Nonprofit – Executive Director

Position Name: Executive Director

Interviewer

Candidate Name

Interview Date

Introductory Questions

– Interviewer(s) share name, role, tenure, and hand business cards for thank you messages
– Share a brief overview of the company
– Give Candidate the Job Description, highlight Job Purpose, Schedule/Travel, Major Challenges & Key Decisions, and Physical Requirements

Walk us through your professional background.

What do you know about our organization?

Transitional & Verification Questions

– Clarify any unclear information from resume or application
– Verify availability for work hours and schedule, start date, and other important details

What interests you about this role?

[Education Verification – example: Are you currently enrolled in a Master’s program?]

What accomplishment on your resume are you most proud of?

Will you now or at any point in the future require visa sponsorship to work for us?

Technical Questions

– Ask job related questions, based on skills and competencies needed for the role
– Ask open ended questions that allow candidates to tell a story about a specific example
– Ask 5-10 questions based on the role and how much time you have (~3-4 minutes per question)
– Listen for recent examples, details, consistency, the candidate’s role in the story, and teamwork
– Take notes and ask clarifying questions as follow-ups

What specific areas (related to the position) do you consider yourself the most knowledgeable? What areas have you had less experience or do not feel as comfortable with?

What has given you the greatest sense of achievement at work and why?

Behavioral / Situational Questions

– Ask job related questions, based on skills and competencies needed for the role
– Ask open ended questions that allow candidates to tell a story about a specific example
– Ask 5-10 questions based on the role and how much time you have (~3-4 minutes per question)
– Listen for recent examples, details, consistency, the candidate’s role in the story, and teamwork
– Take notes and ask clarifying questions as follow-ups. Follow up questions may include:
- Tell us more about the action you took and the outcome.
- What did you say at that point?
- How did you react to that situation?
- Explain your role in more detail.
- Tell me in detail what steps you took.
- And what was the result?
- Describe the obstacles you faced in getting it done.
- What other options did you consider?
- Why do you think you reacted as you did?
- How do you think others felt about your actions at the time?
- Were you satisfied with the outcome of your actions?
- If the same or a similar situation presented itself, what would you do differently?

Adaptability

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with changes in organizational direction that impacted your work. How did you respond?

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How would you rate yourself in terms of being flexible in your style? Can you give an example of when you were flexible and when you were not? What was different about the circumstances?

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Tell me about a situation where you were under a great deal of pressure because of numerous demands competing for your time and attention. How did you resolve the situation?

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Coaching & Mentoring

What strategies would you use to motivate your team?

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Collaboration

When circumstances are more difficult (i.e. tight deadline, lay off, labor negotiations, pulling a team together quickly)? Walk me through an example of how you worked with others to solve those difficult circumstances.

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Tell me about a time when you worked with people outside your work group to get information or ideas. What did you do? What was the outcome or result?

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Compassion

What is the difference between empathy and compassion in your opinion? How have you demonstrated each in your past work?

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Tell about a time when you put the needs of others ahead of your own at work.

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What practices do you implement to become culturally competent and inclusive in the workplace?

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Business Acumen

Describe a decision you had to make that had a significant financial impact on the organization. How did you go about it?

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Describe your experience with both short and long range financial planning.

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Walk me through the process you use to make sure you are making sound judgments in decision making regarding expenditures?

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Communication

How do you ensure that your writing is clear and informative? Give me a specific example.

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To get our points across, we sometimes need to use differing approaches when talking with different types of people. Talk to me about a time when you have done that successfully.

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Critical Thinking

When a decision is needed, what process do you use to come to the right response?

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Tell me about a recent time when you approached a job or task in a completely different way than it had been done in the past.

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Decision Making

Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision that impacted multiple people. How did you communicate that decision and how was it received?

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Do you tend to make decisions quickly and instinctively or more slowly and methodically? Tell me about a time when your method did not achieve the results you expected. What happened and what did you do?

