Questions for Senior Leaders before Joining a New Company:

Many leaders will have tackled these questions as part of the recruitment process, some of them are great questions to ask the panel at your interview!!

It's worth checking the list to see if you can answer all of the questions fully and confidently, and make a plan to fill in the gaps in the time before you join.

Company Strategy and Direction:

• What is the company's long-term vision and strategy? How does it translate into actionable plans and goals?
• What are the organisation's biggest challenges and opportunities?
• What is the track record of achieving strategic goals in the past? What were the key successes and failures?
• How does the company measure success? Are the metrics aligned with the stated vision?
• What are the key risks and potential disruptions facing the industry? How is the company preparing for them?

Culture and Leadership:

• What are the company's core values and how are they embedded in the culture?
• What is the leadership style at the company? Is it collaborative, top-down, or something else?
• How does the company attract, develop, and retain top talent?
• What is the employee engagement level like?
• How does the company handle conflict and difficult situations?
• What is the level of transparency and communication within the organization?

Financial Health and Performance:

• What is the company's current financial health? Strengths and weaknesses?
• What are the key financial metrics being tracked?
• What is the company's growth strategy and how is it funded?
• What is the debt level and risk profile of the company?
• What is the track record of financial performance in the past?
• What are the major competitors doing? How is the company positioned relative to them?

Governance and Structure:

• What is the board of directors like? Composition, expertise, and dynamics.
• What is the organisational structure of the company? Does it align with the strategy?
• What are the key decision-making processes in the company?
• What are the reporting lines and communication channels?
• What are the roles and responsibilities of the senior leadership team?
• What are the key legal and regulatory considerations for the company?

Personal Fit and Expectations:

• What are the expectations for this role in terms of performance, hours, and travel?
• What resources and support will be available to me to be successful?
• What are the opportunities for growth and development in this role?
• Does the company culture and values align with my own?
• Am I comfortable with the level of risk and uncertainty involved in this role?

Additional Questions:

• What are the most important things you want me to know about the company?
• What are your biggest concerns about me taking on this role?
• What questions haven't I asked that you think are important?

Questions about your company onboarding programme:

• Who is managing my onboarding programme?
• Is there a planner I can have?
• What's your expectations of what the onboarding programme will achieve?
• How regular are my check ins?
• Who's my main contact in HR?