Top 21 Executive Level Interview Questions In 2023 [With Answers]

The executive level, often known as the C-suite of a business organization comprises some of the highly qualified professionals, such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), etc. who form the backbone of a company and are responsible for its running, operating and managing. The vacancies at these positions are quite scarce as they usually boss several hundreds of employees under them. The pay is very bright and incentives are lucrative. Thus, if you are appearing for an executive-level interview then be prepared to face some fierce quality competition. The best way to ace your interview session is by reading lots of frequently asked interview questions.

21 Best Interview Questions To Study

1. What Are Your Plans To Enhance Our Existing Customer Base?

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the various procedures used to augment the company’s revenue.

Sample Answer

Sir, “effective marketing” is one of the best ways to not only enhance the sales of an organization but also improve its customer base. I will create stimulating advertising campaigns within the budgets of the company, after gaining a thorough understanding of the needs and wants of its customers. Further, the products and services must also be based on the requirements of the target market along with maintaining their quality and unique features.

2. Assume That We Want To Move Cross Border. How Will You Expand Our Business With Least Risk and Expenditure?

Working at the top level you will certainly be required to expand and diversify the operations of the company.

Sample Answer

Sir, there are various ways to move cross border, such as:

• Export of goods and services
• Entering into a joint venture with the other established foreign organizations
• Setting up a new corporate entity in the foreign land, etc.

Out of all the options, “export” is the cheapest and most effective method to expand and diversify the business operations. I will form associations with local dealers and marketers, so as to export our goods to that country.

3. What Is The Cheapest and Most Expensive Source of Finance?

This question checks your financial literacy and your ability to make financial decisions.

Sample Answer

Sir, finance is the backbone of every industry and acts as raw material. Almost all business organizations are in need of finance to conduct their business operations. The cheapest source of finance is Retained earnings, which is nothing but a part of the profits earned by the company that is not distributed as dividends and reatined to be ploughed back into the business. On the other hand, equity capital is the most expensive source of finance, as it leads to dilution of decision-making power and has the highest cost of capital.

4. We Aspire To Launch A New Product Next Year. Which Pricing Strategy Will You Suggest Us and Why?

This question checks your knowledge and understanding of the various pricing strategies commonly adopted by the companies.

Sample Answer

Sir, pricing plays an important role in determining the success or failure of a product. I will recommend a price skimming policy for the newly launched product. This is because, under this strategy, the initial price of a product is kept at the lower level at the time of launch so as to attract more and more customers towards it. This stimulates sales and creates a brand awareness of the company in the market. This lower price is increased gradually when the product of the company captures momentum and a pre-defined sales target is met.

5. Describe About A Time When You Uplifted A Demoralized Team.

This is a situation-based interview question and wants you to share a real-workplace experience.

Sample Answer

Sir, business is full of challenges and hindrances. Failure can deplete a team, which needs to be lifted and moralized. I remember one such instance when I uplifted a demotivated team by giving effective speeches and taking all the team members for a non-professional outing. I showed them an inspirational movie and ingrained in their mind that one must persevere come what may.

6. We Are Profitable and Earn Surplus Profits. What Are The Best Ways To Utilize This Surplus?

This question checks your financial decision-making ability.

Sample Answer

Sir, the surplus profits must be appropriated strategically as per the goals, objectives, and financial position of a business organization. Since your company is profitable, I will recommend investing the surplus back into the business. This will help to expand and diversify the operations of a company at the least cost. Further, the shareholders of the company must also be rewarded by paying dividends.

7. Share The Three Best Qualities Of An Executive Level Manager.

This question tests your understanding of the profession.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, these are:

• Leadership
• Detail-oriented
• Optimistic and Pragmatic in approach

8. The Middle or Lower Level Employees Must Not Be Included In The Decison Making Process. Comment On This Statement.

Through this question, an interviewer wants to know about your decision-making approach.

Sample Answer

Sir, I partially disagree with this statement. Every company hires some of the brightest minds at every level of hierarchy and thus their opinions must be considered and valued. However, in the confidential decision-making process, I am also against their participation.

9. Name The Three Best Software Primarily Used At The Executive Level Workforce.

Nowadays everything moves in and around technology. Thus, you need to be aware of the latest software that are used in your industry.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, These are:

• Meister Task
• Basecamp
• Teamwork Projects

10. How Do You Extract The Best From The Employees Of A Company?

Being a top-level manager, not only you will be required to draw strategic plans but also extract the best from the employees of a company. As an ideal response just share the ways using which you will keep your workforce motivated.

Sample Answer

Sir, employees are the assets of a company and largely determine how successful a business organization would be amid fierce competition from rivals. Thus, they must be kept motivated and committed to their employer. In order to do so, I generally use a slew of monetary as well as non-monetary incentives, such as:

• Giving adequate recognition to the employees, who have performed well and achieved their targets
• Giving performance-linked incentives and allowances to the employees
• Offering them paid family trips, rent allowance, furniture allowance, etc.

