7 essential skills for a director of operations

Looking for the perfect director of operations? You might want to roll up those sleeves. This role calls for more than run-of-the-mill management skills. But knowing all the skills they need can be tricky. 

A director of operations must understand your business inside-out, keep operations efficient, and manage resources – all while smoothing out processes and leading teams toward shared goals. Hiring someone who fits the bill can give your company a leg up in a competitive market and seriously boost your organization’s efficiency and growth. Meanwhile, hiring the wrong person can spell disaster.

Ready to find your ideal candidate? This article will help you understand the must-have skills for a director of operations, show you why they're crucial, and give you tips on how to spot the right qualities in your candidates. Let’s dive in!

What is a director of operations? 

A director of operations keeps all the pieces moving in your business. They’re the ones making sure all operations – from the big strategy sessions to the everyday tasks – are humming along smoothly.

Every day, the director of operations is on the lookout for ways to do things better and cheaper – like speeding up how fast products move from the warehouse to your customer, trying out quicker billing methods, or reorganizing teams for better performance.

They keep tabs on all the projects and timelines, making sure that each team knows what they need to do and by when. And when departments need to talk or troubleshoot together, the director of operations is the one making those conversations happen to keep things on track.

They also play a big role in lining up the goals across different departments, making sure that people in HR, finance, marketing, and sales are all working towards the same company objectives.

Core skills every director of operations must have 

Here are seven key skills every great director of operations needs to nail. 

Hard skills and knowledge 

• Knowing the ropes: They really need to understand every part of your business – from things that happen on the front lines to the big decisions made in the boardroom. This way, they can keep things running smoothly and step in with the right solution when problems come up.

• Handling the goods: Whether it’s making sure supplies arrive on time for products or scheduling and managing service deliveries, they’re on top of it. They ensure everything gets where it needs to go and is done right. Their attention to detail means nothing falls through the cracks.

• Budgeting: They've got a sharp eye for numbers. It's all about spending wisely – making sure the business can do what it needs to without flushing money away. They balance the books and make sure every dollar is spent well.

Soft skills 

• Communication: They are the go-to people for keeping everyone in the loop. They need to speak the same language as finance, production, and marketing – making sure each team has the information they need to work well together.

• Leadership: They're not just the boss. They're the one who keeps the team pumped up and ready to go. By recognizing what each team member brings to the table, they make sure everyone feels important and motivated to do their best work.

• Problem-solving: When things go haywire, your director of operations is the one you want on the case. They dive into problems headfirst, thinking critically to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it so they can right the ship ASAP.

• Negotiation: They're the pros at getting the best deals for the company. They know how to find a win-win situation for everyone involved – whether that’s by negotiating with suppliers or forming partnerships.

How to assess director of operations candidates 

Resumes are great for a quick snapshot of a candidate’s background, but you need in-depth data about each candidate’s skill set before handing over the keys to your business operations. 

Resumes also risk muddying your hiring process with unconscious bias. For instance, you might favor some candidates simply because their experiences seem impressive on paper. But flashy experiences don't always translate to role-related abilities. 

That's where TestGorilla comes in. With our library of 400+ tests, you can dig deep into each candidate's technical skills, cognitive abilities, and personality types. This way, you get a complete overview of each candidate so you can make data-driven hiring decisions. 

With TestGorilla, you can mix and match up to five tests to get a solid grasp of who's the right fit for your director of operations role. Plus, you can throw in your own custom questions to tailor your comprehensive talent assessment to your specific needs.

Here's the lowdown on assessing candidates for director of operations roles. 

Start with hard skills  

• Our Business Operations Management test finds candidates who have a knack for planning, organizing, and controlling operations. It measures a candidate’s ability to manage productivity, inventory, and the supply chain. 

• The Project Management test isn't exclusively about operations, but it's a great tool for assessing project management skills. It covers tasks like defining project work, managing budgets and schedules, and communicating effectively. These abilities are crucial for a director overseeing operational initiatives.

• Our Budgeting test checks if candidates can monitor and control budgets, correctly estimate financial needs and resources, and more.

Evaluate soft skills next 

• The Leadership and People Management test measures candidates’ ability to lead, influence, and develop others effectively. Remember, directors of operations need to focus on growing their teams’ skills as much as they do on hitting targets. 

• Our Communication Skills test evaluates candidates’ written, verbal, and active listening skills. It’ll clue you in to how well they can keep teams aligned. 

• Our Negotiation Skills test helps you see how well candidates can use emotional intelligence to influence others and drive conversations. It can help you figure out how effectively candidates can negotiate with suppliers, business partners, and more. 

