Interview for a promotion within the company. Interviewing sales executives: how to choose the best one. Executive interview questions

There are a lot of managerial vacancies today. But there are even more people who want to get this position. How do you prepare to be at the forefront of this job race? Especially if you feel like working as a manager is your path in life?

The labor market in the modern world is like gladiatorial fights. And to get through this fight, you need significant advantages, will and a constant desire to reach the maximum. In this article, we'll go over the basics when preparing for a job interview. What do you need to pay attention to, how to be confident and how to show your competence?

Employers' requirements

But let's start with how employers view candidates? Seeing the situation from their point of view, we can soberly assess ourselves. Correct the direction of your personal growth. What do they require? It is important for employers that the employee is fully and unconditionally dedicated to the needs of their company. In most ads, we find the following requirements:

Ability to build relationships, negotiate.
Prompt decision-making.
Self-dedication in work, responsibility.
Self-organization and ability to organize others.
Scrupulousness.
Self-development skills.
Ability to set goals and develop plans.
Success orientation.
Ability to manage your time.

Everything is correct. A company that has a comfortable moral and psychological climate works better. where employees are jointly responsible for the result of work, and are not afraid to take initiative. For this, the person who is at the head of all processes must be the undoubted leader. He must develop strategic thinking in himself, have high level self-control, and also need to understand their motives and subordinates. After all, if a person has no motive for activity, it is impossible to "force" him to work. Working with people also involves a lot of responsibility.

The manager is responsible for all work performed by subordinates. And, if necessary, he must intervene and help solve the difficulties that have arisen. This means that he needs to know thoroughly the whole process that he controls. You need to schedule time according to the importance of tasks.

Based on the above qualities, we can draw a picture of the ideal manager. Now ask yourself, what is your motivation after all? Are you ready to step by step closer to this ideal, achieve better results, climb career ladder, and at the same time sacrifice the interests of your personality?

Create a "face". Secrets of the leader's image

We found that someone who has leadership skills and outstanding analytical thinking is more likely to get a job. Your task at the interview with all your appearance and behavior is to demonstrate all these qualities to the interviewer.

Show that you have your own view of things and events around you. Show that you have formed as a person and you have your own image. But don't overdo it. Your behavior should be natural. Otherwise, you will look funny. It takes a little practice to create your image.

Exude confidence. Work in front of the mirror with facial expressions and gestures. If facial expressions or posture betrays stiffness, stiffness, then fortune may turn away from you. Do not fold your hands with a "lock". Also, you should not cross your legs. Best pose- sit straight with your hands on the table or on your knees. Watch your posture. Make eye contact as you talk. Otherwise, the interlocutor may get the impression that you have a problem with contacts.
Polish your speech. The leader must express himself clearly, concisely and to the point. But at the same time, speech should be free. Don't let your excitement ruin your impression. Remember that communication skills are essential for a leader.
Appearance. You will benefit if you dress personable and tasteful. Think about what kind of shoes you will wear. Pick up accessories. Your view shows the inner state. Show that your credo is neatness and neatness. Your hairstyle, arms, cuffs - everything should look perfect. But by no means pretentious.
Openness and optimism. It is important to show the interviewer that you are optimistic about the future: you have personal goals that you strive for. If the interviewer sees that you are enthusiastic and ready to move mountains for the sake of a goal, you can safely count on success. But still, personal goals cannot contradict corporate goals. On the contrary, they need to be brought together as close as possible.
A bold, proactive attitude and a quick mind. You can show these qualities in conversation. To do this, find out everything about the company in advance and tell us what you think about its position in the market. Ask what priorities the director of the firm sets for you. Find out if the owner plans to expand his business. All these questions will show your competence, and maturity, and mind at the same time.

Types of interviews and principles of conduct

Since the competition in the labor market is high, education and experience do not play a decisive role in the choice. So get ready for trials and worries. An interview may be arranged to test your knowledge, psychological stability, or other criteria. Everyone knows about the usual biographical interview. But let's talk about some types of interviews that go beyond simple one-on-one conversation. And how to behave on them.