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Creativity/Innovation

Tell me about a project or process that you personally designed. How did you get feedback and how did you apply it?

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What is the most innovative thing you have done in the last six months? Why did you go this direction? What was the driving business need?

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Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity

How would you contribute to fostering a healthy diversity, equity, and inclusion culture within our company? What initiatives would you implement?

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Give us an example about how a business process or effort was more successful because of the different points of views held by members of the team.

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Share how you have fostered an inclusive and welcoming work environment for employees, customers, vendors, and the public.

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Emotional Intelligence

Describe a time when you needed to react to an emergency situation. How did you respond? What was the result?

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What has been the most difficult criticism for you to receive?

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Facilitation/Presentation

In a meeting, how do you manage contrary opinions? Give me an example of when that went well/didn’t go well.

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Describe a time when you were particularly successful in your facilitation skills to achieve the desired result.

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Describe a time you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone’s opinion.

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Describe the best presentation you’ve ever given and why it went so well.

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Integrity

Tell me about a time you were new to a company or work group. What steps did you take to build trust with coworkers and/or staff?

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We generally recognize that policies and procedures are necessary for workplace efficiency. Tell me about a time when you had to work under a policy or procedure you did not agree with. What did you do?

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Leadership

Describe a situation where your actions/words were instrumental in achieving the desired action.

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What makes you an effective leader? Why do you think people want to work for you?

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What strategies do you use to communicate a new directive/initiative?

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Managing Others

What are the key elements to providing effective feedback? Give an example of how you have used these successfully.

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Describe your approach to hiring staff. What elements comprise this process?

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Tell me about a recent workplace encounter or project that best demonstrates your management style.

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To get the most from your staff, describe the amount of structure, direction, and freedom you give?

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Planning & Organization

What tools do you use to plan your day? How do these help you determine priorities? How do you keep others informed?

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How do you manage a project? What are the various elements used?

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Give me an example of a time when you had to organize and plan the work of others. How did you go about it?

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Negotiation

How do you compromise in negotiations? Give an example of where this has been effective.

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Problem Solving

Tell me about a time when you encountered a problem and your supervisor was not available to help you. How did you handle the problem?

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How has your approach to problem solving changed as you’ve progressed in your career?

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Describe a time where you developed a process in an effort to solve a problem.

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Project Management

How do you drive for results? What is it about your approach or ability that results in you being chosen as a project leader? Give a recent example.

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What is the scope of the projects you have managed? Pick one and briefly describe the process and end result? What was something unanticipated that occurred?

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Relationship Building

How does one go about building rapport quickly and maintaining successful business relationships?  Give examples of how you made these work for you.

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Describe a time when you removed a business obstacle for yourself or your team through deliberate relationship building efforts.

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Strategic Thinking

Describe a decision you had to make that had a significant financial impact on the organization.

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How do you use data in your strategic planning?

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What sources of information do you typically use in reaching a decision at work?

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Describe an effective organizational process that you were a part of implementing. What results have you seen?

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Teamwork/Team Building

Please give me an example of how you have contributed to the culture of previous teams.

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What do you believe makes a team successful?

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What do you think are the top fundamental values to building a strong team and why? How do you build these values into a team?

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Time Management

Have you ever been responsible for spearheading a project with a team of colleagues who had seniority over you? If so, how did you navigate through that project?

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Are you better managing multiple priorities or one at a time? Tell me about a time you were successful/not successful.

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Candidate’s Questions

– Be sure to leave time for their questions, generally 1-3
– Paint a positive but honest view of the pros and cons of the work and culture

Notes

Closing Questions

– Describe where you are in the process, next steps, and when they can expect to hear back
– Ask if they have any final remarks

What is one thing I should know about you that I haven’t asked?

What could you bring to this position that other candidates could not?

Interviewer Assessment

Enter your overall assessment about the candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and fit for this position.

Would you recommend this candidate advance in the process?