Hiring chief digital officers

Chief digital officers can work in many industries, each with a different set of needs and technologies. Ideal candidates should have an adequate understanding of your organization’s market and customer base, plus your industry’s specific technologies and processes. They should also have experience in helping companies solve challenges similar to those of your organization.

Chief digital officers should have a broad knowledge of the current trends and opportunities in the market and have the ability to position your organization’s performance and capabilities in line with them. In addition, they should aim to find new business opportunities either through applying your organization’s existing technologies or with the integration of new ones.

By definition, chief digital officers are driven to harness the strengths of a digital environment, one system at a time. But what’s their process for doing so? A strong answer to this question will mention how the candidate identifies and defines clear and measurable goals, prioritizes them, then gains the funding, buy-in, and resources necessary — whether cross-functional or from outside the organization.

Successful chief digital officers must persuade stakeholders, including those with little technical knowledge, to adopt new technologies or approaches. Tactics may include persuasion — whether with data or anecdotal evidence — and the ability to lobby fellow leaders and others to build coalitions in their favor. This question examines their methods.

Successful candidates should have experience in analyzing systems and operating processes, recognizing areas for improvement, and using their findings to recommend and implement appropriate solutions in line with organizational goals and customer needs. This requires a combination of technical and analytical skills, along with leadership skills to effect organizational change.

Chief digital officers utilize a highly analytical process tailored to an organization’s needs and goals. This includes an assessment of the current state of their technologies and processes against industry standards, followed by recommendations to optimize or upgrade them. Successful candidates will integrate strategies to help organizations break into new markets, grow their business, and operate more efficiently.

As leaders who will plan and execute strategies for optimizing or implementing new technologies and processes, chief digital officers can greatly benefit from utilizing the agile approach to innovation. Ideal candidates will have experience in key features of agile project management, such as managing cross-functional teams, working in sprints, and being flexible and open to changes.

A chief digital officer is likely in charge of a department or a cross-functional team. This requires the ability to manage, cultivate, and champion a diverse set of direct reports. It’s important to evaluate the candidate’s management experience, including their ability to lead, persuade, and motivate people, rallying them to collectively hit or exceed goals.

It’s important for all C-suite executives to have a vision — whether polished and detailed or simply ideological. This question explores the candidate’s vision for the role, allowing them to demonstrate their consideration of your company and its industry context, marketplace opportunities, and other relevant factors.