Panel... During this interview, two or three people may talk to you. Each of them evaluates a certain criterion. And then he gives his verdict to the director making the decision.

The principle of behavior. Each interviewer has a different question plan. Don't interrupt him. You will be able to ask the prepared questions at the end of the interview. Don't make excuses. Be honest and kind in your answers.

Stressful interview... It is conducted by one person or several at the same time. Their task is to take the applicant out of the comfort zone. That is, a person is deliberately driven out of himself: they can shout or, on the contrary, turn away and not listen at all. Try to be calm and natural. The candidate is deliberately pissed off to see how he copes with stress.

The principle of behavior. Be friendly and respond to the questions posed with dignity. If you remain calm and behave confidently when dealing with a clearly inadequate interlocutor, you will successfully pass the selection.

Competency interview... You are asked a series of questions that will be further analyzed. The questions will be about the content of your work. Or simulate a situation from which you have to get out in a certain way. This is how the employer extracts the necessary information about the applicant and assesses the level of his training. Problems often fall on the shoulders of the leader psychological compatibility workers. The employer may want to know about your experience in solving such problems.

The principle of behavior. Try to imagine the situation and find at least some solution.

Knowing about all the pitfalls that can block your path to finding the desired position, you can better prepare. Working on yourself, you will certainly achieve your cherished goal. After all, luck accompanies the strongest.

Any startup that has passed the stage of infancy sooner or later gains momentum. And if earlier the owner managed to cope with planning, organizing and controlling sales on his own, then at the stage of adolescence, a department of 2-5 managers is covered with a wave of organizational disorder. Documents are lost, customer contacts disappear, negotiations on deals go into oblivion. And you also need to plan, analyze and generate ideas for sales development.

The founders decide to hire an experienced manager, the head of the sales department, who will organize the work of the department and will be able to take sales to the next level.

The decision is not easy. In addition to additional costs for workplace and wages, you will have to spend energy and time setting up interaction with a new employee.

A main question agenda - how to find someone who will really be useful to the company? by what criteria to determine that he has the necessary set of knowledge and skills ?; how not to make the wrong choice when conducting interviews?

My experience of working with young companies allowed me to draw one important conclusion: a company must test 2-5 executives in their work before it finds the “right one”.

In order for the experience of setting up a sales management system with new managers to be the least painful and most productive for the company, it is worth weeding out completely inappropriate candidates already at the stage of selecting candidates. The manager can be a great professional, but will not fit in with the owner's management style. Or, in previous jobs, his performance depended on the stability of the system, and in a company that is in the development stage, he will not cope with stress and multitasking. Or it turns out that his experience does not correspond to the goals of the company.

Stage 1. Selection of candidates by resume

It is important for the head of the sales department to have achievement motivation (focus on the result, not the process). In a resume, motivation is read quite simply. The results are written with the verbs of the perfect form: achieved, did, fulfilled, implemented, etc. Processors are more often engaged in "doing" - organizing activities, fulfilling plans, motivating employees, etc.

Select resumes with numbers and indicators. For example, he increased his customer base by 25%. Leaders who know how to work with metrics will do more value.

Industry experience is desirable, but not required. Sales in B2B and B2C sectors differ and require additional learning and adaptation time. And industry specialization also affects the type of decision-making and the ability to build relationships with customers.

Pay attention to those qualities that the candidate has highlighted as their strengths.

If it is: responsible, sociable and stress-resistant, then you can not be distracted. These qualities are not strengths for the leader. We do not consider the presence of fresh products to be a strong quality of a grocery store. These competencies relate to those necessary for a managerial position.

The candidates from the remaining pile can be invited for an interview.

Stage 2. Selection of candidates based on interview results

I have observed many times how the owners made the same mistake during the interview. They did not ask questions, trying to form a real picture, but involved the candidate in their goals. It often looks like this:

- But we also want to implement a CRM system, we want to be able to keep statistics and analytics on the client base. Do you know how to do all this?

- Oh sure. I'll do everything.

- Oh cool! And we also need this ..!

After such an interview, the candidate who gave the maximum number of promises will win.

