Read our quick guide for setting up your CMO Interview Structure

The CMO Interview Structure

Chief Marketing Officer, Executive Search, Hiring / By

Finding the right Chief Marketing Officer is challenging on its own. Don’t let your interview process be an additional speedbump in your road to hiring. The CMO interview structure should have a set process, interview panel and assigned focus areas; ensuring a consistent 360 evaluation of candidates against a predefined benchmark. Okay, that’s enough jargon… Here’s our recommended interview structure:

1. Initial Screening Call (45 minutes)

  • Objective: Assess high-level fit, relevant experience, and motivation
  • Conducted by: CEO, Founder, or Head of Talent

2. Deep-Dive Interview (60 minutes)

  • Objective: Assess strategic thinking, execution capabilities, and leadership style.
  • Conducted by: CEO (assuming they would report directly to CEO)

3.  Cross Functional Leadership Interview (60 minutes)

  • Objective: Assess cultural alignment, collaboration and leadership qualities.
  • Conducted by: Cross-functional leaders (ie Chief Revenue Officer or Chief Product Officer)

4. Case Study or Presentation (60-90 minutes)

  • Objective: Evaluate problem-solving, strategic planning, and communication skills.
  • Conducted by: Leadership team: CEO, CRO/CPO from prior round and Chief People Officer

5. Final Conversation (30-45 minutes)

  • Objective: Final assessment of vision, alignment with company goals and to sell/close the candidate
  • Conducted by: CEO, Founder, or Board members

The wrong hire is very expensive

So have conversations early and often. You’ll want a healthy pipeline at the top of funnel as naturally, the number of candidates that make it to each of the subsequent rounds will get less and less. Leverage a thorough CMO interview structure to ensure your team has the data needed to make an informed hiring decision and the confidence that you are hiring the absolute best CMO possible.

About WithAgility

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