ShareFollowing are questions and perspective you may use when interviewing an association executive for your REALTOR® association. You may want to use general ("Core") questions, ones related to the type of model your association most closely resembles, or a combination.
View the questions by type:
Core Association Executive Interview Questions
1. What kind of people do you find it most difficult to work with? Why?
(This would give the interviewer a picture of the candidate's attitude about relationship with leadership and members.)
2. What is it about this position that is of interest to you?
(Gives the interviewer insight regarding interest and sincerity.)
3. What are your standards of success in your job? How do you measure success?
(Indicator of personal drive and what the candidate regards as achievement.)
4. What is your long-term employment or career objective?
(It gives the interviewer an idea of how long the candidate plans to work for the organization and if the organization can offer the candidate the right objectives and goals).
5. Where do you see yourself professionally in the next five years?
(Gives the interviewer insight regarding the candidate’s long range plans and the likelihood of the candidate staying in the position for a long time.)
6. What are your unique strengths?
(Reveals the overall attitude and indicates whether the candidate is a self-starter.)
7. What are your development areas – those things you are trying to improve?
(Can provide insight to the candidate’s ability to see himself as he really is.)
8. How do you keep up with what's going on in the real estate industry?
(Shows interest in the profession and understanding of resources available.)
9. Describe your most effective communication method with members.
(This will show the interviewer whether the candidate has the ability to keep in front of the membership.)
10. What is your system for staying organized?
(Time management and personal organization are important for long-term success.)
11. Tell me about the best / worst boss you’ve ever worked for?
(Can use to help determine if the candidate will work well with the person who will be supervising him or her on a daily basis.)
12. Tell me about some work accomplishments you are very proud of?
(Can use to help determine some of the candidate’s unique strengths.)
13. Tell me about some mistakes you made on the job and the lessons you learned from them?
(Can use to help determine if the candidate grows from their mistakes.)
14. Tell me about the best / worst job you’ve ever held?
(Can use to determine if the current job has similarities to either the best or worst jobs candidate has held and whether candidate will like the job he is interviewing for.)
15. Tell me about some ways you’ve found to make your last job easier or more rewarding.
(Can give an idea of the candidate’s ability to think creatively and find new ways of doing things.)
16. Has anyone ever put pressure on you to bend the rules? How did you handle the situation?
(Can be an indicator of integrity, which is very important in the job of an AE.)
17. When was the last time you lost your temper at work? What happened afterward?
(We all get angry from time to time. It is important to be able to handle it positively.)
18. How do you relieve stress?
(All jobs can be stressful. It is important to have developed positive ways to deal with it.)
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Model Association Executive Interview Questions
1. Please describe your experience at managing association meetings. What elements have you incorporated into a successful membership meeting or conference?
(Networking is a critical element for a successful association in the Administrative Model, so meeting management is a critical need for staff. This will also give you some clues as to the individual’s organization and planning skills.)
2. Describe the steps you have gone through to organize and promote a networking seminar with a guest speaker for 100 members.
(Since this is a networking association, the successful candidate must demonstrate her ability to organize functions at on-site and off-site facilities -- promotion, invitation, agenda, refreshments, etc. In this area it’s critical that a candidate recognize the need for member/committee involvement in the process. It would be good to measure the candidate’s ability/knowledge of working with task-oriented volunteer committees.)
3. With a rather small staff, our Association Executive must manage various administrative duties. Describe your management style, including:
- Your system for staying organized
- How you manage emails and regular mail
- Your tech skills with email, spreadsheets, word processing, etc.
- How you have divided administrative tasks between staff and volunteers in the past
(Be sure to ask these one at a time.)
4. Describe your bookkeeping experience. What sort of internal financial controls have you put in place for the office?
(Administrator should have a feeling for financial controls. Particularly in a small office, it is critical to establish financial controls, possibly including some volunteers like president and treasurer, to separate bank statement reconciliation, bookkeeping, check signing, check approval, multiple signatures for checks over certain limit, bonding, etc.)
5. Describe your experience in processing (or supervising) monthly payables, receivables, statement preparation, and bank reconciliation. (If these are contracted services, ask, “How do you insure the association’s monthly financial obligations are met?")
(What’s important here is ascertaining a skill level and relating it to the association business. The candidate should be screened for experience/knowledge/performance in the basics, such as knowing the accounting equation, bank reconciliation, payables, receivables, and statement preparation.)
6. What systems have you put in place in the past that ensure financial control and prompt and accurate reporting by your staff?
(If the position is more supervisory, it is important to have the candidate describe a system of accounting control, given the current staffing level, and examine the philosophy of the candidate towards financial disclosure.)
7. If your staff identifies an accounting problem or issue, such as a statement will not reconcile or petty cash does not balance, how would you go about resolving it and what would you report to whom?
(In this area the candidate's ability to ask detailed questions and understand the association’s finances, policies, and procedures may be as important as what is being requested by the interviewer.)
8. Our association is currently running XYZ accounting on XYZ. What experience do you have with any of these components? What systems did you use with your previous employer?
(At this level, technology questions should be primarily based on applications operation, as the more advanced hardware and operating system integration will likely be handled by contracted sources. Because this is an area where there are so many "experts," unless the association wants a candidate who’ll come in and change things, it’s important that the association assess a candidate’s understanding and adaptability to how the association is currently operating.)
9. Do you have experience with outside vendors when installing/upgrading/repairing hardware or operating systems? Tell me about your experience.