Use the time allotted for the interview to understand the level of professionalism, such as decision making, motivation, and the ability to take responsibility. Resistance to stress is also not determined by the paragraph on the resume.

In my deep youth, I was interviewed at a large machine-building holding. The interview was conducted by the marketing director. Entering his office at the appointed time, I found him at the operative with several employees. Without paying particular attention to me, he handed me a stack of paper a centimeter high and said: "Write." And I sat down to write while he finished the RAM. Then I realized that my questions like: “What should I write?” Would be inappropriate. To write what is written in the resume means to put an end to a career in this holding. Therefore, I wrote what mistakes I made in my career, how I eliminated them and what conclusions I made. It was a test for stress and eccentricity of thinking.

It is better to start the interview with general issues about the candidate. So he should know about the company, once he came for an interview.

The question “Tell me about yourself so I’m interested” is a great place to start. If a potential leader has captivated you, then he will be able to captivate employees and customers. If there is nothing interesting other than work, you will have to constantly motivate and involve him. He is not interesting to himself.

While he talks about himself, ask clarifying questions. If talking about your qualities, ask for an example. From the example, you will learn whether this is a manifestation of the required quality that is necessary for your company.

- I am very responsible.

- Tell us about the last instance of your responsibility.

- Well, the management has set an urgent task to invite all clients to the promo event. There was only one day for everything, and there were 500 clients. We certainly wouldn’t have managed to make calls. Therefore, I made a mailing list with a request to respond to the invitation within an hour. 30% of customers answered. And the rest have already been called.

This leader really showed responsibility. He told in detail what, how and why he did it.

Be sure to find out what he considers his achievements and why they are achievements for him. This will help you understand his motivation and level of ambition.

Do not forget to ask about the errors that led to negative consequences and how he fixed the problems. It is important to learn about the conclusions he made and how he applied the findings in his work. According to the answers, you will see the type of decision-making, and the level of responsibility, and professional expertise, and logic in thinking.

After general questions, go to the professional block. It is not necessary to adhere strictly to the structure. Just conduct a dialogue, and use my recommendations as a checklist.

A good transition to professional issues after discussing the achievements of the candidate.

What solutions have you been able to achieve results? The answers provide insight into the ability to plan for a solution. Tell us how you build the management of the sales department. We see if the manager knows how to build business processes.
What a sales funnel in your company. You don't have to compel commercial disclosures. Relative indicators are enough. It is important to understand the stages of the sales funnel and the conversion from one stage to the next.
How did you encourage customers to make repeat purchases?
What is the best sales department structure for our company? This question allows you to understand if a potential leader has learned about your company and is able to offer a solution.
How do you motivate salespeople? It would be nice to discuss both the motivation system and non-material methods.
What do you do when the sales target is not met?
What is the best way to intercept customers from competitors?
How did you inform buyers about new products or services?
What was the average customer base growth under your management?
What will the company from which you leave after your dismissal lose? An important question that reflects the ability of the leader to set the system. If his answer is: "Yes, they, in general, everything will fall", then this is not our person)). If he says: “He will not lose anything. I have implemented the system, it works. Unless there will be no new ideas temporarily ”- this is our option!
What will our company gain if you lead sales? Just look at his plans here.
What methods do you use to collect and manage your customer base?
What are the indicators for assessing the success of the sales department?

Ask questions like this until you have a stable image.

At the end of the interview, ask the candidate to ask you questions.

From them you will determine how much he is in the subject. Whether he is interested in the details of your business and company devices or not. The right leader will shower you with questions, as it is important for him to understand whether he can achieve your goals. If you have no questions, wish you good luck and send it to your competitors)).

After the interview, call former employers and ask their opinion of the candidate. It is important to hear not only what they say, but also how they speak. The questions can be asked identical. If you understand that the employer's answers differ from those of the candidate, ask for what reason there may be discrepancies in the statements.

