“Executive Interview Questions”

Executive Interview Questions

What are your strongest traits?

An interviewer asks this question to establish how you view yourself as a leader.

Example: “My strongest traits are empathy, communication and conflict resolution because I value people, positive interactions and working to find solutions.”

How would you describe our company?

An interviewer asks this question to determine what research you have completed on their company.

Example: “I would describe your company as a successful, multi-million-dollar operation rooted in family-run values that contribute to treating every customer like family.”

Why do you want to be a leader in our company?

Your answer to this question helps an interviewer understand whether your professional values align with the values necessary to lead the company.

Example: “I want to be a leader at this company because I admire its eco-friendly mission and want to continue to contribute to its clean-up programs in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Can you describe your last supervisor? What traits of theirs did you admire?

This question helps an interviewer determine what traits you admire from your past employers and what leadership traits you uphold.

Example: “My last supervisor always made a point to ask how their employees were doing. They helped make each employee feel valued and understood. For example, when I got sick, they allowed me to work from home and made a point to ask how I was feeling.”

Did you ever have a negative experience with a supervisor? What caused it?

When an interviewer asks this question, they want to hear what you learned from the experience and how you use it to cultivate a better leadership style.

Example: “I once had a supervisor who would leave the office randomly and take days off at the last minute, leaving my team and me with heavy workloads and no means of communicating with upper management. We soon found out it was due to a personal family issue. It taught me that communication is crucial when you are in a leadership role.”

What would you want to accomplish within your first six months of employment?

An interviewer asks this question to see how your plans align with the company’s while also seeing what you already know about company procedures.

Example: “The first thing I want to do is implement a functional communication channel to help connect departments and branch locations. I also want to establish an electronic file system to reduce paper waste and limit the amount of time spent searching for paper copies. Then, I want to turn my focus towards customer relations to review the current customer service procedures, gathering input from employees and customers alike before implementing an updated system to increase customer satisfaction.”

What is your strategy for increasing company revenue?

Your answer to this question helps an interviewer determine whether you have the skills and experience to generate company revenue.

Example: “My strategy for increasing company revenue includes working with the marketing department to create a campaign that will strengthen our visibility both in digital and traditional forms of media. I also believe that we should combine the efforts of the sales and marketing staff by encouraging a partnership between the two departments.”

What do you think our company is succeeding at? What do you think needs to be changed?

An interviewer asks this question to see what you know about the company.

Example: “I believe that this company is successful in terms of marketing and customer service. However, I do think we can strengthen the company even more by focusing on workplace culture and structuring it towards the company’s mission statement.”

How would you reward your employees for adequate work?

An interviewer asks this question to learn about how you would reward your employees, as a reward is an important part of productivity.

Example: “For individual efforts, I would acknowledge their contributions in front of their peers. For group efforts, I would acknowledge their contributions along with an incentive such as buying the team lunch or allowing them to leave early on a Friday.”

Can you tell me about the most difficult experience you encountered as a leader?

This question asks you to describe a specific incident that challenged you as a leader.

Example: “Upper management told me they were considering merging another branch, meaning I would oversee double the employees and department size. There was also the process of employee onboarding and helping existing employees adjust to a new situation.

I dealt with this by keeping an open line of communication throughout the process, listening to new and existing employee concerns and coordinating weekly meetings with department heads. The results included a successful onboarding process and integration of new staff who are now fully adjusted to their new work environment as well as existing employee satisfaction.”

Also See: Cultural Fit Interview Questions