Without question, when it comes to hiring top talent, we are currently operating in an employee’s market – especially at an executive level. Today’s candidates have their pick of positions, enabling them to be as selective about who they work for as hiring managers are in choosing the right individuals for their job openings. The following will help you strike a balance that allows you to weed out your options and hone in on only those that are best suited for your property management company, and then tailoring your approach to woo them most effectively.
Know and communicate exactly what you’re looking for
Nobody wants to waste their time – not you, nor your job applicants. The best way to eliminate potential mismatches is to define what you are seeking in a candidate (think performance expectations and success attributes) and then incorporate that information right into your job listings.
Start over the phone
Given the busy nature of the property management industry, chances are your time is extremely limited. You can optimize your availability by starting all candidates with a telephone interview. It’s much less time-consuming and will let you further narrow down your options to only the best possible individuals for the job.
Ask specific, performance-related interview questions
Avoid questions that your candidates have probably gotten dozens of times before (and therefore probably already have canned answers for). Also, skip generic questions that only elicit vague responses or opinions. Focus instead on targeted questions that will create a clear picture of past behaviors and professional attributes. This will allow you to pinpoint candidates that are the best match, both for your property management company and the role itself.
Let them do the majority of the talking
Hiring managers often make the mistake of spending most of the time in an interview doing all the talking, but this doesn’t allow adequate opportunity to truly get to know and deeply evaluate a candidate. Obviously you will need to spend some time explaining the job duties, asking questions and discussing what you’re looking for, but a good rule of thumb is to let interviewees talk 75 percent of the time.
Ask candidates to email you a summary
This is a step many hiring managers miss, and to their detriment. Not only does this keep the doors of communication open, but it also confirms that the candidate is on the same page in terms of job responsibilities and expectations. As an added bonus, you’ll also get to evaluate his or her written communication skills, something that’s important in the property management industry.
Ask yourself how you’d feel if that person went to work for your competitor
Lastly, when weighing your options, be honest with yourself. If you’re on the fence about a particular candidate, take a step back and ponder how it would make you feel if each person you’re evaluating happened to be hired by the competition. If it would bother you, chances are you’re on the right track toward finding the right individual for the job.
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