IRINA OSTROVSKAYA,HR Generalist in the company "Baltic Textile"

From personal experience what to consider (without going into details):

Understand what results need to be obtained, after how long, or what problems to solve. Be sure to write down everything point by point on paper. To do together with the head of the company.
Not always needed best specialist on the market - you need a suitable one for a specific company. To do this, it is necessary to honestly take into account the specifics of the company (the specifics of the leadership, the size of the company, prospects, team, market, etc.).
Make a list of questions for the interview, it is desirable to divide them by competencies or important "zones" for you. It is imperative to include the question of personal achievement and personal motivation at work.
Make a description of the candidate, then the requirements for the candidate, you may have to adjust the list after each interview until you understand - the list of requirements is the most "adequate".
Cases help very well, it is quite simple to compose them, describe the problem from real life companies and ask them to offer a solution, then the task is only to carefully observe. Don't let the candidate go into spatial reasoning.
You do not need to be afraid to communicate with completely different candidates (choose different ones by experience, field of activity, gender, age, etc.), so you can understand which type of candidates is most suitable.

Any salesperson has already prepared all kinds of answers for you, trust me. And sometimes their answer will be ahead of the question, you will already put an exclamation mark in your head, and you are in a mousetrap.

What do I advise you: DETAILS and NO TEMPLATES!

Clear questions about certain groups of goods sold (raw materials, services ..). You continue to torture him for a long time and in a dreary way, write down all the voiced numbers on your paper. See the reaction, how is he? Floats, flies, drowns ...
Questions about subordinates. Whom did you teach? How much? Etc. And at the end, a straightforward question: how many phones of your students (or subordinates) can you provide? The reaction will surprise you ...)

Again, my main advice: DETAILS and NO TEMPLATES!

Productive interviews and professional staff!

If the task of conducting an effective selection of candidates is urgent for you and you need my help - order free consultation or a service to accompany the search and recruitment of managers from me.

I will help you create a vacancy for the position, together with you I will go through all the resumes and show you which ones are suitable for the next stage, I will take part in the interview.

For several candidates, I will interview myself, and you will observe. Then you will conduct, and I will observe and participate. For each candidate, I will give detailed feedback.

We can work via skype or in your office.

In addition, I will help put together a trial plan for the manager.

An interview is a responsible event, both for the applicant and for the head of the company: the first one needs a job, and the second one needs good worker... How the interview will be conducted and what questions the applicant will hear depends on the vacancy for which position there is in the organization. Consider how the interview goes on leadership position.

Preparing for an interview

Of course, every applicant, before going to an interview, tries to prepare for it as best as possible. And this is correct, because it is there that you can make a good impression on the leader and show your merits and qualities that the company needs so much.

If an organization is considering candidates for a leadership position, then the most outstanding of them are taken into account. Each position requires certain skills and abilities. But this is not enough for a candidate for the position of head, because, in addition to this, he must also show what personal qualities, has experience and achievements.

When interviewing for a leadership position, the manager will want to thoroughly examine the applicant from all sides. He will be asked all sorts of questions that may affect several areas. Particular attention is paid to:

intelligence;
leadership qualities;
innovative thinking;
influence;
views and judgments;
commercial savvy;
strategic vision;
attracting resources from outside;
effectiveness;
the ability to build relationships with a third party;
the ability to motivate and manage relationships;
experience in the international field.

A job seeker who wants to take a leadership position must be well prepared. He needs to know the answer to each of the listed points. In addition, you should not bring theoretical knowledge, here you should talk about practice, personal experience.

As a rule, the interview takes place as follows: first, the employer must tell about the position itself, responsibilities, possible prospects and career growth. Clarifies details and details. Further, the applicant can already ask the manager or the employer the questions that interest him. Here we will clarify: the candidate not only can, but must ask them! If the applicant does not have any questions during the conversation with the manager, then he looks absolutely uninterested in the job. It is not necessary to prepare a whole list of counter questions; it is quite enough to ask about three or four.

Do not forget that the interview is conducted with the aim of getting to know the candidates as best as possible, "probing" them, to check their abilities and qualities. After you have been offered to take a vacant position, you can ask all your questions.

Sometimes the interview begins with a request from the employer to the candidate to tell him about his life position, goals, plans for the future, difficulties and prospects. Answers should be comprehensive and clear, so you should prepare answers to them in advance.

