In today’s global economy, more and more employers are turning to remote or distributed workforces as part of their hiring strategy. This requires a certain level of trust in remote employees to be organized and productive self-starters. To screen for these soft skills, recruiters should tailor their questions accordingly.

There are many advantages to using a remote workforce—such as the ability to draw from a larger talent pool and cut back on overhead, to name a few. Optimize the value of your remote team by hiring employees that not only have the right skill sets, but can also work autonomously and stay productive with minimum supervision. 

To determine if candidates for remote positions will be an asset to your organization, it’s important to ask the right questions during the interview process. To that end, here are 12 questions every recruiter should ask when hiring for a distributed workforce:

1. What are the biggest challenges you often face at work?

This question helps you understand how the candidate works and what may potentially trip them up. A thoughtful answer also indicates that they have the mindfulness and self-awareness to continuously make improvements so they can become a more productive member of the team.

2. What does your typical workday look like in your current role?

Gain insights into how well a candidate organizes their day and prioritizes assignments. Employees who apply a clear structure to their days tend to be more productive and able to devote their energy to high-value tasks that matter most. 

3. How do you start your day?

Employees with a morning routine, which puts them in a positive mindset, are typically more focused and creative. They’re also less stressed and more likely to have healthy habits that will help them stay productive.

For example, something as simple as meditating for ten to fifteen minutes every morning can have a profound impact on an individual’s alertness and sense of well-being for the entire day.

4. What do you do when you’re not working?

This question will give you an idea as to a candidate’s ability to maintain a work-life balance. People who pursue a variety of interests and have a balanced social life tend to be more effective in managing their time. They understand the approach of working smart (not just hard) and are able to focus on important tasks that will yield the greatest results.

5. How do you switch off from work?

It’s often hard to leave work behind when the computer is just right across the room. However, the ability to limit work hours allows an employee to stay mentally and physically healthy, which is the key to maintaining productivity in the long-run.

6. How do you prioritize your tasks?

Productive team members focus their time and resources on tasks that will move the needle the most and have the ability to prioritize their assignments autonomously. This question helps you identify candidates who can manage their workload effectively to get the most done while maintaining a certain level of quality.

7. What does your work environment look like?

Experienced remote workers have a consistent work environment that allows them to screen out distractions and stay productive. They should also be equipped with a computer, a reliable internet connection, and other tools necessary for the job. If the role requires the employee to communicate with clients or customers frequently via phone or video, the candidate should have a dedicated workspace to ensure that they won’t be interrupted.   

8. What are your biggest challenges when working remotely and how do you overcome them?

Remote working comes with its own set of challenges (e.g., finding a quiet space, battling the occasional feeling of isolation) so look for employees who have developed strategies to prevent these issues from impacting the quality of their work.

9. How do you deal with distractions?

Many remote employees work from home and they may encounter more distractions than in an office environment. Distraction is a major productivity killer so it’s important that employees have developed effective techniques to help them focus and use their time intentionally. 

10. How do you stay upbeat and positive during your workday?

It’s often harder to get out of a rut when team members are working on their own. Negative moods can lead to lower cognitive performance and limit the ability to think creatively. An ideal candidate should have developed coping strategies so they can minimize the impact of mood fluctuations on their productivity.

11. What do you do when you have a question but your team is offline?

If a team member is located in a different time zone, they may encounter an issue when no one else is online to assist. Look for candidates who are resourceful and have developed strategies to handle various scenarios independently. They should also demonstrate the ability to weigh the severity and urgency of the issue at hand so they can react appropriately.

12. Can you share a time when you took initiative at work?

Remote team members need to work autonomously with minimal supervision. Look for candidates that are driven to achieve results. This question helps you identify self-starters who are willing to take initiatives and go the extra mile. These employees also tend to be more confident, which often makes them more productive and creative.

Final Thoughts

As remote work becomes more and more commonplace, it will be increasingly important for recruiters and hiring managers to know exactly what to look for in prospective candidates. The questions outlined above will help you to find workers who can contribute to your company’s success, even from afar. 

Interested in more tips and tricks on how to make the most of interviews for remote jobs? Familiarize yourself with the benefits of video interviewing!

They know the ins and outs of recruiting great candidates, but does your organization know the best processes for hiring a full-time talent acquisition professional?

