May 24 2019 37 mins 1
A lot of work and preparation goes on before a credit union board interviews a candidate it is considering as a possible next CEO. The board has considered multiple resumes, decided what questions to ask (and which director will ask them), and oftentimes spent time consulting with an executive search consultant. The candidate has gathered a wealth of experience, gone through such key development opportunities as CEO Institute, and committed to taking his or her career to a whole new level. If you are the interviewee, how can you hit the ball out of the park in your interview for the top job? In this episode, you’ll get guidance from Deedee Myers, Ph.D., and Peter Myers. They are CEO and SVP, respectively, of DDJ Myers, Phoenix, CUESolutions provider for succession planning, executive recruitment, leadership coaching. Both Deedee and Peter have supported many CEO searches. Deedee emphasizes early in the show that the point of a first-round interview is to get the second-round interview. “It’s not to get the job, it’s to get through the gate,” she says. Peter says preparing for the interview should include a deep dive into the organization conducting the interview. Looking at that CU’s National Credit Union Administration past and current call reports is a good step. “What really high-caliber candidates do is they paint a picture of where [the organization has] come from leading up to the current state,” he explains. He also suggests asking any executive search consultant involved in the process about the board members, their hot buttons and the CU’s business model. Lastly, have some open-ended questions you want to ask the board, like what they are afraid of, he advises. “You want to ask questions that the board might have to think about or even talk about among themselves.” The show also gets into: Insights about how a CEO interview will likely flow The role of the executive search consultant during the interview Tips for candidates giving a presentation during an interview Why internal candidates should prepare as if they were external candidates How to handle awkward silences that might occur during an interview Signs an interview is going well Links: DDJ Myers CUESolutions CUES Leadership Development Guide CEO Institute