Questions asked in a management interview

In addition to the standard questions for all interview questions (tell us about yourself, about the company, about your positive and negative sides and so on), here it is acceptable to ask questions typical for future leaders. These include:

What leadership qualities do you possess?
Tell us about your past professional mistakes and lessons learned from them?
Do you know how to influence employees?

In addition, the manager may ask the applicant to submit specific situation and ask to find a way out of it. Since the interview is held with the aim of finding a leader, the following question is quite possible: "What qualities should an excellent leader have?" Your task is to list them.

Most importantly, remember that in order to competently manage personnel, a leader must have the following qualities:

self-confidence;
courage;
worldview;
communication skills;
a tendency to self-analysis;
the ability to create and manage a cohesive team;
the ability to support their subordinates.

It is these qualities of a good leader that should be emphasized when answering the question posed. Of course, when talking with a manager or leader, you should not breed demagoguery. This will only tire the interlocutor and appear in the form of a chatterbox. But the "bare" facts of your life and experience will also be inappropriate, because an applicant for a leadership position must be able to speak competently and beautifully, observing the golden mean.

Using an example from personal experience, tell us about how you were able to get out of this situation, what tasks you solved, what result you achieved. Maintain consistency in your story. But you shouldn't constantly “Yakat”. You may seem like an upstart to the boss, which you absolutely don't need.

How to answer the manager's questions correctly?

So, you came for an interview, as you want to take up the vacant position of the head. An employer is sitting in front of you, and your future career depends on how you show yourself. But how to properly build a dialogue and answer the employer's questions?

First, listen carefully to the interlocutor, do not be distracted by extraneous thoughts. When you hear a question, quickly analyze: what does the employer want to hear from you? If suddenly you did not understand something in the question or did not hear it, ask again. It will be better than an incomprehensible or incorrect answer.

Secondly, remember that the answers must be correctly structured. They must have a beginning, a middle and, accordingly, an end. First, briefly describe the situation, the problem you encountered. Then, mention the tasks you have set for yourself to solve the problem.

In the middle of the answer, it is worth talking about the problems that you had to face in this situation, and how exactly you solved them. In the end, draw conclusions, describe the indicators by which you measure your success.

Try to prove to the employer that you are always focused on results in your work.

Qualities for hiring

What qualities should an applicant have? Of course, each employer sets for itself certain criteria for selecting candidates. But there are those qualities that a candidate needs in any interview:

Confidence in your strength;
neat appearance;
work experience and professionalism;
letters of recommendation;
demeanor;
sociability.

In addition to these qualities that are standard for all job seekers, there are those that every manager should have, namely:

the ability to manage, organize the work of the team;
ability to work in a team;
to be an initiator, to achieve results;
be able to cope with several things at the same time;
with all responsibility and seriousness, have a good sense of humor.

Study and memorize the listed qualities well before going on with an employer. But what if the applicant believes that he does not possess all these qualities at all? Give up a leadership position? Not at all. Very often we are able to show certain advantages and capabilities directly during work. You just have to remember these characteristics and strive for them. That's when you will definitely succeed!

Etiquette: hiring

Before you start thinking about how to get interviewed for a leadership position, you need to make a sound assessment of your capabilities and abilities. In order to become a leader, one must have both innate and acquired leadership qualities. If you have vivid leadership skills, you can become a leader without leadership experience. And having an education, a high intellectual level, a suitable specialty and experience is only the necessary minimum to move forward further.

What should be the leader?

There are some qualities that will help you take up a leadership position:

have a clear life position, a real goal and a desire to achieve it;
be positive in achieving success, face the future with confidence;
be able to work in a team, correctly build relationships with partners, managers;
make decisions quickly and clearly in any situation;
discipline and organize yourself and your team;
be able to gain authority and respect from subordinates and leaders;
be ready to use any innovations in work, be creative and modern;
have the desire and ability to engage in self-education and self-development;
make the best use of all available resources: personnel, material and others;
to be responsible, hardworking, efficient.

If you have all of these listed qualities, feel great potential and desire in yourself, you can safely write a resume and prepare for an interview. You have a chance to pass it successfully.

