Kristi Faltorusso’s 5 Steps to an Effective Customer Success Interview Process

The GTM Kickback! #40 – Kristi Faltorusso

Released: September 5, 2021

When it comes to building world-class Customer Success teams, few voices are as respected as Kristi Faltorusso. A 2020 Top 25 Customer Success Influencer, award-winning CS executive, and current VP of Customer Success at ClientSuccess, Kristi has spent the past decade building, scaling, and transforming CS organizations across five different SaaS companies.

On this episode of The GTM Kickback!, Kristi joined me to share her operational approach to hiring and interviewing customer success professionals—and why the process itself needs to mirror the very principles of great CS.

From Marketing to CS Leadership

Kristi’s path into Customer Success wasn’t intentional. She started in marketing, became a product power user, and eventually joined BrightEdge to help others succeed with a platform she loved. That move set her on a new path—one that combined her subject matter expertise with a passion for process, people, and growth.

Fast-forward a decade, and Kristi has now built CS organizations from scratch, inherited and restructured teams, and helped companies scale from Series B to $100M+ ARR. Her perspective: you can’t scale without process, structure, and the right people in place.

Why Process Matters

Kristi calls herself an “operational leader.” For her, the ability to scale comes down to three pillars: people, process, and technology. Without them, companies hit bottlenecks that stall growth.

Her methodology is employee-first:

• Properly train and enable people before expecting results.

• Provide clarity through repeatable processes.

• Create the infrastructure that allows reps to ramp faster and win more often.

  
  

As she puts it: “Everyone feels good when they’re winning. Nobody feels good when they’re losing.”

5 Steps to an Effective CS Interview Process

Kristi has refined her hiring playbook into a structured, five-step interview process designed to identify not just skills, but the qualities that make a great CSM. Here’s how it works:

1. Exploratory Call – A two-way conversation to gauge fit. Kristi sets clear expectations, including compensation ranges upfront, to avoid wasting time on misaligned candidates.

2. Behavioral Interview – Storytelling matters. Candidates are asked to share real-life examples (“Tell me about a time when…”) to highlight how they think, solve problems, and communicate.

3. Cross-Functional Interviews – Candidates meet leaders from Sales, Marketing, or even Product to demonstrate how they’d collaborate across the revenue org.

4. Assessment of Soft Skills – Kristi evaluates communication, time management, empathy, and EQ—intangibles that often determine long-term success in CS.

5. Final Presentation – Candidates receive a mock book of business (10 customers with sample data) and must present a 30-minute strategy on how they’d retain, grow, and drive advocacy.

   
   

This last step is non-negotiable. As Kristi explained, “I’ve had candidates who looked perfect on paper bomb the presentation. It tells me more than any resume ever could.”

What Makes a Great CSM Candidate

Throughout the process, Kristi looks for:

• Strong communication – Energy, clarity, and presence in virtual settings.

• Structure and process orientation – An ability to work within systems, not wing it.

• Empathy – Approaching customers with genuine understanding.

• Humility – Being honest about experience gaps while showing a growth mindset.

  
  

She also values storytelling. The best candidates weave their experiences into narratives that help interviewers clearly picture them in the role.

Key Advice for Candidates

Kristi shared three takeaways for anyone preparing for a CS interview:

1. Be prepared to tell your story. Don’t just rattle off a resume—create a narrative that shows how you’ll add value.

2. Practice to overcome nerves. Anxiety can block interviewers from seeing your true potential. Preparation builds confidence.

3. Do your research. Know the company, the role, and the team—and be ready to articulate how you’ll raise the bar.

   
   

Final Takeaway

For Kristi Faltorusso, hiring isn’t just about filling seats—it’s about setting up both employees and companies for success. Her transparent, structured approach ensures candidates know exactly what’s expected and feel respected throughout the process.

And that’s the point: the interview experience itself reflects the heart of Customer Success.

As Kristi puts it, “I want every candidate, whether they get the offer or not, to walk away saying, ‘That was the best interview process I’ve ever been a part of.’”