Interview questions for executives are designed to test a candidate's strategic planning and leadership skills. Here are several examples of the kinds of questions you need to ask:

• Would you please describe your interest in this position?
• Tell me about your current position.
• How have you helped your current organization accomplish its goals and mission?
• What have you done that has had a significant impact on your current company?
• Tell me about your experience leading and managing an organization similar to ours. 
• What is your personal management philosophy?
• Tell me about your fiscal management experience. Specifically, I'd like to know how you handle budgeting, fiscal reporting, cutting costs, building reserves, etc.
• Have you ever had to champion an unpopular change?  How did you handle it?
• Tell me about your experience working with a Board of Directors.  What approach and philosophy did you follow?
• What is your position on the role of the executive in strategic planning?
• Describe a situation when you were the designated spokesperson for your current company?
• How would you proceed if the Board of Directors adopted a policy or program that you felt was inconsistent with the goals and mission of our company?
• Describe your experiences with staff development.  
• How do you think your current staff members would describe you?
• How do you stay informed about current management ideas in your industry?
• What ideas do you have about improving the success of this company?
• Are there any of our organization's programs, policies, or actions that concern you or that you would change?
• If you are hired for this position, how will our organization change over the next five years?

Few of these questions have a right or wrong answer. Instead, they are intended to probe the candidate's intellect and suitability for the position.

You should consider the position, your company's culture and your organizational structure when evaluating a candidate's answers. The applicant’s reasoning and thought processes are often more important than the answer itself.

The questions in this section are not applicable to every situation. Select those that make sense for the specific position.