What to look for when preparing for an interview

You have all the leadership skills you need. Now the question arises of how to show these abilities to an employer or interviewer in an interview. That you are ready for a leadership position, he should not only hear from you, but also see in your appearance... It should be clear from you that you are a formed personality with a clearly developed position. Your appearance is proof that you have developed your own image, and it is combined with the position for which you are applying (since you are still greeted by clothes). And most importantly, in the race to externally demonstrate your willingness to be a leader, be sure to make sure everything looks natural and unobtrusive.

"No!" excitement

Try to get rid of anxiety, as it creates tightness, and this can hinder your success. On the contrary, you must look convincing and confident - don't forget that you are applying for the position of a manager!

Choose the right pose

There is no need to cross your arms or legs - with these gestures you close yourself off from the interlocutor, he can feel it, and many of the interviewers know sign language very well. The best position in this case is to put your hands on the table or just keep them on your knees. Remember to keep your posture. Calmly and directly look the other person in the eyes - this is an indicator of confidence and honesty.

Follow the speech

Of course, first of all, she must be literate, speak exclusively to the point, concisely, but, at the same time, not dryly and unambiguously. The ability to communicate is one of the essential qualities of a leader.

Think carefully about your appearance

It must match the position you want to apply for. First of all, clothes, shoes and hair should be clean and tidy, accessories are tastefully selected, hairstyle and make-up are natural, hands are well-groomed. In short, you should be perfect, but not pretentious.

Be positive and open

Such people attract others, and this is important for a leader. The interlocutor should feel the energy and desire to work, your mood for success and enthusiasm as a future leader.

Gather company information in advance

Prepare answers to the questions you might be asked. When the interviewer tells you about the company, you can demonstrate your awareness and even ask a few questions about it, for example, about the prospects for the development of work in a bank, in a savings bank. Thus, you will show your competence, intelligence and readiness for leadership.

Types of non-traditional interviews

You should be aware that there are several types of interviews for candidates for a leadership position and not the fact that you will be held the traditional interview that you imagine. Therefore, you must be prepared for some trials and surprises. So what kind of interviews are there?

Revealing competence. At such an interview, you will be offered any difficult situation that may arise at work. The goal is to test how you will behave. Or they will simply ask you to tell me what difficult work moments you had, how you found a way out of it.
Stressful interviews - They can be conducted in many ways: yelling at you, speaking dismissively, or ignoring them altogether. The goal is to try to unbalance the candidate. Keep in mind that this is a test of resilience and patience. In response, you should smile - this is better than being angry.
Panel interview - conducted by several people and each has its own criteria: one needs to learn about the experience of working in a managerial position, the second - to observe how you can get out of this or that situation, the third - to check psychological stability. Then each draws conclusions and presents them to the director.

Whichever of these trials awaits you, first of all, do not lose your calmness and goodwill, be thoughtful. Listen to all the questions to the end, do not interrupt and, if necessary, ask again. If you are mentally prepared for all these tests at the interview, then do not doubt that you will pass it successfully.

Each hut has its own rattles. Each company has its own technology and personnel selection procedure. It can include a different number of stages. The stages may differ in duration, content and methods of implementation. Today we will talk about the interview, the main actors which will new employee and general manager... Our review will be useful both for candidates who have to communicate with the first person of the company and for the top managers themselves conducting interviews. So how do you get a successful executive interview? Job seekers will receive information about what to expect from managers, and interviewers will be able to get some new ideas on how to test the competencies and motivation of their future employees.

When is the CEO interview

The recruitment process in companies is usually regulated and fixed for each position. Depending on the level of the position, it can contain a different number of stages. We have tried to collect the most complete picture, a kind of guide to the selection stages. If it does not coincide with the order accepted in your company, feel free to cross out the excess.

