How to Prepare for the C-Suite Executive Interview

Understand the Leadership Profile

To begin, executives should collaborate closely with their executive search consultant to gain a thorough understanding of the position specifications. Developed jointly by the retained executive search firm and the hiring organization, these “specs” typically include an overview of the organization—its mission, vision, values, and strategic goals.

The specifications also outline the position’s key priorities and responsibilities, such as “identifying innovative labor expense avoidance strategies” or “attracting, retaining, developing, and leading a high-performing internal team.” In addition, they define the required qualifications, experience, and personal attributes sought in an ideal candidate.

Although search consultants almost always provide finalists with copies of the position specifications, executives are encouraged to ask thoughtful, probing questions such as the following:

• How would you describe the hiring organization’s culture and work environment?
• Who previously held this position, and what were the circumstances surrounding their departure?
• How does the organization envision the new executive’s role—both in the near term and over the long term?
• Among the many responsibilities outlined in the position specifications, which are considered most critical to the organization’s success?
• What are the organization’s non-negotiables or “deal breakers”?
• In which areas might there be flexibility or openness to compromise?
• How would you characterize the ideal candidate’s leadership style and approach to management?         

Network for Information and Advice

Executive candidates should proactively network with trusted colleagues, peers, and industry leaders to gain informed, insider perspectives on the hiring organization and its culture. During these confidential, private conversations, candidates may wish to explore topics such as the following:

• What insights can you share about the hiring organization and its overall reputation?
• In what areas does the organization demonstrate particular strength or excellence?
• What do you see as the organization’s most significant challenges—both currently and in the coming year?
• How is the organization perceived by executives, clinicians, employees, and the broader community?
• How would you describe the organization’s culture and work environment?
• How effectively do members of the C-suite collaborate and support one another?
• What is the nature of the relationship between the C-suite and the board of directors?
• Is this the type of organization where you would personally want to work?
• Based on your knowledge, do you believe this is an environment in which I could thrive and find fulfillment?

Prepare for High-Level Interview Questions 

Executive candidates who advance to the final round of interviews for senior leadership positions must go beyond simply reiterating the information contained in their résumés. Hiring organizations typically pose thoughtful, probing questions that invite candidates to reflect on their past accomplishments, address current priorities, and articulate a clear vision for the future.

In preparing for these high-level interviews, candidates should consider questions such as the following: 

• How do you account for the success you’ve achieved throughout your career?
• What draws you to the healthcare industry, and what motivates your continued commitment to it?
• How do you typically spend your time outside of work?
• How would you describe your leadership style, and in what ways has it proven effective in your previous roles?
• If selected for this position, how would you leverage your most significant strengths to advance the organization’s goals?
• How do you recognize and address your developmental areas or limitations?
• What aspects of this position most appeal to you?
• Do you have any reservations or concerns about this role or the organization?

Many executive interviews include behavioral questions where interviewers ask candidates to tell a story around a specific situation. Among these behavioral questions are the following:  

• Tell me about a time when you experienced conflict with a colleague, external consultant, or board member. How did you address and resolve the situation?
• Describe an instance when you were involved in a program or project that did not succeed. How did you respond, and what lessons did you take from the experience?
• Share an example of a time when you successfully used persuasion to influence another person’s perspective or decision.
• Describe a situation in which you faced significant business stress. How did you demonstrate resilience and maintain effectiveness?
• Provide a specific example of when you applied sound judgment, data, and logical reasoning to solve a complex business problem.
• Give an example of a goal you set and the steps you took to achieve it.
• Tell me about a time when you used your presentation or communication skills to influence opinions or drive alignment among stakeholders.
• Describe an occasion when you were required to adhere to a policy or directive you personally disagreed with. How did you handle it?
• Walk me through the process you used to develop a strategic plan or presentation for a key initiative.
• Share an example of when you went above and beyond expectations to ensure the successful completion of a project or objective.

For questions that measure emotional intelligence, see http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248524

Research, Research, Research

Executives should stay well-informed about current and emerging trends shaping the industry. In healthcare, this means maintaining fluency in areas such as healthcare transformation, system consolidation, evolving clinical care models, organizational integration, advancements in artificial intelligence and technology, and enhanced consumer and community engagement. Review recent reports, studies, news features, and thought-leadership content to understand the implications of these trends and identify potential strategic responses.