Business growth starts and ends with hiring the right people, and as your organization continues to add employees, issues around people management, workflow processes, and legal regulations become more complex. A solid HR foundation is critical to business success, and the bricklayers of people operations are Human Resources professionals. You know this, and so do the candidates applying to your organization’s nascent, or nonexistent, TA team.

Hiring for these roles is difficult for startups that are busy focusing on developing product and honing business objectives, but beware waiting too long. According to renowned Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen, “The number of companies in the Valley that put HR off to the side and decided it wasn’t important and are now dealing with some level of catastrophe—either a public catastrophe or one that’s in the making … and it’s totally unnecessary. If they had taken HR seriously at an earlier point, they probably would have been able to fight a lot of their issues.”

Establishing an effective HR department is critical to growing your business, building company culture, and managing employees. Here’s how to hire a top-quality HR professional at the right time for your company, from crafting a solid job description to what to ask during an interview.

At What Stage Does Your Business Need a Full-Time HR Hire?

The short answer is: the earlier the better. From a legal perspective, organizations with 50 or more employee begin encountering state and federal regulations like the Family and Medical Leave Act. Hiring a HR professional is an absolute must after crossing this threshold.

For smaller startups, tight finances may be the biggest hurdle when launching a Human Resources department, but the greatest success happens when HR is considered early in the process, even before the recognized need for an HR function. For startups with limited financial resources, hiring a full-time HR professional may not be an option, which is why outsourcing the job to a consultant can be a cost-saving alternative. Seasoned advisors bring value and impact to organizations by leveraging strategic TA to drive business growth at any company size.

“It’s about asking what would you like to achieve from the business side—what are the business objectives,” said Anna Brandt, HR Advisor at Backbase and N26. “Then, it’s about asking how do we make sure that the recruitment plan or TA strategy will support the delivery of those objectives?”

Business objectives should also be a consideration when developing a profile for what kind of HR professional your organization needs. For example, if data privacy and compliance are important to your industry, then it’s crucial your HR hire is knowledgeable and experienced in the legal regulations affecting your organization.

Likewise, fast-moving startups will need someone who can multi-task, has high-energy, and is able to switch gears quickly. The ideal candidate for an e-commerce corporation might look very different, so aligning your organization’s HR goals with the ideal candidate profile can help refine the search when it’s time to hire.

Job Descriptions for HR Managers and Recruiters

As with any job posting, you will want to outline the core functions of the role. Key responsibilities for an HR professional may include:

• Organizing departmental planning, including hiring and termination policies
• Overseeing employment and compliance with federal and state regulations
• Implementing performance management and improvement systems
• Managing employee salary, bonus incentives, and other compensation programs
• Managing employee safety, welfare, wellness, and health
• Organizing employee training programs
• Managing employee relations, including fielding complaints, concerns, and feedback
• Offering employee services and counseling

Depending on the size of your organization, it may be important to emphasize how the role could evolve over time as the HR department expands, bringing changes to the role and its responsibilities. But, be careful to avoid clichés like “ad hoc responsibilities”, which can deter great candidates.

Tech Proficiency Matters

Technological innovation like artificial intelligence is advancing exponentially, and the HR industry invests billions of dollars in new tools for recruitment, performance management, engagement, training, inclusion, and analytics. “Recruiting has really been transformed these past years,” said Hessam Lavi, Director of Product at SmartRecruiters. “We’ve seen a shift from HR and recruiting coming from an admin function, or merely a cost center, to much more of a strategic function.”

Today’s HR professionals need a strong understanding of modern HR technology, like automated sourcing tools, talent acquisition suites, and candidate relationship management integrations. That’s why strong HR candidates know how to implement technology to reduce the amount of time spent on administrative tasks, improve data quality, and free up more time for value-added tasks. This requires an understanding of the HR tech tools available in the market and an ability to pitch business leaders and stakeholders on investments that will yield a high potential return.

Interview Questions for HR Professionals

HR managers and recruiters are expected to be on the front lines of hiring new talent for your organization, which means you need to understand their ability to assess and interview potential candidates. Sample questions for HR professionals may include:

• How will you drive results in your role?
• How do you conduct job terminations?
• What kinds of interview questions do you typically ask?
• Describe a difficult encounter with an employer/manager/colleague and how you handled it.
• Describe a time when you didn’t follow policy or had to deviate from policy.
• How would you deal with an unethical situation? Any examples?
• What kinds of trends do you think will shape the future of HR departments in the coming years?