	A comment
Resume selection	Accumulation of a database of candidates who meet the requirements. Conducted by an internal recruiter or external contractor.
Telephone interview	Checking the interest of the candidate, his adequacy. Making a decision on the invitation to a face-to-face meeting. Conducted by an internal recruiter or external contractor.
Interview with a recruiting agency or with an HR freelancer	It is carried out in case of transfer of the application for selection to an external contractor. Initial assessment of candidates, checking for compliance with customer requirements.
Interview with the HR manager of the company	The desire and ability of the candidate to fulfill job duties, advantages and disadvantages in comparison with other candidates, motivation, compliance with corporate culture are highlighted.
Checking professional and personal competencies	Professional and psychological tests, business games, test tasks, solving cases or real production problems. Collection and analysis of recommendations from previous jobs.
Interview with a line manager	The professional knowledge, skills and abilities of the candidate, the ability to work together with the team and the leader himself are assessed.
Interview with the head of the HR department	It is conducted for candidates for key business vacancies, or if the internal recruiter has doubts or difficulties with the choice.
CEO interview	It is conducted for top managers of the first line of reporting, candidates for important business positions, personal assistants and secretaries. In principle, the CEO can be willing to talk to any candidate.
Security interview	Most often it concerns top management and financially responsible employees or a wider range of employees, if required by the company's security policy.

As we can see, the interview with the CEO is almost the final, the penultimate stage in the selection of future employees of the company.

Who is interviewing the CEO

Different companies have adopted different practices for inviting applicants for interviews of such a high level. At the first interview in a recruiting agency or directly in the company, the candidate receives information about how the selection process will go and finds out if the usual practice for his position includes a conversation with a top manager.

Most often, an interview with the first person of the company is invited:

heads of departments and divisions that are directly subordinate to him;
consultants, experts, analysts who work directly with the manager;
employees of priority areas for the company;
ordinary employees of small and medium-sized companies;
employees invited to develop new directions for the company;
line employees as advised by their immediate supervisor;
personal assistants and personal secretaries.

Leaders of companies, like no one else, are capable of unexpected and non-standard solutions... Therefore, they can be interested in any applicant. So you have to be ready. Moreover, the preparation process is not fraught with anything supernatural. In fact, it is no different from the actions that any self-respecting candidate will take to prepare for any interview.

How to prepare for your CEO interview

Refresh your company information... Go to the corporate website, pay special attention to the mission and strategy, development history, highlight key points... See what the media said or wrote about them. Remember and systematize everything that employees told you in the previous stages of selection. The company is the brainchild of the head, the object of his pride. The freer the candidate will be guided in questions about her, the more favorable the attitude towards him will be.
Research market information. Explore industry reports, key trends, leaderboards, forecasts.
Gather information about the leader... Use the available sources:

publications in the press,
social media profiles,
author's articles of the head,
recordings of speeches at conferences,
information from company employees - a recruiter and a line manager (if any) at an interview, a subject expert for testing, other employees on the sidelines,
use industry word of mouth.

You will be interested in business information that reveals his area of interest, leadership style, approach to business, value system, negotiation method.

Rehearse short story About Me. Highlight your most important accomplishments, distinctive qualities, outstanding results. Redefine your experience with everything you've learned about the company and its leader. Get ready to speak in the corporate culture coordinate system. Consider all the comments if they were in the previous steps. Think about the answers to personal questions.
Prepare a list of questions... Competent, well-thought-out questions will help you not only to obtain the necessary information, but also to show your interest in work, motivation, initiative and a high level of competence.
Make a list of referrers... Call them and ask for permission to provide phone numbers and other contact information to the future employer. Make sure that the positive opinion you are counting on has not changed.
Take care of your appearance. The times when a business suit was the only one possible option for a meeting with the big boss are a thing of the past. Be guided by the dress code adopted by the company. It is quite logical to ask a recruiter about him at initial stage interviews.
Get directions to the meeting point. Consider several options for how you can get there. This will allow you to avoid unnecessary nerves and confusion, as well as not be late for such an important meeting.
Collect everything you need: several copies of a resume, a notebook, a pen, notes, a test task (if you have completed it), an electronic medium with examples of work, a portfolio of projects, a list and contacts of people who can give you recommendations, etc. Even if you don't need all of these in your interview, you will feel more confident that you have all the information you need at your fingertips.
Take it easy... The excitement of a job interview is understandable and predictable. And your manager will not miss the opportunity to check how you deal with this condition. A fainting assistant or a stained deputy are not exactly the kind of people the CEO wants to lean on. Remember, he is also human, and usually does not bite in the workplace. If the jitters do get overwhelmed, use the old speaker trick. Imagine that you are going to have a conversation with a cucumber. Natural, green, in pimples. It does help, though.