Equally important, executives should be prepared to connect broad industry developments to the hiring organization’s clinical, financial, and operational priorities. Consider, for example, how the organization might drive improvements in quality, safety, efficiency, engagement, collaboration, outcomes, and cost management—and how these gains would advance its mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities, such as the following: 

• Patient and consumer engagement and experience
• Clinical performance and excellence
• Performance management—clinical, operational and financial 
• Business growth
• Education
• Research

Consult the organization’s Web site, which will often include an “about” or “who we are” section” with strategic plans, annual reports, fact sheets, news coverage, leadership profiles and links to videos.  

Prepare to Ask Questions of the Hiring Organization

Just as C-Suite executives must prepare to answer the questions of executives and board members, they must also ask their own series of questions as they speak with board members, C-Suite executives, employees and clinicians. Among the possible questions are the following:     

• What are the most important milestones or yardsticks by which this organization will evaluate an executive’s performance in this position? 
• What do you see as the organization’s most critical goals for the next three-to-five years?  How do you see the person in this position addressing these goals and objectives? 
• ‘What health care trends have shaped the organization’s goals, objective and priorities for 2016?  What emerging health care trends are likely to influence this organization within the next three-to-five years?   
• What do you see as the newly hired executive’s greatest challenges in working to fulfill these goals? 
• What’s it like to work here?  What’s the culture and environment?  How would you describe the typical workday?
• How do people tend to communicate, solve problems and resolve conflicts?   
• What do you see as the organization’s greatest achievement of the last three years?  
• What leadership style would never work here?  How would the ideal executive operate in this position?

Prepare for Executive Assessment   

Hiring organizations want insight into how final candidates will perform and lead others.  While some hiring organizations rely on in-house tools, many turn to HOGAN's Executive Competency Assessment Tool.  Based on the HOGAN Personality Inventory, this tool predicts candidates’ future performance and competence by relying on the Five Factor Model, which includes openness to experience, emotional stability, dependability, extroversion and agreeableness.

HOGAN converts assessment results into 23 competencies needed for C-Suite executive performance and leadership. Among them are the following:

Interpersonal:  communication and interpersonal relations, influence and networking, conflict management; politeness, cooperation and teamwork

Intrapersonal:  reliability, consistency, prudence, flexibility and adaptation and commitment to development

Leadership:  prioritizing, management independence, objectiveness, achievement orientation and interest reinforcement

With these results the executive search firm and hiring organization can decide how well final candidates would rise to the expectations of the C-Suite or board role.  They can also identify those who would fit within the hiring organization’s culture and perform best in challenging situations. 

C-Suite and board executives should be open to the assessment experience.  However, they should also realize that there’s little they can do to prepare for assessment.  Since there are no right or wrong answers, the best approach is be candid and direct.        

References

Executive search consultants always request that senior-level candidates provide a list of four to six professional references. These individuals should be trusted, respected, and well-positioned to speak credibly about the candidate’s qualifications in relation to the role’s requirements. Candidates should also consider how effectively each reference can respond to open-ended questions such as the following:

• How would you describe your professional relationship with the candidate?
• When you think of the candidate, which words or qualities immediately come to mind?
• How would you characterize the candidate’s leadership style and effectiveness?
• How would you assess the candidate’s record as an innovator or driver of change?
• How would you describe the candidate’s ability to manage relationships and performance upward, downward, and across the organization?
• How would you evaluate the candidate’s strengths as both a strategist and a tactician?
• Can you share an example of when the candidate successfully led a major change initiative or organizational turnaround?
• How did they approach the challenge?
• How does the candidate typically perform under high-pressure or demanding circumstances?
• What type of organizational culture or environment best enables this candidate to thrive? 

The best reference checks provide a 360-degree view of a candidate’s personality, character, on-the-job performance and leadership style, including how well the executive collaborates and innovates within teams.  To that end, the executive search firm or hiring organization tend to consult varied sources, including the following:

• Reporting executives
• Direct reports
• Peers
• Board members
• Managers
• Employees
• Association executives
• Industry opinion leaders

Reference checking rarely ends with the formal list of contacts provided by the candidate. Executive search firms or hiring organizations often conduct secondary reference checks with additional sources who can offer independent perspectives. Skilled reference checkers are adept at reading between the lines. For example, if a checker asks, “What is the candidate like outside of work?” and the source replies, “I don’t really know the candidate on a personal level,” the response may suggest limited interpersonal engagement or underdeveloped social skills.