Recently, I had the opportunity to hear a speech given by Mark Miller, Vice President of Training for Chick-fil-A.  During the speech, he was talking about their hiring process and the different techniques that he has used over the years to determine whether someone would be a good fit for the organization or not.  The thing that I found most interesting was that he told us that the average length of time from initial contact to the actual hiring was six months!  Given the success of Chick-fil-A and their employee retention and satisfaction rates, it made me pay attention.

I will admit, grudgingly, that during my early years as a Property Manager, I did not always make the best hiring decisions - for a couple of reasons.  They are:

1.  I had never hired anyone before and didn't really know what I was doing.  (For those of you who know me, you know how difficult that admission was!) I wasn't given any instruction on the interview process, sample questions, etc.  I had an open position and I needed to fill it.

2.  I did way too much talking and not enough listening.  I spent more time trying to convince the applicant to work for me and my company than I did listening to what they could offer! 

3.  I was in too much of a hurry to fill the open position.  I didn't want to be short-staffed so I wanted to select someone right away and I certainly didn't want my "pick" to get another job before I made a decision.

4.  I would settle for the best out of my choices instead of the best fit for the property and the company. 

Enough about what I did wrong back in the day, let's talk about the best way to hiring a new associate today.

1.  You should be recruiting for your property and/or company all the time.  As you meet professionals, you should always be looking for someone who would be a good fit for your company.  I have handed out my card to associates at the cosmetic counter at the local mall and to waitresses  when I am at dinner.  Why?  If they have a fantastic attitude and good customer service, I know that I can train them the ins and outs of property management. 

2.  Don't panic when you have an open position and feel that you need to rush to fill the spot.  Take the time to really get to know your applicants and know that you are selecting the BEST and not settling.

3.  Ask the tough questions during an interview and remember that the reason for the interview is two-fold.  First, you are looking for the best person for your open position.  Second, you want that applicant to feel that your position is the best situation for them. 

4.  Be prepared for the interview.  Spend time prior to your interview to review the candidate's resume and to come up with a plan.  Obviously, you need to make sure that you are consistent when interviewing potential candidates.  When in doubt, talk to your supervisor or human resources director for guidelines.

5.  Always ask someone else to second interview your best candidates.  Whether it is your supervisor or someone at another property, it never hurts to get a second opinion. 

6.  Have the final candidates talk with your current staff and ask your staff for feedback.  You want to know that the person selected will work well with your current team. 

Again, take your time and be selective.  It will be much more difficult to deal with a bad hiring decision than to have an open position!