How can you ask the right questions in an interview for a strategy position?

Pressure test to check how successful the candidate’s strategy has been by some questions such as “give an example when your strategy failed at the execution” and “an example where it succeeded at the execution”

Before your interview, find out about the organization. Learn about what they aim to do their values and their goals. Look at their website, social media and news to get information. This helps you ask better questions and shows you've done your homework.

Consider asking about their experience in developing and implementing strategic plans, handling ambiguity, and adapting to changing environments. Also, inquire about specific examples where they've demonstrated leadership and achieved measurable outcomes. Additionally, explore their knowledge of industry trends and their approach to identifying and capitalizing on opportunities.

It is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the organization's values, mission, and strategic objectives. This can be achieved by thoroughly reviewing their website, reading their blog posts, and closely observing their social media presence. Delve into their recent projects, notable achievements, any strategic partnerships they have entered into, and their overall standing within the market. This level of detail will equip you with the necessary knowledge to ask informed questions.

Following framework had held me in good light: 1) Ask for the boundary conditions - What is the region, product, channel or time 2) What is the metric that is in focus - what should be the start and the ending point

Rather than asking the traditional questions, such as estimate the number of windows in Beijing to explore reasoning and articulation, ask instead about how the strategy professional partners across functional areas to more deeply understand challenges, align differently motivated groups, and create win-win recommendations that can be practically and willingly implemented by the partner teams in question. If you’re interviewing a more experienced professional, asking situational and behavioral questions with requests that they cite personal experiences (STAR) is far more respectful. Avoid asking MBA (porters, etc) and logical reasoning questions, since the candidate is interviewing you, too, and these questions are irrelevant, insulting.

As a former strategy consultant for Monitor, founded by Porter, I appreciate the value of Porter's Five Forces. Yet, in my experience, successful strategy isn't just about frameworks. While these models provide a solid foundation, real strategic insight often comes from looking beyond them. It's about asking questions that explore the less obvious aspects of a business, like its culture of innovation or how it responds to unexpected challenges. How does the company adapt to change? What unique strengths does it leverage against competitors? These inquiries get to the heart of strategy, revealing how a company operates. Remember, frameworks are just the start. The best strategists see between the lines, where the real story unfolds.

Other than Porter’s 5 forces, and SWOT analysis, you can use the 5 Why’s framework to identify the key problem and root causes. The primary goal of the technique is to determine the root cause of a defect or problem by repeating the question "Why?" five times. The answer to the fifth why should reveal the root cause of the problem. The technique was described by Taiichi Ohno at Toyota Motor Corporation.

Consider a 2023 McKinsey study revealing that companies excelling in strategic problem-solving achieve 30% higher profitability compared to their peers. Additionally, a Harvard Business Review survey found that 78% of hiring managers value candidates who can ask insightful questions during interviews. These data points substantiate the real-world impact of effective problem identification. Do the following: Addressing complex scenarios: Highlighting strategies for tackling ambiguous or multifaceted problems. Tailoring questioning based on framework: Providing specific examples of questions aligning with each framework. Considering ethical considerations: Emphasizing responsible data usage and respectful stakeholder engagement.

In strategy interviews, cut to the chase by showcasing your ability to weigh different choices. Share a concrete example—maybe a project where you did a simple SWOT analysis. Highlight how this approach guided you to a smart decision, delivering positive results. By keeping it real and specific, you prove you've got the practical strategic chops they're looking for.

Explore the strategic landscape by asking how the organization identifies and evaluates new opportunities, emphasizing the need for a proactive and forward-thinking approach to option exploration. Inquire about the company's decision-making framework, seeking insights into how they prioritize and balance various strategic options based on market trends, competitive analysis, and internal capabilities. Business-wise, discuss the resource allocation strategy, understanding how the company aligns budgetary considerations with the pursuit of different options to ensure a sustainable and impactful strategic direction.

When evaluating the options, candidates might stop only at the "describing" mode, for example describing the SWOT components, without (1) trying to quantify the effects (2) presenting the "So what" of the findings - are the pros really outweighing the cons or vice versa, does it mean the organization needs to clearly go for one option, or is there any major risk?

The depth of one's understanding becomes clear with exploring different options and looking at all the possibilities from different angles. While short term goals are important, strategy is for long term. Make sure culture is a part of your strategic planning. As it is said- culture eats strategy for breakfast!

After understanding the problem, explore solutions using brainstorming, benchmarking, or scenario planning. Consider each option's pros, cons, feasibility, effectiveness, and alignment with organizational vision and goals to select the best solution.

Effective communication of recommendations is pivotal in a strategy role. Clearly articulating the rationale behind your choice, utilizing tools like logic trees, and addressing potential challenges demonstrates a thorough understanding of the problem. Emphasize alignment with organizational goals and the expected positive impact of your recommendation. Foster a dialogue with the interviewer, showcasing your strategic thinking and ability to convey complex ideas succinctly.

Based on your understanding of the problem and the potential solutions, put forth your recommendations. This might entail proposing a fresh strategic direction, recommending a specific project, or suggesting a change in the operational strategy of the team. This also gives you the opportunity to inquire about how receptive the organization is to fresh ideas and novel strategies.