As with any strong candidate, responses should drive positive conversations, demonstrate thorough research of the company, and reinforce the importance of HR’s role in the company’s overall business growth strategy.

The End Goal

At the end of the day, hiring a HR professional will allow your company to develop better employees and hit your company growth goals. According to Marjorie Adams, President and CEO of Fourlane, “An internal HR person will improve internal processes and development, including tracking vacation time, improving performance review process, helping employees set goals and managing benefits. After all, a business owner doesn’t have the time or talent to take these tasks on, let alone do a good job administering them.”

Technology has made it easier than ever to source high-quality candidates, here’s what you need to do next to make your selection process doesn’t fall prey to inherent bias.

Recruiting strategies are ever-evolving. With the advents of email, social media, networking profiles, and even specialized recruiting websites, many of the challenges of finding great talent have been significantly rectified.

Specialists are no longer scratching their heads, wondering where to look for their next great recruit. Talent is abundantly present. But with the latest evolutions in the talent search come the responsibility and obligation for recruiters to ask if they’re searching fairly, doing everything in their power to create an inclusive workforce.

Recruiters are the gatekeepers of any organization, deciding whose voices are allowed to come in and shape the future of your mission. In order to ensure that mission is not lacking in a variety of perspectives and experience, consider the following tips on how to recruit with inclusion intentionally in mind.

Language in job descriptions

Did you know you can create a more inclusive workforce even before a candidate comes in to interview? Do this by considering the way language plays a role in which candidates apply.

Whether intentionally or not, certain job descriptions can turn away applicants with the implications of their verbiage. While it’s illegal to discriminate against candidates for factors such as their gender or age, some job descriptions will inadvertently steer candidates away because they sound too “young” or “male-centric.”

According to job listing site Indeed.com, the use of the word “ninja” in job descriptions increased 400 percent from January 2012 to October 2016. “Rockstar” is another buzzword in hiring these days. Recruiters may have thought they were cracking a code by using a gender neutral term to increase interest, but is that really the case?

For one, ninjas are rarely portrayed as women in popular media. Also, what age do you think the word “ninja” is going to attract? Typically, it’s a word applied in job listings for tech startups, or other organizations looking for young hires. Don’t say you want customer success rockstars, say you want candidates who are naturally skilled at communication. In general, avoid cliches.

Ad location for job listings

According to Inc, 79 percent of job seekers use social media in their search. But where are the other 21 percent?

If your recruiting process focuses on one channel or method, you’re missing a lot of talent elsewhere. To attract diverse applicants, use diverse methods. It’s possible your perfect candidate is still passing out resumes when you only accept applications online.

This isn’t to say you should revert to outdated processes. Rather, hiring teams should look to e-recruiting and make your company and roles accessible on a number of platforms. If you’re looking for candidates with 15+ years of experience, you shouldn’t post that ad solely on the same platforms where you’re asking for entry-level candidates.

Focusing on talent vs experience

Resources suggest that in order to be more inclusive, hiring managers and recruiters should focus less on exact experience and more on what the candidate could, and would need to accomplish. Give them opportunities to paint their talents as it pertains to the job.

Entrepreneur provides a helpful guide on Why, and How, to Hire for Potential Over Experience. This article encourages you to use the interview as an opportunity to speak beyond the resume, asking industry-related questions, as well as querying personal experience.

Canned questions

One way to reduce unconscious bias in your hiring and recruiting process is to have a list of canned questions you ask across the board. At their core, interviews are a conversation, and no two will be the same. As you meet different candidates, their experience may spur the conversation in another direction. This is okay! The idea with canned questions isn’t to kill the natural flow of an interview. It’s to send you into interviews with similar expectations of what each candidate needs to live up to. There’s no reason to make one jump through hoops, while another has a smooth-sailing, easy-going conversation.

Use specialized agencies or networks

Maybe you’re trying all of these tips, and are still having a hard time diversifying your candidates and prioritizing inclusion. Your current network is often so good at providing top quality candidates it’s easy to overlook the need to expand beyond that inner circle.

But the benefits of a diversified workplace are numerous: not only for your company, but also for everyone who works there.

According to an article published by Bentley University, “Research has shown that having a diverse workforce increases a company’s profits. Diverse companies also have more success in attracting talented employees, keeping their workforce engaged, and driving innovation.”

That’s not all. The article goes on to provide exact statistics as to how diversity affects workplace success.

