New! No-hassle virtual interviewing free on Indeed

There's no software to download or meeting links for you to manage. Here's how it works.

Step 1

Post your job

Reach the world's largest pool of job seekers when you post on Indeed. As candidates apply, you can connect with them on the platform.

Step 2

Schedule a conversation

Our virtual interview experience is the default when you schedule time with your candidate.

Step 3

Connect with your candidate

When the candidate accepts your interview invite, you'll both get an email with a link to your video conference. Open the link to test your connection, and get started. It's that easy.

Get started

CEO Chief Executive Officer Interview Questions

Post a Job
Are you a job seeker? Find jobs
  1. What is your overall philosophy for leading an organization? See answer
  2. How do you choose the priorities that will guide a corporation? See answer
  3. How would you rate the importance of transparency in a CEO role? What method would you use to promote transparency from the top down? See answer
  4. What is your approach to making big picture decisions? What examples can you provide?
  5. Can you give an example of how you implemented a change in corporate strategy?
  6. What type of corporate culture do you aim to promote and how do you create that culture?
  7. What is the largest organization you’ve been in charge of as a CEO?
  8. Are you comfortable with representing the company in legal cases or at press conferences? How would you rate your public speaking skills in this regard?
  9. As the CEO, how would you maintain beneficial, professional relationships with other chief executives?
  10. Based on what you know about our corporation already, which elements would you keep the same and which would you want to strengthen?
  11. How has your previous work experiences qualified you to assume the role of CEO at our company?
  12. Can you provide me with a few examples that highlight your innovation and creativity as a CEO?
  13. We need to instigate major budget cuts across the company to maintain our finances during an economic recession. What business areas or departments would you implement budget cuts in?
  14. You notice a high turnover rate for employees recently. What do you do to investigate this problem and find solutions?
  15. Have you ever had to resort to furloughs and layoffs in response to economic issues? If so, how did you approach this situation?
  16. As the new CEO of our company, what would you do to make meaningful connections with our current business partners?
Show more questions Show fewer questions

6 CEO Chief Executive Officer Interview Questions and Answers

Q:

What is your overall philosophy for leading an organization?

A:

A CEO chief executive officer will be called on to lead the business. It’s their responsibility to provide the top-down direction that drives a company to function and grow. You will want to know exactly how a chief executive officer candidate plans to approach the job because their philosophies will dictate how they lead. A good candidate will have strong leadership principles that they rely on. What to look for in an answer:

  • Evidence of actions backed by principles
  • A strong set of management philosophies
  • Flexibility to consider new principles

Example:

“I operate from a core set of beliefs that I gained through continuous study and application, but I am always open to new approaches.”

Q:

What is your approach to making big-picture decisions?

A:

The CEO chief executive officer will be making decisions that ultimately affect the morale of the company as well as its bottom line. Their answer can let you know if they are a firm cost-cutter or a leader who focuses more on the personal aspects of running a business. Ideally, you want someone who can operate in both worlds. What to look for in an answer:

  • Evidence that the candidate can manage the bottom line
  • Ability to formulate their decision-making process
  • Signs of a focus on people

Example:

“I try to be very conscious of the bottom line, but I recognize that any moves to cut costs must be done with sensitivity.”

Q:

Give an example of how you implemented a change in corporate strategy.

A:

A CEO cannot be content with keeping the company in the same place because that leads to complacency. At some point in their tenure as leader, they will likely have to foster the organization through a change, and it is vital that they have the vision to do so. Their answer to this question can give you an idea of the skills they use to carry out corporate change successfully. Look for:

  • Evidence that they think strategically
  • Management skills to carry out change
  • History of leading corporate transformation

Example:

“I have experience in successfully leading major corporate transformations from conception to execution.”

Q:

How do you choose the priorities that will guide a corporation?

A:

The company will be guided by the priorities of its CEO. This question will give you insight into the strategy that a candidate uses to decide what’s most important to an organization. It should also provide a good sense of the goals that they have for the business. What to look for in an answer:

  • Experience setting corporate priorities
  • A well-conceived approach to setting goals
  • Previous directions in which the candidate took a company

Example:

“I perform a top-down analysis of every area before deciding on the corporate goals. I make sure that my analysis is extensive and explained.”

Q:

What type of corporate culture do you aim to promote, and how do you create that culture?

A:

It is important to know the type of company that the chief executive officer will attempt to create. The corporate culture dictates the type of business that employees and customers see. Their answer will indicate whether they have a big-picture plan for this aspect of the company. They should be able to explain how their ideal business environment will be achieved. What to look for in an answer:

  • Examples of culture in previous companies led by the candidate
  • A strong statement of principles
  • Measures taken to implement culture

Example:

“I always aim to create an environment that makes talented people want to work for us and customers want to do business with us.”

Q:

How would you rate the importance of transparency in a CEO role? What method would you use to promote transparency from the top down?

A:

CEOs need to maintain good communication with their immediate staff and the rest of the company. This question allows interviewers to learn more about a candidate's potential leadership and values they could attribute to a CEO position.

A candidate's answer should emphasize:

  • Strong leadership capabilities
  • Emphasis on transparency
  • Emphasis on lower-level employee satisfaction

Here is one example of a quality candidate answer:

Example:

"I believe that transparency is one of the most important traits that a CEO can have. Employees want to understand how their company is doing financially and how their individual work efforts contribute to the company. They have every right to know as they are what keeps the company going. To practice transparency, I would create a weekly or monthly newsletter outlining our current revenue, recent business contracts and any other news that would normally stay at the corporate level."

Post a Job
Are you a job seeker? Find jobs
Ready to get started? Post a Job

Explore Interview Questions by Title

A-C D-H I-L M-P Q-S T-Z
No search results found

    *Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your career or legal advisor, and none of the information provided herein guarantees a job offer.