Beyond the mentioned tools, consider these unique approaches: - Storytelling: Frame your recommendation within a narrative highlighting the problem, solution, and impact for deeper engagement. - Cost-benefit analysis: Quantify the financial implications of your proposal to enhance its credibility. - Visualization tools: Utilize charts or graphs to present complex data and insights in a clear and compelling manner. A study by MIT Sloan Management Review found that 75% of hiring managers value candidates who can clearly articulate their thought processes and rationale during interviews.

Communicating your strategy, your recommendations, is almost as important as defining and selecting the options. Assuming you already picked your top choices, you should be ready to have the conversation with the interviewer on what are the best options and why you are NOT implementing the other options.

To communicate your recommendation effectively, consider the following steps: Justify Your Choice: Use logic trees, decision matrices, or scorecards to justify and prioritize your recommendation. Criteria or Factors: Explain the main criteria or factors used to select your recommendation. Addressing the Problem: Detail how your recommendation addresses the problem or goal, including its root causes and implications. Expected Results: Describe the expected results and benefits of implementing your recommendation. Challenges and Risks: Identify potential challenges or risks of implementation and propose mitigation strategies. By following these steps, you can effectively communicate your recommendation with clarity and depth.

Beyond the listed questions, consider these unique approaches: - Tailor your questions to the specific company and role: Demonstrate research and understanding of their unique context. - Ask open-ended questions: Encourage dialogue and deeper insights into the organization's culture and practices. - Follow up on previous answers: Show active listening and genuine interest in specific details. Historically, interviews focused on assessing technical skills and experience. Today's competitive environment demands showcasing your cultural fit, strategic thinking, and genuine interest in the role and organization. This allows for better matching of candidates and companies, leading to higher job satisfaction and retention.

Here are some questions you can ask to show your interest and fit, help you stand out, and also help you evaluate the role and company. It is important to interview them as much they are interviewing you after all. Try asking these same questions to multiple interviewers so you can analyze for trends in responses. (1) What strategy has been most successful at this company and how was it developed? Follow-up: What has the company learned from this? (2) How has strategy development and execution evolved at the company and why? (3) What are 3 things that will absolutely set you up for failure at this company when you are developing and executing a strategy? Follow-up: What are 3 things that will set you up for success?

Make it clear you’re really into what they’re doing and where they’re going. Ask about the big dream—where does the company see itself in a few years? How does the strategy team play into getting there? This shows you’re thinking long-term and are interested in being part of their journey.

Strategy kind of roles, even other roles, generally tend to finish with questions to the interviewer, it is now time to show your interest, ... during the fit it was about you, about what you can offer in relation to the comany, the role, etc, all very well describred above. However, at the end, the interviewer wants to listen your genuine interest for the company, his role, his challenges, etc. Dont ask about WFH, nor even about flexible hours, or how fast promotions happen, you have to genuinely enquiry about specifics of the interviewer. Having done some research will allow you to enquiry about, actual role as compared to his previous company culture, what are the challenges he faces when dealing with customers, etc...

If you are interviewing with the hiring manager, a strategy leader, make sure that your questions include questions around their strategy. In my experience, asking why there are certain strategic priorities and not others, helps you show your interest but it also gives you better insights on how the company views the strategy function and what are their priorities for growth currently.

Remember to consider other critical aspects that could influence your decision to join the organization. These can include the organization's culture, the team you'd be working with, and other environmental factors. This gives you the chance to ask about team dynamics, the leadership style of the management, and the organization's approach to maintaining work-life balance.

Do you want to stay in a strategy role forever? Assuming you are interviewing at in-house strategy teams (eg in a Fortune500 company), and you see strategy as a stepping stone eg into a commercial or operational leadership role, it's vital to understand if those internal moves happen regularly. In my experience most organisations say they do, however in reality it doesn't happen in quite a few of them! So, after offer is made, ask to speak with 3 people who've left the strategy team in the last 12-24 months for senior roles across the business and seek to understand their experience (eg was it easy to make the move / encouraged or was it a battle? Has the move gone well etc)

Ask the interviewer about the company's long-term goals, challenges they face, and their vision for growth. Inquire about the strategic priorities, potential obstacles, and how your expertise can contribute to achieving their objectives.

If you have reached a certain level of expertise and experience, when it comes to interviewing for strategy positions, you may need to adjust your mindset. Know that the hirer has already reviewed your credentials, thought leadership, experience and work in the professional arena. When you walk into the door, at this time, it is about who you are and what you can bring to the table. Critical factors include: * When responding, don't say what is already in your CV. Customise your responses to the organisation * Be sure to demonstrate the value you can bring, with ideas for solutions. Know that you are being brought in to address an existing challenge * Understand the personalities and key players. See how well you fit and vibe with them

The key to effective questioning in a strategy interview is to prioritize depth over breadth. Focus on uncovering the candidate's problem-solving approach by asking specific, situational queries that delve into their strategic thinking process, rather than relying on generic or hypothetical questions. This approach ensures a more insightful evaluation of the candidate's analytical abilities and strategic mindset.