“Companies with the most gender-diverse executive teams are 21 percent more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies with the least gender-diverse executive teams, according to a 2018 report from McKinsey & Company. When it comes to ethnic and cultural diversity, companies with the most diverse executive teams are 33 percent more likely to outperform companies with the least diverse executive teams, the report found. ”

If your network is producing one type of candidate, leverage other resources. There are agencies that exist to help you expand beyond the same pool of candidates you’ve been swimming in for years. Make working with agencies for people with disabilities, or people of disenfranchised ethnicities, a key part in your recruiting processes.  

Good luck!

Recruiters have the privilege of meeting all kinds of people and learning about their backgrounds and varied histories. It’s a privilege to be able to hear about the lives of others and to be a part of offering them the opportunity to grow at your organization. But even more so, it’s a privilege to your organization to be able to learn from others.

Follow these tips for recruiting inclusively and your workplace is bound to be better for it.

Interviewing entry-level job applicants requires questions that emphasize their soft skills and capabilities in lieu of experience—here are five open-ended queries that every recruiter should keep in mind.

Recruiters who are interviewing entry-level candidates are tasked with evaluating the applicants’ motivation and potential, and this is particularly challenging when candidates lack any real professional experience. Asking about relevant school or internship experience can encourage them to think creatively about their accomplishments, but for more non-traditional candidates, here are five questions that should give recruiters a good feel for how the potential employee would perform .

1. What is your motivation for applying to this position?

While variations of this query often land on lists of interview questions not to ask, it’s important that candidates explain how their goals and qualifications are in line with those required of the position. Knowing why they chose to apply at your company will also give you insight into how much their values and principles align with those of your organization, and whether or not the candidates have potential for advancement within the company. Underwhelming responses can also be helpful in separating weak or unmotivated applicants from stronger ones.

2. How would you approach a superior with a suggestion, problem, or criticism?

The aim here is to grasp how candidates handle team dynamics. Even if they have not had many leadership opportunities, they should be able to convey an understanding of conflict resolution. Emphasizing these soft skills, rather than more technical skills, demonstrates candidates’ ability to perform their role on a team, tweak processes, or communicate with superiors.

3. How do you think your education/previous experience prepared you for this job?

This may seem like a trick question to candidates who don’t have much—or any—prior experience, but it offers them a chance to focus on experience working on a team, meeting deadlines, or communicating effectively. By asking the candidate to tell you what they see as their most valuable qualifications, you will get a great idea of how well they will fit to the role and with how much enthusiasm. The goal here is to see how candidates can problem solve to apply their relevant experience to the job requirements.

4. How do you see this role fitting in your career plan?

What entry-level candidates lack in experience, they should compensate for with motivation and future goals. This question should reveal why this experience matters to the applicant, how this particular role will help them achieve their ambitions, and the next steps in the career path.

5. What do you hope to gain from this role?

Entry-level job applicants will probably have much they want to learn, so pay close attention to what they say and compare it to the skills and experience listed on their resume. Much like the previous question, thoughtful responses should indicate what areas a candidate wants to improve, and how that will help them in the next stages of their career. You can then weigh this against your organization’s skills training programs and the metrics for success for that role to see if the time and resources spent training a particular candidate are worth the effort.

We live in litigious times, and it would be a shame to find yourself on the wrong side of a lawsuit for a question that, if asked on the street, would be perfectly harmless. But a job interview is not the street, and recruiters need to be aware not only of what’s acceptable, but government mandated.

You need to hire someone to do a job. You ask questions to evaluate whether they can do the job. You offer them the job or you don’t. Everyone knows how this goes.

Trouble arises, however, when things get too personal or intrusive. Asking what you think might be a perfectly reasonable question can be illegal, and crossing that line isn’t always so clear. For example, one may assume the graveyard shift at a supermarket is best suited to a single person with no children, but instead of asking, presumptuously about the candidate’s family status, simply ask if they are available to work nights. See? It’s not so bad once you get used to it.

Sometimes it may seem silly to stop yourself from easing into an interview with “How old are you?” or “What sorority did you belong to?” but the most important thing to remember is that such interview questions are actually proven to encourage bias. Thus not asking them promotes a more fair, and generally accurate, matching of a candidate’s skills to a job.

