I know this topic has been covered but I am just wondering if you could share your director level interview stories. Who attended and what types of questions did you get asked. I was afraid if I attached this to another previous post no one would read or respond. My interview is next week. I know everyone there already. I've worked with these people because of my current position.
budget, personnel, and politics (internal as well as external)
In the public sector, mine have varied from the HR Director to panel of people including the planning firm under contract, city attorney, city manager, but the most amazing was one in a open meeting where people in the audience asked me questions (and yes I did get the job) with other varieties of folks in between.
In the private sector it has ranged from a couple of adminstration types to the entire Board of Directors.
You'll get this one: What's your management style?
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Interesting. I can't figure out what the budget questions might relate to. Like the need for consulting work, etc? Would I need to know the ballpark for a comp plan update by a consultant? I need to do a little research. I think I may study up on my current department budget.
I was interviewed by a panel of 6. Town Supervisor, Adminstrator, ZBA chair, PB chair, Asst. Town Administrator and other town board members.
My interview consisted of: County Supervisor, HR Director, County Engineer, and Chief Building Official.
Interesting questions are;
Do you have a problem firing or disciplining people?
What is your vision of growth? (good and bad)
Important things is show energy and enthusiasm and showcase what you bring to the table.
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Yes, I've sat in front of small groups and very large groups during interviews....public meetings and executive sessions...one of the most interesting was an open format interview where all the applicant's met with the Commission for a meal then toured the County and met the Planning and Zoning Commission later....a two day interview for a $40,000/year jobI've been in several interviews where the panel included developers, private engineers and the focus was on what I would do to make life better for land owners and developers (cutting red tape!
The most bizarre interview was one that involved a panel of 14, including the mayor, several City Council members, neighboring directors, private developers and citizen activists...only to find out they never intended to hire me....but one of the City Council members who was interviewing applicant's
Ask these questions before you agree to interview:
Question #1: How many people are being interviewed and how many are currently employed by the (city/County/Company)?
Question #2: Who will be on the interview panel and who do they represent?
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Budget questions in my experience point to the process: you cannot spend money that is not budgeted. If there is a suggestion about starting a new program, you should ask if it is, or how it will be, budgeted. You should also ascertain how the dept. is funded.
This is excellent information. It sounds like the open meeting formats are more about how people handle themselves in the hot seat and a test of endurance.
I was going to ask him how many and who I could expect. I always ask that. Something about this entire process has me holding back a little. I want to contact the personnel department to ask them but this whole thing was set up directly by the Administrator and I bet the HR department doesn't even know. I think it may be more like a pre-interview, interview. The whole thing has to be ubber confidential because of my current employer so I wonder if he's setting everything up himself to make sure no one else knows about it until it's a done deal. Does that seem plausible?
Regardless I am going to ask the question just to cover my bases.
Well I had the interview which went well. I was prepared for all of the questions which included a budget question, THANK YOU Mike! I had thought a lot about that one in advance and was prepared. There was an HR specialist with the Administrator and that was it. The County Board member wasn't able to make it due to work and she was the one who asked me to apply. They're interviewing only one other candidate and hope to make a decision in the next couple of weeks
I believe it went as well as it could. I gave it the college try and that's all I can do. Although I was horrible rested (thanks to two children who migrated into my bed and kicked me all night) and the start of a horrible cold and fever. I wish I would have been braver to check out the other candidate. My interview took an hour and a half and they were late getting to the next interview by 45 minutes. poor guy!
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