(The candidate needs to be questioned regarding interface with contracted services, particularly for the aforementioned advanced hardware and operating system integration. What’s important here is stability of the relationship with a qualified vendor.)
10. Describe your experience working with volunteers and committees.
(Since so much in this type of association is done through direct involvement of volunteers, staff should indicate substantial comfort in this area, an understanding of how to organize volunteers, and support decisions.)
11. How would you describe the public perception of REALTORS®? What would you do to enhance the image of the REALTOR® in the community?
(This may give you a picture of the candidate's initial attitude about members, which is particularly important in such a one-on-one organization.)
12. Tell me about a problem you have had in the past with a member, a volunteer leader, or a member of the Board of Directors. How did you go about resolving the problem?
(Interpersonal conflict is a normal part of life and the ability to manage it positively is very important.)
13. What methods have you used in the past to grow membership? How successful were these methods?
(Membership growth is critical to long term success of the association.)
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Management Model Association Executive Interview Questions
1. What was your most difficult decision in the last six months? What made it difficult? How did you go about making the decision?
(Helps the interviewer assess the candidate's decision-making process.)
2. How would you describe your basic management style? Give specific examples of how you practice it.
(Shows experience level, delegation, and team-building abilities.)
3. What approach do you take in getting people to accept your ideas or goals?
(Shows communication and persuasion skills.)
4. Describe your ideal working relationship with the Board of Directors. How would you characterize focus of the Board, the staff, the executive, and the committee chairmen?
(Good chance to see if the candidate has the same goals and direction as the association. Determines the degree of organizational structure.)
5. What challenges have you had in the past working with a board? How did you go about solving those differences?
(Shows ability to work with a board and solve problems. Can also provide an opportunity to compare previous boards with which there was difficulty with your current board and determine if there are similarities.)
6. Explain how you have organized and presented a proposed budget in the past? Who has participated in the preparation, and what other resources have you used?
(Indicates the candidate's understanding of the budgeting process and if candidate engages the use of other resources).
7. What is your ideal staff in terms of positions and functions?
(Gives an idea of the candidate's delegation technique and past experience).
8. What do you believe are the most important legislative issues facing the industry and how would you describe member involvement in the political activity? How have you gone about increasing member involvement in political issues in the past?
(Show interest in private property issues and the knowledge of the legislative process).
9. Tell us about your experience with fundraising and soliciting sponsorships.
(Gives an idea of how knowledgeable the candidate is and the importance of communication).
10. In the past, how have you defined your association's role in the community? How have you expanded that role?
(Shows the candidate's ability to communicate with the media and outside organizations and to promote the REALTOR® image).
11. Tell me about a time when you had to discipline or terminate an employee. How did you handle it?
(Unfortunately, dealing with personnel problems is part of every management job. Being able to handle these situations properly is very important.)
12. Tell me about a problem you have had in the past with a member, volunteer leader, or member of the Board of Directors. How did you go about resolving the problem?
(Interpersonal conflict is a normal part of life, and the ability to manage it positively is very important.)
13 What methods have you used in the past to grow membership? How successful were these methods?
(Membership growth is critical to long term success of the association.)
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Leadership Model Association Executive Interview Questions
1. Tell me about your experience in building a team among your department heads? What were some of the challenges you had to overcome?
(These questions will give you a feeling for the candidate’s management style and ability.)
2. What criteria do you use to determine whether you need to consult your elected leadership, legal, or financial counsel on an issue prior to taking action? Tell me about some of the issues you have consulted others about before taking action.
(Should help you understand the candidate’s opinions about her relationship with content experts and whether her style is autocratic or participative.)
3. Our industry and the association management profession are both experiencing major organizational shifts. What business models do you see as optimal for large, medium, and small-sized real estate brokerages? How have you structured your association in the past to respond to those emerging models?
(This should help you understand the candidate’s vision and ability to put that vision into place.)
4. Please describe your experience and provide two examples of budgeting and financial management for separate operating units within an association (i.e., MLS budgeting, which is much different than education budgeting).
(Financial management is critical to success, and this question should help you learn about the candidate’s financial abilities.)
5. We are an association of 6,000 REALTORS®. Explain the processes you have utilized in the past to identify programs, events, and services that the organization should be providing for the membership.
(This question will help you determine if the candidate is a person of vision and can move the association in new and productive directions.)
6. Based on the previous question, how have you determined funding levels for the programs identified? How have you prepared the yearly budget?
(Here you will be able to determine if the candidate is able take his or her vision and make it a reality while maintaining financial prudence.)
7. Please review your experience with asset management. Please describe your experience in developing investment policies (i.e., has the interviewee had experience in maximizing organizational reserves while preventing loss of capital?).
(Further follow up on the candidate’s financial abilities.)
8. How many people have you directly supervised and what were their positions and educational backgrounds.
(This question will help you determine the breadth of the candidate’s management experience.)
9. Tell me about a time when you had to discipline or terminate an employee. How did you handle it?
(Unfortunately, dealing with personnel problems is part of every management job. Being able to handle these situations properly is very important.)
10. Tell me about a problem you have had in the past with a member, a volunteer leader, or a member of the Board of Directors. How did you go about resolving the problem?
(Interpersonal conflict is a normal part of life, and the ability to manage it positively is very important.)
11. What methods have you used in the past to grow membership? How successful were these methods?
(Membership growth is critical to long term success of the association.)
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