• The Numerical Reasoning test checks whether candidates can comfortably work with numbers in various applications. This sneak peek into their number-crunching skills is key for finding directors who need to make data-driven decisions daily. 

You can also try out personality tests like Enneagram, 16 Personalities, or DISC to get a better feel for how adaptable, relationship-oriented, and motivated your director of operations candidates are.

Curious about other tests? Check out all our tests for roles involving operational management.

Don’t overlook culture add

"Innovation comes ultimately from a diversity of perspectives," says Frans Johansson, CEO of The Medici Group. "When you combine ideas from different industries or different cultures, that's when you have the best sense of developing ground-breaking ideas."

Put another way, a strong company culture is one that’s open to change and growth. That’s why assessing candidates for their ability to fit and expand your existing culture is important. Since directors of operations are responsible for improving how your business functions and solves problems, they’ll need to have solid culture-add potential. 

Try our Culture Add test to see how your candidate's values stack up with your organization's and find behaviors that could make them a good influence on your company culture.

Cap it off with interviews

Wrap it up with interviews tailored for director of operations candidates. These conversations dive into their real-world experiences, revealing how they handle the unique challenges of operational leadership.

Ask questions like:

• "Can you share an example of coordinating with various teams to deliver a critical project or service? How did you navigate the process, and what was the outcome?" This sheds light on their coordination abilities and client management skills.

• "Tell me about a time you identified an opportunity to optimize operations or streamline processes. How did you approach it, and what impact did it have?" This assesses their strategic thinking and ability to drive operational efficiency.

Quick tip: If a candidate lacks direct experience, pose hypothetical scenarios like, "Imagine you're tasked with coordinating multiple teams to meet a tight deadline..." This helps uncover their problem-solving skills and potential for the role.

4 common mistakes to avoid when assessing director of operations candidates 

Watch out for these slip-ups when you're checking out director of operations candidates. 

1. Overlooking cross-departmental know-how

A director of operations needs to understand how every part of the business works together. If you focus too narrowly on experience in just one department, you might miss out on someone who can see the bigger picture and connect dots across the company.

Ask candidates about their experience working with different departments. For example, how have they coordinated between sales, marketing, and production teams? Alternatively, if they’re lacking experience, invent scenarios involving cross-departmental collaboration and ask them to tell you how they’d approach them. 

2. Ignoring knowledge of scaling operations

If your business is growing, you need someone who knows how to scale operations. Overlooking this can lead to chaos when it’s time to expand.

During the interview, ask candidates about times they’ve managed significant growth. How did they handle increasing production or expanding the team? If they don’t have direct experience, ask questions like how they’d approach a sudden spike in demand or opening a new location. 

3. Failing to assess time management skills 

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that just because a candidate seems swamped, they're automatically a time management pro. While it's natural for a director of operations to juggle lots of tasks, they must do this in a smart, organized way. 

During the interview process, delve deeper into candidates' time management strategies. Ask about how they prioritize tasks, handle competing deadlines, and stay organized during heavy workloads. 

4. Overlooking regulatory knowledge

A director of operations must know the rules and regulations in their industry. Imagine a tech company hires a director of operations who doesn't know the latest data protection regulations. This could lead to major fines, legal issues, and loss of customer trust if there's a data breach. 

Make sure candidates understand the rules for your industry. First, use any assessments you can find that are relevant to your industry (for example, TestGorilla’s GDPR and Privacy test). During the interview, ask how they stay current with regulations and handle compliance challenges. 

FAQs

Here are some common questions about the director of operations role. 

What is the difference between the COO and director of operations? 

A COO, or chief operating officer, usually sits right at the top of the management chain, focusing on big strategic decisions and the overall health of the company. A director of operations, on the other hand, deals more with the day-to-day management of specific operational areas. 

Essentially, the COO sets the course, and the director of operations makes sure everything runs according to plan.

Need a good COO to lead your company? Read our complete COO job description guide to attract high-quality candidates for the role. 

What is the highest salary of a director of operations? 

According to ZipRecruiter, the annual salary for top earners in the US in 2024 is around $179,000 – or roughly $86/hour. 

Keep your business operations on track with TestGorilla

A director of operations sets the standard and leads by example for every department in a company, helping them all work together smoothly. This way, they can pave the path for a successful and well-organized business.

TestGorilla’s talent assessments can help you choose a candidate who can manage daily operations effectively. Our tests are developed with input from experts and based on scientific research. They assess practical skills, personality traits, and cognitive abilities – so you can use them to find a director of operations who truly fits your operational needs.

Give it a go yourself. Check out our library of 400+ tests, schedule a live demo with our team, or start a free TestGorilla account today!