How to hire chief executives
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change. • Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems. • Direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products. • Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency. • Direct, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity. • Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems. • Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs. • Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong critical thinking, speaking, reading comprehension, writing, active listening and monitoring skills • Working knowledge of administration and management, personnel and human resources, English Language and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $102.88 an hour ($213,990 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for chief executives
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What chief executives do
- Analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change.
- Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems.
- Direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
- Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
- Direct, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity.
- Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems.
- Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs.
- Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for chief executives
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Experience usually needed to start: 5 years or more (BLS)
- Job outlook: +3.2% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 19,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay chief executives
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $341,630 |
| Washington | $339,810 |
| Illinois | $331,920 |
| North Carolina | $314,290 |
| Virginia | $310,740 |
| Nevada | $149,770 |
| Maine | $138,770 |
| Arkansas | $119,990 |
See chief executives pay in every state
Related hiring guides
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.