11. What Is Your Preferred Mode Of Working – In A Team or Individually?

This is a tricky interview question, through which an interviewer wants to know which mode of working suits you. No matter what option you choose, you will always be countered. This is because, upon choosing “individually”, you are a person who can not form a rapport with peers and work in harmony. On the flip side, by choosing “team”, you are a person who cannot work under minimum guidance and supervision. However, you have to mandatorily choose one option, hence, make sure you are able to explain it completely.

12. Employees Tend To Get Motivated By A Variety Of Factors. How Do You Keep Yourself Motivated?

It is common for the employees to get crushed under the burden of routine tasks, which brings monotony and tests one’s discipline. In such a case, the motivational factors come in handy that prompt the employees to focus and prevent them from the clutches of boredom. These factors are usually influenced by personal conditions, financial situations, and other circumstances. An interviewer is interested in knowing these factors, so as to evaluate your personality and find out whether or not you will be a perfect match for the company.

13. Describe Yourself In A Single Word.

This is a trending interview question and is now seen frequently in several interview sessions. This question requires you to summarize, the whole of your personality into a single word. It is recommended that you consider only the corporate-friendly words such as hardworking, sensible, loyal, committed, detail-oriented, etc. after gaining a comprehensive understanding of the job description issued to you by your employer.

14. Performing At The Highest Level Is Not Only Demanding But Also Challenging. How Do You Manage Your Workplace Failures?

Success is a need for every professional employee. But like everything desirable, it is also hard to achieve and overcome. This leads to failure at the workplace and leaves a devastating impact on the human mind. Such depleted employees are low on confidence and are not able to deliver expected performances. Hence, the impact of workplace failures must be managed and controlled through effective strategies and techniques, which are asked from you through this question.

15. What Is Your Dream Job?

Humans have the ability as well as the tendency to “dream”. They usually set visions and perform activities to achieve them. Through his question, an interviewer wants to know about the various expectations and wants, that you have from your employer. Be specific and share a genuine response. Further, do not wander into the realm of your wild dreams as that would never help your cause.

16. Being An Executive Employee, You Will Be Required To Perform Several Tasks In A Single Business Day. How Do You Prioritize?

It is common for top-level managers to be engaged in several business activities and tasks simultaneously. In order to ensure timely completion of all these tasks, it is necessary to hatch a plan and arrange them in a specific order. Most employees prefer to arrange their tasks for the day, on the basis of their difficulty levels or time consumption. There are several other prioritization techniques as well, and you are free to choose any of them. Make sure that you are giving a comprehensive explanation.

17. What Makes Us Special Is The “Quality” That We Maintain In Our Products and Services. How Do You Interpret The Term “Quality”?

This is a term-based interview question, which requires you to interpret the meaning of the term “quality”. We all employees are different from each other and have a different procedure towards analyzing things. Hence, there could be several interpretations of the term “quality”, however, an interviewer is interested in understanding your own version of interpretation. Usually, “quality” in operations is achieved when the employees are able to meet the established benchmarks and satisfy the consumer needs.

18. The Higher The Designation, The Higher Will Be The Responsibilities. How Do You Manage Your Work Related Stress?

Stress is a common mess and has grappled almost half the world. Even the teenagers, who do not have any responsibility, are not spared by it, let alone professional employees. It is an established fact that a stressed employee is not able to deliver exceptional business performance and will usually lag behind the deadlines. Hence, you ought to develop a few strategies and techniques using which you can manage your workplace stress. These techniques are demanded by an interviewer through this interview question.

19. What Are Your Salary Expectations?

It is common for the interviewers to ask about your salary expectations during the interview session itself. It is recommended that you always share a salary figure, which is based on some extensive research of the industry to which you belong. Further, while conducting research, try to calculate an average of the salaries paid to similar professionals, who share a common work experience with you. Base your salary quote upon this average, and try not to deviate more than 15%.

20. When Can You Start Working With Us?

This is a non-technical interview question, which requires you to share your expected date of start on or after which you can offer your services to your employer. It is true that immediate starters are always preferred, but we recommend you sharing a genuine date so as to prevent yourself from future hiccups.

21. Do You Have Any Questions For Us?

Be it an interview session for an entry-level position or be it for a famed C-suite vacancy, every session concludes with this interview question, through which, an interviewer wants to know about your doubts and apprehensions that you might be having in regards to the business organization. It is recommended that you always attempt this question and ask a few relevant counter-questions based on the model questions mentioned below:

Model Questions

• How does this organization motivate its senior employees?
• What are the various amenities that are offered by the company to its C-suite employees at the workplace?
• Is it the policy of the company to offer paid leaves to its employees, especially during periods of medical emergencies?

Download the list of questions in .PDF format, to practice with them later, or to use them on your interview template (for Executive Level interviews):

References

1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1362361320981319
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14693062.2021.1930510