Behavioral COO Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

A COO is going to have to communicate a lot: with clients, employees, and myself. It’s extremely important that whoever is chosen for the position knows how to communicate effectively with many types of people.

After all of the necessary job questions, I like to ask which TV character the candidate is like, especially since we’re a TV/movie tour company, and I want to know more about their personality. There isn’t any really bad response, unless they name a very unlikeable TV character.

I use this question to find out how much research the person did prior to the interview. The best people we’ve hired have all had well-informed answers to this question that addressed our company’s goals and what they could do to contribute.

I like asking this compared to “do you have any questions for me” which is open ended and normally ends in no.

If they still reply no, I say I can wait until they do and I’ll remain silent. We can learn a lot about someone by the questions they ask and by forcing at-least 3 to be asked, a lot can be learned. I’ve found that after hiring around 200+ employees a year in my previous business, that the better employees always had great questions that showed they cared and their potential commitment.

This question allows you to brag on yourself, but keep in mind that the interviewer wants strengths relative to the position. For example, being a problem solver, a motivator, and being able to perform under pressure, positive attitude and loyal. You will also need examples that back your answers up for illustration of the skill.

It’s important for a future chief operating office to be talented, but finding someone who fits in with the company culture is what really makes the hire successful. That’s why it’s important to consider your company’s brand and ask question that help you determine whether or not the candidate shares your company’s vision.

As a long-time search consultant for nonprofit organizations, I always suggest that during the first interview my clients ask, If you were offered this job would you accept it?

While that may seem like an odd question to ask off the bat, the response of the person being interviewed will reveal volumes about whether or not they are enthusiastic about the position. This is especially true if the candidate is from out-of-state.

Tell me about this job, why you think you would be good at it and, if it is the right job for you, what your career here looks like in 3-5 years?

With this question, I’m trying to get at a few things: how well the candidate understands the specific job they’re interviewing for, how well the candidate understands the career path and the company, the candidate’s own goals, and whether he or she has thought longer term about a career at our company.

In most employee interviews I ask this question: “What scares you the most in life?” The reactions are fascinating. Up until this point, most humans speak too much; they chatter like chimps, crowding the world with verbal noise even when they have nothing to say.

But this question almost always brings pause.

A thoughtful silence enters the room. Eyes look off into the distance and the most remarkable responses flow out of mouths. It’s often at this point that I start to see what I came for…a little bit of the truth.

I ask this question because being part of a startup is incredibly scary and there is no room, or time, for posers. I want to hire someone who has looked into the dark corner and can name the monster. I want to see depth. I want to see gumption. I want to know that when it gets tough and there’s another heartless lap to go, she will go back out into the dark where it is lonely and scary. One step at a time. Until it is finished.

I find this question helps me understand what motivates a potential hire and sheds light as to whether she would be a good fit. I am a big believer in ‘fit’ and this question goes a long way. People draw motivation from different sources, and understanding that from the outset is very helpful in building a successful relationship.

This is a simple question to ask, but it tells me if they ever thought critically at their last job or if they were just there to get a paycheck.

Although this would seem like a simple question, it can easily become tricky. You shouldn’t mention salary being a factor at this point. If you’re currently employed, your response can focus on developing and expanding your career and even yourself. If you’re current employer is downsizing, remain positive and brief. If your employer fired you, prepare a solid reason. Under no circumstance should you discuss any drama or negativity, always remain positive.

I’m hoping to learn about how a candidate persevered through a tough situation. Did they quit or pull it off? There’s a hiring adage along the lines of ‘hire for character – train for skill,’ and this question definitely probes into that notion of what is this person really made of.

This is a fantastic question because it requires them to not only think on their feet but it shows if they have done their due diligence and know what our company is all about!

There needs to be a balance between these two factors. See what the prospective COO considers to be more valuable.

I love this question because it forces the candidate to talk about their accomplishments without trying to sound too humble. You can also tell a lot about a person by how they answer this question. If they start to brag or sound too modest, it says a lot about their personality.

I’ve always loved the health care industry, but my interest in nursing really started when I volunteered at a neighborhood clinic. I knew our department capabilities were amazing but that the staff could practice better patient care. So I worked with management to come up with a strategy that increased our patient satisfaction rates by 25% in a year. It was great to be able to contribute positively to an industry I feel so passionate about, and to help promote a clinic I really believed in.

It’s a non-technical question that let’s me have some insight into very technical (engineers) people.

A great answer will show creativity, relevance to the business and position, and personality and self-awareness. For instance, consistent and clear communication with clients is a phenomenal super power for someone in engineering. Occasionally we even find people more fitted to other positions than that for which they’re interviewing, due to the passion in their superpower!

A poor answer is overly literal, overly technical, or opposing the needs for the position. I once had someone say flying, with no hint of humor and no further comment. While I prodded for more information, we work in an exceptionally fast-paced environment, and need quick thinkers who can handle the challenges of emerging technologies with a little humor!

Why am I asking? — What I’m looking for is really to hear what the person says without a pre-prepared script. I want to get info the person’s head for a short tour. That’s what I’m looking for :

☛ Can a person come up with one?
☛ How comfortable is the person improvising?
☛ What story was chosen?
☛ How does he/she structure her thoughts?
☛ Can he/she link sentences and ideas, so they make sense to the audience.

Here is my favorite question to ask when interviewing sales candidates:

I’m not sure if you’re the perfect fit for this role. I’m curious to hear why you think you’d be a great candidate.

This is a great question because it’s an objection. I want to see how they handle objections like they would from a potential client or from a co-worker with a contrarian opinion.

It’s also a way for me to see if they’ve done their homework on my company and their depth of understanding for what it would take to be successful in this role.

☛ How do you evaluate your ability to handle conflict?
☛ Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager?
☛ What have you been doing since your last job?
☛ What do you think you can bring to this position?
☛ What relevant experience do you have?

☛ What can you do for us that other candidates cant?
☛ How do you keep track of things you need to do?
☛ What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision?
☛ How do you decide what gets top priority when scheduling your time?
☛ Give examples of ideas you've had or implemented.

☛ Tell me about a difficult experience you had in working.
☛ What was the most complex assignment you have had?
☛ What are your expectations regarding promotions and salary increases?
☛ Tell me about an important goal that you set in the past.
☛ How do you feel about taking no for an answer?

☛ Your greatest weakness in school or at work?
☛ Time when you made a suggestion to improve the work.
☛ Tell us about the last time you had to negotiate with someone.
☛ How do you see your job relating to the overall goals?
☛ What are your salary requirements.

☛ Describe a time when the management board was struggling to reach a decision. What did you do?
☛ Have you ever implemented any correction moves to improve company procedures?
☛ Give me an example of a time-saving solution you suggested and implemented.
☛ Describe a situation where your team accomplished a specific goal. How did you motivate them?
☛ What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far? How did you handle it?