Good questions to ask ceo during interview

So you have a job interview with a CEO. Welcome to the big leagues! At this point you’ve probably already made a great impression on the hiring manager and other key decision makers. Now all that’s left is to sell yourself to the company leader.

Wondering how to wow the top brass? Here’s how to prepare for an interview with a company’s CEO.

Do some detective work

Put on your private investigator’s cap—you’ll need it to dig into the CEO’s background. Your mission is to gather as much information about the head honcho as possible so that you have intel you can leverage during the interview.

Check out the CEO’s social media accounts to see what businesses the person has worked for during their career. Based on what they share, what topics are they especially passionate about, and what accomplishments do they seem most proud of?

Also, do a search on Google News to see if they’ve spoken to media recently or have been involved in any major projects that’s generating buzz.

Show admiration for the company

Not only do you want to research the CEO, you also want to make sure you’re very familiar with the company’s history and any current news. You probably already did this kind of homework when you were preparing for your initial interviews with HR and the hiring manager, but it can definitely benefit you to reiterate what you learned to the CEO.

Like many people, CEOs are susceptible to flattery. However, you don’t want to come off as a brown-noser. Your best approach, therefore, is to compliment the CEO by praising the company’s performance. Maybe the firm earned above-average revenue last quarter, or it recently launched a new product that’s been in development for years. Your interest in the company will go a long way.

Prove you fit the company culture

While it’s critical that you call out your big career wins, core skills, and the unique perspective that you bring to the table during your interview with the CEO, you also need your personality to come through.

It’s no secret employers hire based on cultural fit. Leaders often set their company’s culture based on their leadership style, so demonstrating to the CEO that you’re a good fit is a must.

“Providing examples that demonstrate how your attitude and mindset make you a good fit to work there can help you show you’re in alignment with the company's culture and values,” says Vicki Salemi, Monster's career expert.

Get ready to revisit your answers

You met with the HR team and hiring manager, but don’t expect that everything you told them will have made its way to the CEO’s ears. Be ready to answer these common interview questions again:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why do you want to work at this company?
• Why should we hire you?
• What do you want to accomplish in your career?

Questions to ask a CEO in an interview

Just as it’s expected that you’ll ask questions in your initial interview, you need to also have a handful of smart questions to ask the CEO.

• How would you describe your leadership style?
• What excites you the most about where this company is heading?
• What challenges within the company are you most occupied with currently?
• How do you set goals for this particular department?
• How and how often does senior management communicate with the rest of the company?

Say the right things

Acing a job interview with a CEO, hiring manager, or recruiter is all about choosing your words carefully. Want some help crafting compelling answers? Join Monster for free today. As a member, you’ll get interview insights, career advice, and job search tips sent directly to your inbox to help you become a top-shelf candidate. From making small talk to discussing industry trends to negotiating a job offer, Monster’s expert help can show you just what to say so that your skills and value shine through.

A CEO is the highest-ranking executive in an organization. Recruiting CEOs can be challenging as they play a huge role in the company’s success. They make important company decisions, build business strategies, and shape the organizational culture. The ideal candidate for this position usually has many years of experience as a CEO or in another C-suite level role. It’s best to look for candidates who are familiar with your industry, as they’ll better understand your company’s challenges and objectives.

When you identify your top candidates for the CEO position, schedule an onsite introductory interview to talk about their skills and your business needs. Prepare CEO interview questions that assess candidates’ management and problem-solving skills. Use tangible criteria to understand if they’re a good fit for your company, for example, find out how well they know your company and your competitors and ask what changes they plan to implement if hired. Consider including board members and other executives in the hiring process to select candidates who are a good fit for your executive team.

Interview questions for CEOs can also reveal which candidates have the characteristics that make a good leader, such as resilience, patience, and an influential flair. A CEO makes important financial decisions and regularly communicates with shareholders and potential investors. So, look for candidates with a data-driven approach, attention to detail, and sharp negotiation skills.

Below, you’ll find the best questions to ask a CEO in a job interview.

Operational and Situational questions

• What do you think our company’s mission and vision are?
• What changes would you implement during your first year in the company? How would you build a 5-year plan?
• What would you do in your first 30 days as CEO of our organization? 
• Who do you believe are our biggest competitors? How do we differ from them?
• What do you think are the biggest challenges our industry will face in the next 5 years?
• What are the most helpful technological platforms and tools you have used? Would you implement them in our organization?
• What is the most innovative product or service you’ve worked on at a previous company?
• Describe your rationale before you make a big financial decision. What criteria do you use to decide which products or services to invest in?
• In 5 minutes, prepare a small pitch to present our company to a potential investor.
• Imagine that a product or service we launched recently failed our expectations. What are your next steps? 

Behavioral questions

• What personality traits make a good leader?
• What is the best and the worst part of being a CEO?
• Name two strengths and two weaknesses you have and how they can impact your responsibilities as a CEO.
• What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? How did you overcome it and what did you learn from it?
• How do you prefer to communicate with your team to assign responsibilities to them? 
• What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to people management?
• How would others define your communication style? Do you prefer to be close to your employees or maintain a healthy distance, and why?
• Describe a time when two team leaders or executives had a conflict. How did you handle the situation?
• Describe a time you had to make a tough decision (e.g. budget cuts, organizational restructuring, market withdrawal, etc.). What did you do and what was the result?

Did you find this CEO interview questions template useful? Feel free to download the PDF for future use.

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