Questions to ask when recruiting a new CEO

There’s no greater pinnacle in the business world than being appointed chief executive officer (CEO). As the highest-ranking executive, it’s a role filled with prestige, authority and pressure. But appointing a new CEO to take the reins is no easy feat; you have to be sure they have the knowledge, experience and are the right fit for long-term success.

The selection process for a CEO is never quick. Every step has to be planned out thoroughly as there’s no room for error. Your questions have to give an insight into the individual, their aspirations and their potential influence on your business. 

If you’re in the process of searching for a CEO – or are about to begin – Hello Leaders has a list of the best questions to ask a CEO throughout the recruitment process.

Questions to ask: Experience

Recruitment starts with looking at the past as you want to understand an applicant’s industry knowledge, role experience and relevant qualifications. These answers will come very early on in the recruitment process through the initial CV and cover letter so they need to be clearly outlined in the job description. 

Some questions regarding experience will simply be asking about past role experience, while others have to be aged care specific to ensure you can separate candidates with relevant knowledge from those without. Examples include:

• What is your experience in a similar leadership role?
• How long have you worked within the aged care industry?
• What experience do you have working in for-profit or not-for-profit aged care? 
• What relevant qualifications do you hold?
• Are you comfortable with travel for work or potential relocation?

In addition, these are more situational and you can ask to dig deeper into a person’s background and experience. These questions are typically best for interviews as you can see how a person responds and ask follow-up questions. 

• What is the largest challenge you have faced during your career and how did you overcome it?

• How familiar are you with Government legislation regarding the aged care industry?
• What is your understanding of Government funding in relation to aged care?
• When have you had to make difficult decisions regarding jobs, expenditure, etc, and how did you approach the change? What was the outcome?
• Do you have an understanding of our competitors in the aged care industry and how we stand out?
• What are some of the recent changes to aged care and in what ways do you believe they will positively or negatively impact the sector?

Questions to ask: Skills and traits

CEOs are generally required to be highly skilled, there’s no denying that. But you want to know whether those skills and traits will suit your organisation. Understanding how those skills and traits are actually expressed and utilised is also essential. That’s where situational and behavioural questions come into play.

As you’re working through the recruitment process, pitch potential scenarios to candidates, ask them about previous interactions and find out how they think. If you don’t divulge by asking some personal questions to help you understand who they are and how they work, you could be wasting everyone’s time. That’s why you need to ask questions such as:

• What personality traits make a good leader, and more importantly, a good CEO? 
• Tell us what your two biggest strengths are and how they can benefit us.
• Do you believe you have room for growth despite holding a leadership position?
• If you were considering changes within the business, how would you approach implementation?
• How would you define your leadership style?
• If someone was to provide critical or negative feedback, how would you respond?
• Describe a time when you had to diffuse conflict. How did you achieve a positive outcome?
• Are you comfortable dealing with external scrutiny, such as negative media attention? How might you approach and resolve the matter?

Questions to ask: Company direction

Aged care is not static and transformation is well underway so it’s essential the CEO has the ability to focus on the present and future at the same time. To do this, values on both sides have to be aligned. Questions about company direction are the final piece to the puzzle to determine if that’s reality. While there may be specific questions related to your needs, general questions to ask include:

• What is your interpretation of our goals and values?
• How do you see yourself fitting in with – and leading – the organisation?
• What do you believe is the most important task to address when you start the role?
• How would you approach the implementation of long-term goals and planning?
• If the board presented you with an existing long-term project initiated by the outgoing CEO, what approach would you take regarding potential changes and their implementation?
• Is there anything you believe we should do differently, and what improvements would you make?

Finding the Right Fit

Aged care is changing and now, more than ever, you will need a CEO who can lead you to the promised land. Therefore, the questions you ask during the recruitment process have to dig deep; you need to know exactly who each candidate truly is and what they can do to strengthen your standing within the sector.

The answers you want must point to a candidate being the right fit. They might not be the perfect fit – it’s hard to find the perfect candidate – but you will discover whether they have the knowledge and qualities to be successful in your environment.

Even if they give you the “right” answers, those answers could be stock-standard. You want the answers that sway opinions, bring new ideas to the table, and make someone stand out. That’s how you find out if a CEO candidate really is the right fit.