Building Your Executive Roster? Consider These Interview Questions When Hiring Senior Leadership Talent
Whether your food and beverage company is a startup filled with fresh new ideas or an established institution looking to continue growing in the future, it’s crucial to have a strong, reliable and inventive leadership team.
This isn’t just about the CEO and the highest-level executives; it’s about the managers and decision-makers who make the day-to-day choices, approving concepts that will become the next line of products.
Maybe your company is expanding and it’s time to bring in additional leaders, or perhaps longtime executives are beginning to retire. Either way, it’s time to give serious thought to how to go about building a team of senior leadership that can help your company grow and succeed.
A good leader doesn’t just ensure projects get done on time. A good leader, especially in a senior-level position, inspires and encourages their team. You want someone who understands your grand vision for the company, shares your enthusiasm for where you want to go, and embodies your mission statement, helping to evangelize it to employees, customers, and prospects alike.
When the time comes to interview new executives, or to consider promoting talent from within, consider these eight questions:
► Does the candidate have the characteristics you want for a leader within your company?
► Does the candidate have a genuine desire to take the lead and the ability to navigate challenges?
► Does the candidate have the technical abilities to perform at a world-class level within this discipline?
► Considering the candidate’s background — do they have the variety of experiences necessary to handle the challenges expected or will more training be needed to lead this team?
► Has the candidate shown or indicated a high capacity for learning and adapting well to training and guidance?
► Will the candidate require more time for training than will be available?
► Does the candidate have the emotional intelligence, fortitude, and balance to be a strong but fair leader?
► Will this candidate be a reliable, trustworthy and skilled leader for your employees and a strong advocate for the company with current clients and potential customers?
Not everyone is cut out for a fast-paced, high-pressure senior-level job leading a team. It’s better to recognize this early on and select someone else — whether an outside candidate or a different internal one — before your food and beverage company finds itself in a bind. Your right-hand man or woman needs to be able to step into potentially difficult, stressful situations, remain calm, cool and collected, and proceed quickly, decisively and confidently.
Kinsa Group remains your committed partner to find the best talent to fill out your leadership roster. With 35 years of recruiting experience in the food and beverage industry, Kinsa Group can find the right candidates to help take your company to the next level. Contact us today and we’ll help you recruit an ideal candidate.
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