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Submitted by TomW on
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As I find myself in a situation, I'm at a little bit of a loss at how deep to go.

When interviewing for a senior management position (top 10 people on the org chart of a 150 person company), what kind of due diligence should I do before the interview?

I've never interviewed for this high of a position before and I really don't know what all to look for (beyond the normal for a company: everything on their website, every thing in the press for the last few years, etc). Is there anything I should ask about the company's financial statements (they are not publicly traded) and strategic plans?

tlhausmann's picture
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[quote="TomW"] what kind of due diligence should I do before the interview?
[/quote]

Know your accomplishments, cold.

Did you buy the Manager Tools Interview Series?

For my last two job interviews (my current position and the position before) I requested detailed financial reports on my division, copies of any extant strategic plans, and a few other items. I got the job in each case. It may be a bit extraordinary to have *that* much information before an interview.

TomW's picture
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Thanks to the interviewing series, I know how to research my own career and prepare what I want to say in the interview .

I'm sorry, let me rephrase:
I want to know what I should know about a company that I am trying to get into. If all goes well, I could be a partner there within 3 years (I know, I know, "Until I've got something...."). I'm trying determine whether or not this is a company I would want to be a partner in. I am thinking of additional questions or data requests that I might be able to make in the interview or as a follow up.

tlhausmann's picture
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[quote="TomW"]I am thinking of additional questions or data requests that I might be able to make in the interview or as a follow up.[/quote]

Hmmm. I suspect there are benchmarks specific to your industry that executives/partners should know. Based on what I have gleaned from the MT podcasts, gathering such information during the interview process ought not be the focus yet I think it is useful.

jhack's picture

Tom,

The goal is to blend [i]your doing the job[/i] into the question.

Something like: "I saw in the WSJ that you're opening an office in Brussels. Do you staff locally, or do partners take assignments globally?" Of course, you know from your accomplishments that you once spent a year in Rotterdam, so you can follow up (if need be).

So your goal is to understand as much of the company as it takes in order to understand the role for which you're interviewing. If you're a cash manager, that's very different than if you're a software developer.

And for an executive, that definitely includes strategy, finances, and so forth. Think about all the aspects of your job: what happens at the firm level that affects you? International expansion, handling tight credit, managing cash flow, etc. Then construct your questions in relation to the role.

And remember - interview for the role, not the position you want in three years...

John