Achieving a Productive Interview: Asking the Right Questions

Numerous companies express concerns about hiring the wrong individuals, and justifiably so.

Your company’s candidate experience is vitally important to re-evaluate and improve consistently.?It’s not only of value in selecting the right people, but it also profoundly affects your brand.

Asking the right questions as an interviewer is undeniably significant, but let’s also explore it from the candidate’s side:

Q. What are your favorite interview questions?

Q. What questions from candidates have left an impression on you??

The list can be endless. On average, an interview lasts for about an hour. How can both parties gather the data they need to make a well-informed decision?

Our firm places Chief People Officers and their direct reports. When a candidate interviews for a Chief People Officer or other senior HR position, a vital step is engaging with the CEO & Executive Leadership Team (ELT).

Initially, we counsel them to make an informed decision before this meeting, conducting thorough research. Gain an understanding of their business by delving into their financial reports. Are they preparing for an acquisition or divestiture???What appears to be their competitive edge? (Refer to - How to Read Financial Statements/Harvard Business Review Blog)

Throughout this interview phase, it's critical to ask insightful questions to gauge their financial viability, the way they view HR, and the most significant contributions they expect from you.

McKinsey research shows that, in many organizations, between 20 and 30 percent of critical roles aren’t filled by the most appropriate people.

It is vital to evaluate whether a job aligns with your values and objectives, rather than solely relying on the hiring company’s determination. There is considerable churn in C-Suite HR positions. You can avoid making mistakes for all parties involved.

Be careful not to fixate on a title, which can pose a significant challenge, especially for candidates seeking their inaugural Chief People Officer role. Candidates might hear what they wish to hear, often leading to unfavorable outcomes.

We recommend integrating the information you’ve gathered from your research into the following additional questions. This will help ascertain if you clearly understand how you can influence their business outcomes and whether there’s an opportunity for a quality experience working with their organization.?

Business Objectives & Strategy

• Define the markers of business success. What are your key priorities? Who constitutes Top Talent? Where is your most significant Talent Gap? ?Where are teams/leadership effective/deficient and why??Will you meet your targets? How has progress been influenced? Compare to your exhaustive research.
• What are your innovative approaches to navigating potential disruptions?
• What has the potential to distract the leadership team from meeting the business objectives?
• How have you utilized your Chief People Officer in the past? Refrain from leading them into saying what you want to hear.

Culture and Engagement

• Define your culture. What needs to be enhanced or changed?
• What surprises you most about your culture? And, what surprises you about how others depict your culture?
• What is your DEI agenda? Do they perceive a competitive advantage in it?
• Is your company transparent? Please provide examples.
• What is your remote and hybrid work philosophy? Why?

Leadership

• What do you value most? How will you measure success?
• What does high performance look like for your team? What constitutes the most significant obstacle to achieving it?
• How resilient and adaptable is your organization? Scale 1-10. Why?
• What are the company’s major strengths and weaknesses? ?
• What have been your notable successes and setbacks?
• How is your relationship with the ELT, key stakeholders, and the Board?

These recommendations should spark meaningful discussions and provide you insights into the CEO/Executive Leadership Team’s perspectives. Dive deep, using probing follow-up questions like, “Can you provide more context?” or “Why did that occur?” or “What measures could have averted that outcome?”

We want to hear from you. Share your go-to questions in the comments section below. Or share the most thought-provoking question a candidate has posed during an interview. ?

Let’s connect, grow, and achieve remarkable results together.

BCA, Executive Recruiters

joe gonzalez?- [email protected]

Cecelia Gonzalez?- [email protected]

We are niche experts in the HR talent arena and are prepared to help you build your team!