COO Interview Questions And Answers

A friend told me that this is a question often used in interviews at Google. It forces the candidate to get creative and explain something out of the ordinary.

I’ve learned a lot from my current role, but now I’m looking for a new challenge, to broaden my horizons and to gain a new skill-set – all of which, I see the potential for in this job.

One of my favourite questions when hiring a new employee is ‘If you owned the company, what would you change?’. This is particularly awesome as you get to watch the interviewee think of a logical answer without offending the company itself. Of course when the question is asked, I’m looking for a genuine answer, it this question which will sometimes decided who is hired and who isn’t.

The employee should understand this is business and it is cut throat, if they see a flaw in something they should speak up

From the side of an applicant (high-level administration), I always ask those interviewing me, Why is this position open? I think it’s a fair question. I like to know what circumstances I will walk into: was someone let go? did my predecessor retire? is it a new position?Always good to know.

I like to ask the following: What 2 or 3 things would be most important to you in your ideal job, and why?

I ask this question to understand the candidate better. It can let me know several things: What are their priorities / What are their pet peeves / What are their must-haves to feel like they’re in a good position.

I have a better scope of the candidate once they expound on this question.

What do you feel is your best work trait?* This question really opens the candidate up to being vulnerable. It will give you some insight into how they view themselves and what their confidence level is. It really helps to set some candidates apart from others. When asking this question, a lot of times it brings up areas that they don’t feel they are strong in as well.

How do you build relationships with people you oversee? Like the previous questions, these will help you figure out if a candidate would work well with his or her subordinates and also offers insight into how relational a candidate it.

This is another question looking towards job commitment. Some people go through jobs like socks because they don’t have a life plan, and your answer can show insight into this. It can also be used for finding out if you are the type that sets goals at all in life, because those that make long-term goals are usually more reliable. Also, your goals can provide insight on your personality too.

You should respond with an answer that shows progression in your career is on track with your route in the company. It’s important to do your research on company prospects, this way you understand what to expect and if it’s in your long-term goal. Interviewers don’t want to set you on a path that won’t provide the results you want, resulting in you resigning.

This question needs to be carefully answered as it is your opportunity to stick out from the rest of the applicants. You should focus on skills that you have, including those not yet mentioned. Simply responding “because I’m really good” or “I really need a job” isn’t going to work. You shouldn’t assume the skills of other applicants or their strengths, focus on yourself. Tell the interviewer why you are a good fit for the position, what makes you a good employee, and what you can provide the company. Keep it brief while highlighting achievements.

In order for your organization to grow, your employees have to grow along with it. A good operations leader knows that time must be allocated to employee improvement, and asking this question explores their self improvement philosophies.

This question lets me see what the candidate considers success. It could be anything from getting a certain salary, earning a certain title, or reaching a specific goal. It also tells me if they get their biggest sense of accomplishment at the office or through their personal life.

I love this question because it makes the person I’m interviewing thing critically about their work experience. It also tells me a lot about what responsibilities they find the most challenging. If they had a hard time doing a job similar to the one I’m interviewing them for, I may think about whether or not that person is right for this position.

I like to ask them what their reasoning was behind each of their career decisions, from their college graduation up until this point. Their answer shows me how the candidate strategizes and prepares for the future.

A person’s role model can tell you a lot about them. People pick role models who have qualities they would like to see in themselves and in others. By asking about their inspiration, you learn a lot about the personal characteristics and skills that person finds important.

No one has all of their ideas accepted all of the time, even the chief operating officer. This question tells me if the person uses failure to push themselves more, or if they like to learn something from each missed opportunity.

You should do your research prior to the interview. Look into background history of the company, this will help you stick out. Learn about main people, have they been in the news lately? The interviewer doesn’t expect you to know dates and certain people, but showing that you have enough interest to research the company is a positive impression.

A numbers-specific question allows for a correct answer. But thinking even bigger can show a deeper aptitude. For instance, considering other factors such as revenue per customer and speed of delivery could make USPS still a more feasible option.

This can be a tricky question to respond to, if you suggest you have no weaknesses you’re going to appear as a lair or egotistical. You should respond realistically by mentioning small work related weaknesses. Although many try to answer using a positive skill in disguise as a weakness, like “I expect co-workers to have the same commitment” or “I am a perfectionist”. However, it is recommended that there is some honesty and the weaknesses are true, and then emphasize on how you have overcome it or working to improve it. The purpose of this question is to see how you view and evaluate yourself.

Efficiency and effectiveness are important in every area of your ministry, but especially so in finance and operations. You want a CFO, COO, and/or Executive Pastor who can create organized, streamlined processes for your departments to prevent avoidable problems due to an unnecessarily complicated system.

I ask it because math is a fundamental skill that employees need when it comes to analyzing the success of advertising campaigns.

The best response is when they answer the question confidently and correctly. The worst is when they say I’m not very good at math or take wild guesses at the answer.

I like to ask this question for a few reasons:

First, some people get confused and do not understand the question at all – no matter how many times I try to rephrase it. This shows me their comprehension/intelligence level.

Second, their answer gives a ton of insight as to what type of employee/worker they will be.

☛ If they answer something like: Forward the email to the appropriate team member so they can handle this is not a terrible answer, but shows that they are not willing to go above and beyond to help a customer.
☛ If they answer something like: Reply to the client so they know I received the email and let them know I will forward their request to the appropriate team member to help them this answer is better because they are taking initiative to reply back.
☛ If the answer something like: See if I can find out the answer quickly and reply back to the client with the answer and cc the team member noting that for any additional questions their account manager will be happy to assist them then this is the best answer of all because no matter if this is not their account they took it upon themselves to find the answer, reply to the client and notify the team member who handles this.

I learn a couple of things from this. Is this an organization that communicates well and has developed their story. And then of course, the story itself is usually very insightful.

I learned of this suggestion ages ago, so it is not my invention, but it is so powerful, especially for those working in communications, where story-telling is key.

Having consulted on hundreds of hires, my favorite interview question, one I’ve never heard anyone else use is, When I speak to your last [or present] boss, what is he or she going to say about you?

Since people are trying to cover themselves for anything that boss might say, it’s amazing the things they’ll reveal. They’ll very often tell you things that last boss would never have brought up, even if the last boss would be allowed to deal with a reference which often they aren’t.

These are crucial questions to ask. Many candidates have not thought through the impact that working in a church or ministry will have on their professional and personal lives or how it may affect their families.

What you’re looking for when a candidate answers this question is whether he or she has the right kinds of experience for your church’s or nonprofit’s needs. You’ll be able to match candidates’ responses against a checklist or assessment of what you need your CFO or COO to manage and accomplish.