How to Hire a COO?

Looking for someone to ensure business operations are efficient and effective? Experts explain how to structure your search.

If being the public face of your company as well as managing day-to-day operations is becoming unfeasible, or if your board of directors has been hinting that you need another member of the management team to drive growth and performance, it might be time to hire a chief operating officer.

While the actual duties of a COO can vary greatly company to company, the classic description includes responsibility for managing the activities of the company, including daily operations. As one of the highest-ranking executives, the COO reports to the CEO and the company's board of directors.

Hiring a COO can free up a CEO to focus on major external initiatives and foster new opportunities rather than being occupied with keeping multiple departments productive. Also, an experienced COO can bring new leadership tools to an office – which is especially true for start-ups whose CEO has been the single executive running the show from day one, according to Tom Berray, a managing partner at Cabot Consultants, an executive search firm based in Virginia.

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