Nutshell: How to shine in an interview with a CEO

To come across well in an interview with a CEO we need to think like a CEO.

No matter how much experience we have of being interviewed or of conducting interviews ourselves, that all-important meeting with the CEO can be a challenging proposition. How do we ensure we perform well and differentiate ourselves from other candidates?

Here are five key questions that almost every CEO expects to have answered during a hiring interview. They may not articulate these questions overtly, but you can be sure they are listening out for the answers in the responses and information you provide.

1. Are you commercial?

Our technical skills may have got us to this stage in our career, but unless we have well-rounded commercial abilities and business acumen, we are unlikely to progress further. To shine in an interview with the CEO, we will need to talk numbers and results. We must show that we understand what’s going on in the business outside of the confines of our own department and demonstrate financial literacy.

Tip: When preparing for your interview, go back through your key career achievements and pull out specific facts and figures around ROI for the projects and activities you’ve led. It’s not enough to say the work you “added value” – prove it.

2. Are you strategic?

To bring in someone at a senior level, the CEO needs to be satisfied that the person they choose is able to behave strategically, looking beyond the next week or month and considering both the short and longer-term implications of the decisions they make. They will be looking for someone who comprehends (or can help develop) the organisation’s goals, purpose, mission and values and can solve problems and think critically. 

Tip: Think about real-life situations in which you have been able to look beyond the immediate and act strategically. Gather some examples and practise talking about what you did, considering how you could weave this information into your answers (as you may not be asked this question outright). Be sure to use the word ‘strategy’ overtly at least a couple of times and refer specifically to the business’ stated goals and values. These are often at outlined on company websites so you can familiarise yourself with them in advance.

3. Do you understand our culture?

Every organisation has its own unique culture with its particular combination of objectives, people and internal and external influencing factors (with the latter ranging from the sector our business is in, and the society it is part of, to its overall structure and history). Even when you’ve worked at a very similar organisation, there may be differences in the way ‘things are done around here’. This is about understanding the organisation’s ‘personality’.

The CEO will need to be satisfied that you are prepared to adopt the company’s core values and collective behaviours – and, ideally, bring something new to the table. Many organisations are now hiring for ‘culture add’ rather than simply for ‘culture fit’ (which can lead to homogeneity). This means that their CEOs are keen to gain valuable skills, qualities and demographics that will bring something different but positive.

Tip: You can get a good feel for a company’s culture from its website and other promotional and marketing communications. Look at how it presents itself to the world right down to studying the ‘About Us’ page. This can highlight the company’s current demographics, dress code and level of formality. Consider what it is you could bring to the company in terms of your personal attributes or experiences and how you could add cultural value.

4. Do you respond well to being challenged?

At a senior level, we are likely to be challenged on our decisions and probed about the work of our teams or departments. Are we able to handle challenge and conflict in an appropriate manner and to regulate our emotions? How self-aware are we? During an interview, we might be quizzed on some of the assertions we make. In this way, the CEO can gain an insight into how we respond in this kind of scenario. 

Tip: Be ready to back up anything you claim in the interview and to deal with any challenging responses in an assertive communication style, rather than coming across as aggressive, passive-aggressive – or simply passive.

5. Can I trust you?

CEOs are usually well aware of the political games being played in the workplace. Senior leaders will only open up to us about the issues and decisions they’re struggling with, if they know they ca trust us to keep confidences and handle sensitive information discreetly.

Tip: Demonstrate that you have a trusting relationship with your current boss by not being drawn into discussions about what you like or dislike about working with them or divulging personal details. If you have been a sounding-board to a senior person in the past, let the interviewer know this is the case without giving any confidential information.

The bottom line is that In order to perform well in an interview with a CEO, it’s important to think like a CEO. If we were in their position, what skills and qualities would we be looking for – and how can we showcase these during the hiring process?

Test your understanding

• Describe how you might go about demonstrating your commercial acumen in an interview with a CEO.

• Explain why it's valuable to research an organisation's culture and values.

What does it mean for you?

• Reflect on your career to date and pinpoint examples that showcase the core skills a CEO will be interested in acquiring.