Hiring for Success

Hiring successfully often is like completing a difficult puzzle: It requires managers to identify the right piece and then determine where it fits best. Following these important steps in the hiring process will help ensure that managers minimize their risks and improve their chances of creating the perfect office masterpiece.

Find Someone Who Fits

When hiring a leasing consultant, for example, managers probably realize the person needed is someone who is personable and can persuade others through effective salesmanship. While that is important, it’s also important to find someone that fits into the office culture and overall team. Leasing and selling apartments is only a portion of this position. The best candidate also is outgoing, knows how to handle unhappy residents or difficult prospects, has the right attitude about learning, is organized, can manage his or her time and communicates well both verbally and in writing. Managers too often think they know what they are looking for on the surface and do not take the time to determine which candidate meets the most—if not all—of the skill requirements.

Have Multiple People Conduct the Interview

The more staff involved in the interview process, the greater the chance of finding the best candidate. Including others in the process provides different perspectives of the candidates. With a variety of interviewing styles and questions, managers have a greater opportunity to learn about a candidate. Including other team members in the process improves the chances of overall buy-in when welcoming the new employee. Everyone wants to feel they are a part of operations, and involving others can be extremely rewarding.

Ask the Right Questions

Ask the same series of questions to all candidates. This provides for a comparison of answers and provides an equal playing field when interviewing. Never ask questions that can simply be answered “yes” or “no.” For example, when asking about a candidate’s ability to be a team player, try “Please share with me specifics as to why you believe you are a team player and provide examples.”

Also, have candidates validate their strengths through follow-up questions such as, “You say you are an excellent service person. What, in your mind, are the specific qualities that determine excellent service?”

Test the Candidate

This does not necessarily mean psychological profile tests, but the candidate’s ability to do the job. To be able to adequately test performance, the manager must be knowledgeable in the area being questioned or involve someone who is. For example, before hiring for a maintenance technician position, suggest that managers take classes on HVAC refrigerant certification and swimming pool operations certification. This will enable them to better understand the position’s responsibilities and ask relevant questions during the interview. In the case of HVAC, ask candidates to troubleshoot a problem. For example: An interior blower unit is working, but the outside condenser is not. What are you going to check first?

Candidates who say that they will check the refrigerant levels would indicate they are not fully knowledgeable about air-conditioning systems, because checking the electrical components comes first. Managers who are not confident in their knowledge of maintenance systems must find someone who is knowledgeable to conduct the interview. Another option is to have candidates accompany service technicians during onsite service calls.

Ask Difficult Questions

If managers ask easy or “softball” questions, they will probably get “softball” answers. Apartment employees do not work 9-to-5 jobs and don’t always deal with happy customers. The character of an employee shows not only when things are going well, but also when they are challenged. For maintenance technician candidates, try, “Accepting this position means you will have to be on-call after normal office hours. A very angry resident may contact you at 2 a.m. In addition to being a qualified service person, you also have to act as the property’s ambassador during times of need. Are you prepared for this? What do you believe is important when handling this type of delicate situation?” Answers to these types of questions also help define the manager’s expectations of candidates.  My experience has always been do not measure someone by when things are going well, but when it counts and in the heat of battle (so to speak).

Check References

Checking references is where being Sherlock Apartment Homes is important. Unless this function is outsourced, it is the manager’s responsibility to verify and confirm information provided by applicants.

In one case, a manager said she had called the candidate’s last two employers at least three times apiece, faxed the authorization for information and could not even get a return phone call. That’s a red flag. Within a few weeks upon hiring that candidate, it was very apparent that a poor hiring decision had been made.  Most employers today are in fear of litigious consequences and will  only provide hire information and in some cases salary.  Now I realize someone is only going to provide you with good references, but the questions you as related to specific performance may assist in determining if the reference is valid or not.

Don’t Rush

One big mistake managers make is not taking the appropriate amount of time to ensure they are finding and selecting the best candidates for positions. Being short-staffed, many managers wear blinders and focus on filling the position immediately. Working smarter has a lasting benefit and makes up for challenges brought on by short-staffed teams. Consider that if the wrong candidate is hired, the process to find their replacement sets the community back even further. Take the time now to hire the right person, for the right job, and for the right reasons.