Not all CTO Chief Technology Officer candidates will have a working knowledge of managing software development projects, and those that do will have different approaches. Some CTOs prefer to manage from a distance, and others are developers themselves who like to get involved. This question will gauge their management style and whether it fits your own expectations. They can ideally cite specific examples in their career of successfully managing development teams similar to your own. What to look for in an answer:

• Previous work with managing development teams
• Specific examples of leading successful development projects
• Ability to relate past experience to the position

Not all Chief Technology Officers come from a developer background though most will have at least a cursory experience with programming. When they do have this background, it can mean they will manage their IT departments from a more technical and hands-on approach. CTOs who come from a management background, on the other hand, will leave the details to their managers. Asking this question will help you gauge these issues. What to look for in an answer:

• Interest in the technical details of information technology
• Articulate and confident response
• Personal side projects they’ve worked on

This question is a good one for gauging a CTO Chief Technology Officer candidate’s management style and the techniques they’ve developed for leading technical professionals. Managing a diverse group of IT teams and implementing long-term policies present challenges that are different from other segments of a business. Look for specific examples in their answer about policies that they successfully implemented when there was initial resistance from an IT department. What to look for in an answer:

• Ability to relate management goals to technical personnel
• Ability to overcome pushback from technical managers
• Specific examples of past successes

Most CTO Chief Technology Officer candidates will have one or more projects that they will be prepared to talk about that relates in some way to your own company. Asking this question will gauge how well they understand your company’s needs and give them a chance to showcase their experience. What to look for in an answer:

• The management style in the example
• The technical difficulty of the project described
• How relatable the example is to your company

Technology is an ever-changing industry, so you want someone who recognizes the need to stay up to date on everything technical. It can also give you an opportunity to gauge how good of a cultural fit the candidate may have with your organization. They should choose examples that relate to managing a business, especially an IT department. What to look for in an answer:

• Interest in continuing education
• Interest in current technology trends
• Management philosophy and cultural fit

Chief technology officers should be able to leverage technology at an enterprise level to achieve company targets. An employer can use this question to find out if a candidate has the necessary skill set for this position. A skilled CTO candidate would articulate a practical strategy to collaborate with managers and achieve the company's goals.

A candidate's answer should emphasize:

• The ability to achieve rapport with employees, even during a disagreement
• Strong leadership, communication, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills
• Evidence of ability to achieve business goals

An example answer to this question could look like this: