
Additionally, you can use this question to see how proactive a candidate is in their career development as a leader.
6) Who was your best boss, and who was your worst boss?
It is easy to criticize a leader, but it is hard for some to praise them. By getting an understanding of what your candidate thinks a good and a bad leader are, you can determine if their leadership style is right for your company.
7) Describe how you would handle laying off a considerable amount of employees.
Those in executive roles have to think about the company first, but that doesn’t mean they have to be heartless. Leaders should be compassionate and find a way to manage personalities and profitability. This question will show you if that candidate can do both.
8) What activities do you engage in to keep a work-life balance, if any?
Leaders must understand the importance of separating work from life. If they don’t, they often push their workaholic tendencies on the employees below them. This is detrimental to the productivity and growth of a business.
9) Is learning or earning more important to you?
Of course, the goal of every executive is to make a company profitable. On the other hand, money should not be the primary motivator in someone’s life. If it is, they will never be satisfied. Leaders should focus on the firm’s long term success rather than their short term profitability.
10) What is your favorite business book? What did it teach you?
High-level employees should always be trying to increase their industry knowledge and overall business understanding. Reading is how you do just that. By knowing their favorite book, you can get an insight into their decision-making rationale, ethics, and so much more.
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- General Manager Interview Questions
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