Also, be aware that today’s candidate is a savvy specimen, and even if they don’t point out your error in asking an illegal interview question (they may even choose to answer it) the fact that you made an inappropriate inquiry may sour a candidate towards your company, or even motivate them to report your business to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Recruiters and HR are usually well versed in their state’s employment law, but hiring managers are more of a wild card as their expertise lie elsewhere. Though this shouldn’t be taken as legal advice, the following most common illegal interview questions are a good place to start when educating your team on what’s ok and what isn’t.

1. How long would your commute be? Instead ask, “Can you be at work by 9?” – The definition of a reasonable commute time varies by candidate so let them be the judge.
2. Do you belong to any clubs or organizations? Instead ask, “Do you belong to any professional organizations we should know about?” – that way you don’t unintentionally bias yourself towards/against a candidate based on irrelevant information.
3. Are you married?  Instead ask, “Can you relocate? Are you able to travel? Can you be on call during nights? “Are you aware of the dangers of this job?” – Think about what you actually want to find out from this question and make the inquiry more specific.
4. Do you have kids? As with the above question don’t make assumptions about a person’s availability or ability to perform job responsibilities based on family status, simply ask what you need to know
5. Where are you from? Instead ask, “What is your current address?” or “do you have permission to work in the US?” – This is a natural question in informal settings, but for the purposes of assessing a person’s ability to do a job it isn’t so relevant and may lead to discrimination or favoritism.
6. Who do you live with? Skip this one, you probably don’t need to know, unless you are vetting someone for government service and this question could force someone to reveal their family status and/or sexual orientation.
7. How tall are you?  Instead ask, “You must stock shelves as high as six feet, are you able to do this?” – Again, it’s about naming duties rather than making assumptions of incompetence based on characteristics, in this case physical.
8. How old are you? Instead, ask “are you at least the minimum age to do this job?” – on the other side of the coin if you are worried a person is too old to perform the duties required of the job ask about the duties specifically eg “can carry items weighing up to 50 lbs?”

Remember, it’s not just wordplay, it’s about asking a better question that evaluates the candidate fairly. (US Edition)

Here are some more common topics wherein illegal interview questions arise:

Financial history

Limited exceptions for certain financial positions. Ability to check credit varies by state and region. Even in regions permitting credit checks, a business can be reported if the credit checks seem to disproportionately disqualify a certain group such as women or people of color.

Illegal

• Have you ever declared bankruptcy?
• Do You have a bank account?
• Are you in debt?

Legal

• Credit checks in some states.

Medical Information

Medical examinations are permitted if it is necessary for the performance of job responsibilities and a drug test.

Illegal

• Do you have any addictions?
• Do you take prescription drugs?
• Have you been to rehab?
• Do you have any disabilities or medical conditions?

Legal

• Are you currently taking illegal substances?
• Would you be able to perform this job with (or without) reasonable accommodation?
• Do you have any conditions that would bar you from doing these tasks?

Arrest record

Arrest records and conviction inquiries are covered by state rather than federal law, so be sure to tailor your inquiries according to your location.

Illegal

• Have you ever been arrested?
• Do you have an arrest record?

Legal

• Have you been convicted of a crime?

Religious Affiliation or Beliefs

Religious institutions may choose to favor a candidate with the same religious leanings if spirituality is relevant to the job, for example, a teacher at a Catholic school, but not a janitor.

Illegal

• What religion do you practice?

Legal

• When are you available to work?

Citizenship and Visa Status

Illegal

• What’s your country of origin?
• Are you a citizen?
• Is English your first language?
• Where are your parents from?
• How do you know Spanish?

Legal

• Do you have permission to work in the USA?
• Can you read/write/speak English? (And then, only if integral to the performance of the job).

Marital/Family Status

After hiring you can ask number and age of children for insurance purposes.

Illegal

• Do you have children or plan on having children?
• Who cares for your children
• Are you pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant?
• Are you married?

Legal

• Are you able to travel or relocate?
• Can you be on call?
• Will these hours work for you?

Living Arrangements

Illegal

• Do you own your home?
• Who do you live with?
• How are you related to the people you live with?
• How far would you have to commute?

Legal

• What is your current address?
• How long have you resided at your current address?
• What was your previous address?
• How long did you reside at your previous address?
• Can you be in the office by 9?

Past wages

Varies by state and even city so check codes for your area. Note that women are historically paid less for the same jobs as men so basing offers on former wages could encourage bias.

Gender/Sexual Orientation/Race

You can collect gender/sexual orientation/race info from candidates, but it can’t have an effect on the hiring process except through affirmative action processes. The information can be used for government reporting, affirmative action, or diversity analytics.