If the future leader is an expat, there are a few more things you should pay attention to.

"Knead your tongue" - as soon as the interview will take place on foreign language(most likely in English), brush up on your skills, visit a conversation club, chat with friends online, or just find a companion on specialized sites for the exchange of language experiences and talk in any voice chat;
find information about traditions and characteristics business etiquette the country of which he is a representative - foreigners especially value respect and interest in such things when they are abroad;
take into account the peculiarities of the national character and mentality when building a dialogue.

What can be a CEO interview

CEO magazine surveyed senior executives who interview frequently for their favorite interviewing techniques. If we summarize their answers, we get approximately the following set.

Formal meeting. It takes about 10 minutes. It is motivational and educational in nature. Conducted with a line officer as advised by the immediate supervisor.
Structured interview... The majority of survey participants recognized this technique as the most commonly used. The interviewer sticks to the plan. Questions are formulated and verified in advance. It takes on average from half an hour to several hours.
Stressful interview. It is carried out at a fast pace. Answers to questions are required at lightning speed. Questions are asked without a visible plan. There may be questions of a personal nature. The duration is usually up to half an hour.
Situational interview. Several cases are offered to the candidate. He needs to describe his actions in each of them. Aimed at identifying and assessing professional and personal competencies.
Projective interview... Questions are not asked directly to the applicant. He is asked to describe himself in terms of the previous manager and former colleagues, to talk about the actions of hypothetical employees in certain situations.

Examples of CEO Interview Questions

	Summary of a good answer
Tell us about yourself.	A short, well-structured story. The candidate knows what he is good at and says it in terms of the vacancy and the corporate culture of the company.
Why did you choose this job? How did she attract you?	A specific answer based on the knowledge of the company, the market situation. Emphasis on the merits of the company, new experience, favorite business, coincidence of company requirements and personal goals.
Why should we choose you, why you are better than other applicants?	Refusal to evaluate others. Analysis of experience and achievements in previous jobs, its application to the tasks of the vacancy and the goals of the company. Emphasis on the added value that the applicant can bring to the company.
Tell us about your weaknesses.	Recognition of shortcomings, the ability to use them for peaceful purposes and compensate, as well as to consider them as a point of growth.
Why did you leave (or are leaving) your previous job? What doesn't suit you?	Positiveness and gratitude towards previous companies. The desire for change, the need to move on, get new experience.
Do you have any other job offers?	If there are such offers, emphasize your interest in this particular vacancy. State the reasons or refer to the answer to question 2.
What do you want to achieve in your new location?	You need to be especially careful when answering this question. If a candidate is applying for the position of deputy general director, there is no need to talk about career growth. Oddly enough, but this should not be done in the case of a manager's assistant. It is better to go into the area of competence improvement.
Who can recommend you?	A quick clear answer with specific people and their contact details.
What salary do you expect? or Are you satisfied with the level of income offered by the company?	A good specialist knows his own worth. You can quite safely call the amount you received in your last job as the minimum bar or the average value for the market, which can be viewed on work sites.
How do you spend your free time? What are your hobbies and interests?	What is important here is not what the candidate says, it is important how he does it. On the one hand, life outside of work should be and inspire enthusiasm and inspiration. On the other hand, if a candidate talks about the job with much less zeal, it may suggest that the job is not inspiring.
How do you see the ideal leader?	Appeal to professionalism in all its forms and to what it says corporate culture companies. Don't flatter.

We have given the most common questions that a job seeker is likely to meet in an interview with a manager. But it's important to remember that top managers are often experienced negotiators. They will watch your behavioral responses, baffle with non-standard tasks, provoke. Be yourself, don't lie, don't lose your presence of mind and sense of humor. Get together, react vividly, ask questions. At the end of the day, you have a common goal: you want a job, and the CEO wants to hire an employee.