Before accepting an executive role: questions to ask

Why is the company hiring now?

Understand what triggered the search and what your arrival is expected to change.

A succession, a newly created role and a departure after a disagreement raise different questions. Ask what has changed since the search began, what the previous arrangement achieved and where it fell short. Compare answers across the people you are able to meet.

Example: a founder wants to hand over day-to-day management but still expects to approve every hire. Discuss a recent appointment: who proposed it, who decided and how was the team informed? This gives you a concrete basis for exploring the future relationship.

Also ask what needs to remain stable: the team, products, locations or customer relationships. An ambition to transform the business is easier to assess when settled decisions and open questions are clearly identified.

What will you actually be able to decide?

Test your authority through a hiring decision, an investment and a change in priorities.

For each example, identify who proposes, approves and commits resources. Ask how disagreement with the executive is handled. A detailed answer tells you more than a promise of a free hand.

For a business unit role, examine shared resources such as sales, production, IT and investment budgets. The Apec chief executive profile distinguishes group and smaller-company contexts. For your opportunity, establish the specific dependencies that will affect your objectives.

• Which recent decision shows how governance works?
• Which resources are approved, and which still need agreement?
• Who will you turn to when a group priority conflicts with your business needs?

A detailed answer tells you more than a promise of a free hand.

Does the daily work suit you?

Compare the demands of the role with what you want to build and how you like to work.

Do you want to grow a business, rebuild a team, stabilise operations or lead an integration? Ask how much of your time each will take. The same title can describe a largely commercial, industrial or governance-focused working life.

Write down your criteria before the final discussion: authority, team, shareholder relationships, location, travel and compensation. For variable pay, ask how objectives are set and measured and how they depend on decisions outside your control. Sort the answers into three groups: agreed, needs clarification and incompatible with your plans.

You are assessing a working relationship as well as a set of responsibilities.

Where the process allows, meet the people you would work with most closely. Notice whether you can ask questions, discuss differences and acknowledge difficulties. You are assessing a working relationship as well as a set of responsibilities.

Prepare a credible start

Share your understanding of the role and the remaining questions before committing to an action plan.

Summarise why you are being hired, the initial priorities, the decisions assigned to you and the support promised. Ask the person or body you will report to to respond. If a point is central to your choice, seek a clear answer before committing.

Then propose how you will get to know the organisation: team meetings, observation of operations, review of available data and a discussion of early findings. Agree when to revisit priorities in light of this work. A clear approach is more useful than a diagnosis made before you have seen the business.

For a lasting leadership position, Executive Search provides a route to explore chief executive and business unit roles. Share your experience alongside what you want to keep or change in your next role.