INTERVIEW CEO SPECIAL..................... What CEOs ask candidates

What CEOs ask candidates

Sanjeev Duggal, CEO and director, Centum Learning:

My go-to job interview question: If you win a lottery worth $100 million, what would you do with  your life?

There have been some impressive replies. One candidate said, “I will buy a position of influence and then change the world for the better” and the other said, “I would invest in an initiative that enables all to live a life of dignity”. By asking this question, I understand what concerns the candidate, what moves him/her and most importantly, does he/she believe that a difference can be made to what concerns him/her? Can he/she visualise a future that he/she has never seen? Or is he/she already numb and lost the ability to respond to the world around him/her?

Ravichandran Purushothaman, president, Danfoss India:

My go-to job interview question: How do you measure success?

The significance of this question is that we get to know what values the candidate believes in. We look for values like open-mindedness, adaptability, planning and prioritisation, for the candidate to be a good fit. The following were some interesting responses: “I measure success based on outcomes. It’s not always the path you take to achieve success that matters but the outcome of the actions. I like to plan ahead, but if due to some reason, the plan doesn’t work out, I adapt” and “I measure success based on not only my achievements but also the team effort. If I do well and the team effort is compromised, it would be pointless and vice versa.”

Manoj Chacko, CEO, Kuoni Business Travel, Kuoni India:

My go-to job interview question: What’s your idea of fun?

This simple question largely evokes a very spontaneous response that helps me get a multi-dimensional insight into the candidate’s personality. I have been able to very accurately  measure simple traits like team spirit, leadership potential, etc. I have noticed that candidates whose idea of fun are activities like meeting friends on the weekend or playing a sport, always tend to be very strong team players. Activities like meeting friends over the weekend draw conclusions of personal traits such as an extrovert nature and open-mindedness (receptiveness to new ideas) - qualities equally needed in one’s work-life.

HM Bharuka, MD, Kansai Nerolac Paints:

My go-to job interview question: Which are the three key achievements that you are proud of in your current job? Also, which are the three things that you would see yourself achieve in your future role?

I make my assessment based on how the candidate brings out in the answer aspects like reading and interpretation of the environment and market dynamics; ability to get organisational buy-in; clarity of thought; decision-making ability; execution capabilities; people skills and financial orientation.

Ninad Karpe, CEO and MD, Aptech Ltd:

My go-to job interview question: If you have to perform ‘Jugaad’ in India, what would that be?
Jugaad is a mystical word - it could be hype, perception, myth or reality. Everyone has a different perception of it. There is no definitive response. Hence, it is interesting to know the response from every person.

viren.naidu TAS