Executive Director Interview Questions

"I recently heard about your organisation from a family friend. She was struggling with her pregnancy as a single mother and received aid from your nonprofit. I went through a similar situation as her ten years ago and could have benefited from an organisation like yours. I want to be your Executive Director so I can help women like my friend and I find the help they need so they don't feel as alone as I did."

"I was an Executive Director at a smaller organisation for five years. When I was there, I hired and trained 15 people over the years. As the organisation was small, we all worked closely together, which helped me mentor them whenever they needed help. I also learned a lot from them, so it was a mutually beneficial working relationship."

"I think the main responsibilities of an Executive Director are to create strategic, financially beneficial strategies for the future, market the organisation to gain funding, and make decisions about whether an investment is worth the risk. Overall, an Executive Director's main duty is to help the organisation excel."

"If you hired me tomorrow, the first thing I would do is meet with the management team. In this meeting, I would discuss any questions or concerns they have and come up with solutions to solve them. I would then try to meet as many members of my team as possible. Both of these tasks will help me build a strong working relationship with my team, which is necessary for an Executive Director's success."

"As I have five years of experience as an Executive Director for a smaller organisation, I believe I would be a great fit here. I have looked at your organisation's public records and believe I could bring in at least $50,000 more a year through fundraisers and marketing. This would give you more disposable income to put towardss helping the homeless community."

"The nonprofit organisation I worked at for the last three years was almost bankrupt when I first joined them. I was hesitant to become the Executive Director of an organisation that was having financial trouble, but I saw their potential. I took the role and put all my energy towardss marketing the organisation through social media campaigns and fundraisers. Within a few months, we made enough to pay off our debts and start offering our services again."

"I have worked in a number of leadership positions and always adapt my management style to suit the company's culture and employees. Typically, I like to adopt a transformational leadership style as I enjoy encouraging and motivating my team members to help the organisation grow. I don't like to micromanage anyone, so I give my team the space they need to be creative and offer help whenever they ask for it."

"When I was the Executive Director for my previous company, my team and I ran a yearly fundraising event. Each year, the event got bigger and bigger. In my final year with the organisation, we earned more than triple the amount we earned in my first year. I contributed to the fundraiser by organizing it and inviting a handful of big investors."

"In my first year as executive director for my previous company, I organised a fundraiser that earned next to nothing. We only made enough money to pay for the costs of the fundraiser. I take responsibility for the fundraiser's failure, as I organised it in a rush instead of pushing it to a later date. I didn't take the time to ensure everything would run smoothly and didn't give people enough notice to attend. Going forward, I always planned fundraisers months in advance."

"I had a new employee that was always finishing her work early. When I checked it, it wasn't up to our organisation's standards. After a week or so of weak work, I scheduled a one-on-one meeting with the employee. She explained she wanted to finish everything early to show me she could handle all the work I assigned. I explained my issue with her work and told her I prefer quality over quantity and would rather she do less work if what she produces is strong. After the talk, she was producing excellent work. We just had to cut back on some of her assignments."

"There are a number of ways to measure a fundraiser's success beyond the amount of money you earn. While fundraisers are important for nonprofits to earn the necessary funds, a successful one should also create and strengthen relationships with investors to have long-term success. So, a successful fundraising event should make attendees comfortable and excited about working with us well into the future."

"I was planning and executing the budget for my old company for over ten years. When I first started, the organisation was small, so I created all budgets by hand after thoroughly researching and brainstorming our current finances and financial goals. As we grew, I used budgeting software to streamline the process. I used Scoro, Centage, and Prophix, but I am happy to learn how to use any other software."

"I think your organisation has a powerful image of being a place single moms can find solace. I would change the image to be geared towardss single dads as well, so everyone feels welcome."

"Before I make any decision, I thoroughly research the pros and cons of it to weigh the risk. If we have time, I will meet with other managers to discuss the decision and consider different points of view. If I think the decision will ultimately benefit the organisation, I will make it."

"To build and strengthen relationships with my board of directors and shareholders, I keep an open line of communication. I update them constantly and make myself available for meetings or to answer questions. I also encourage them to provide their own input. Communicating with them shows them I value their contributions and opinions, allowing us to all work well together."