We’ve cringed over some of the most gut-wrenching depictions of interviews gone wrong. Now we’re tackling the best-case scenario, and addressing four things recruiters can do to create the smoothest possible interview process.

Interviews are a recruiter’s bread and butter, but conduct enough of them and the shine wears away to expose a mundane and repetitive process. And that has a direct effect on a recruiter’s ability to fill positions. A recent survey found that 83 percent of candidates felt a poorly conducted interview can change their opinion of a role. Conversely, 87 percent of candidates said a positive interview experience could sway their opinion towards accepting a job.

To place the best candidate in the right role, recruiters rely on insights and information gained from the interview process, so a positive experience should be top priority. Here are four ways that recruiters can conduct a more efficient interview.

1. Do the Homework

It’s no secret that recruiters manage extremely busy schedules, but preparing for an interview should be the recruiter’s main focus, especially with the expectation that candidates will conduct their own research before coming in. Proper interview preparation includes:

• Having a clear understanding of the position, its responsibilities, and where the role fits in the larger team structure.
• Gathering a set of open-ended interview questions.
• Reviewing the candidate’s documents and credentials—resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter, application.
• Preparing for candidate questions about the role—financial compensation, metrics for success, and expectations.
• Providing an assignment, assessment, or task for after the interview (if applicable).
• Knowing the next steps to advance the candidate to the next stage of the hiring process.

2. Ask the Right Questions

Questions asked during an interview should reveal information about the candidate’s experience, their motivation for applying, and what skills they offer. Open-ended enquiries that allow for creative responses are the best way to discover what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for. Examples of good open-ended questions are:

• What made you decide to apply for this job?
• Where have you interviewed recently? What opportunities have you had?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• Can you describe your most significant career accomplishment?
• What duties or responsibilities do you want more of in your next role?

The role may also influence the types of questions being asked. When hiring for entry-level jobs, hiring managers often have to read between the lines and evaluate a candidate’s potential based on limited work experience and how they present themselves in the interview process.

3. Have a Positive Attitude and Be Engaged

For many candidates, a recruiter may be their first interaction with a company, so it’s crucial to foster a positive experience for the candidate. Recruiters should be passionate about their company, the role they are hiring for, and the interview process. Demonstrating a professional and enthusiastic attitude will calm nervous candidates and allow for a more meaningful exchange.

Actively listening to a candidate’s responses and asking thoughtful follow-up questions demonstrate a recruiter’s attentiveness, and reflect positively on the company. As an ambassador, it falls on the recruiter to convey the company’s principles, employer brand, Employee Value Proposition, and other unique values.

4. Follow Up and Provide Feedback

Candidates value transparency in the hiring process, so creating a feedback loop that informs them of their status after the interview greatly contributes to the candidate experience. If possible, recruiters should offer candidates feedback on their interview, regardless of whether they will advance to the next stage. Maintaining communication means that when it comes time to extend a job offer, the candidate is more likely to accept, and faster, because of this rapport.

Our number one recruitment goal is building a relationship with either a new, struggling or a top producing real estate agent. Our goal for asking questions for the new or struggling agent is:

• Will they make it in real estate?
• What are their past accomplishments/work history? Sales experience?
• What is their personality/behavior style?
• The top producing agent is different in the fact that I want to know, what do they like? What do they dislike?
• What are the differences of our company vs. their company?
• What systems will I present to them?

The questions for new agents begin with telling me about his or her last job:

• What did you like and dislike?
• Why have you left, or why are you leaving, and what brings you here today?
• What sales experience do you have in your past, or contact with the public?
• Have you ever had to call people on the phone, or knock on doors to sell anything?
• What expectations are they looking for?

Now with struggling agents (diamonds in the rough) the questions are a little more to the point:

• How many people in your client base?
• How often do you market to your client base?
• How many FSBO (For Sale by Owner)’s have you listed?
• What is your technique when calling expired listings?
• How many hours in a day do you put into real estate?
• What have YOU done to build your real estate business?
• What are you expectations from a real estate company?
• Would you be willing to meet at 8:30 every morning to get your career back on track?

Experienced agents are in a ball game all by themselves. Here are some questions that I ask top producing agents:

• What three things are you looking for if you were to make a move?
• What would you change about where you are now?
• Are you familiar with our PinPoint or target marketing?
• When you take a listing what is your marketing strategy?
• How do you determine who you should market that listing to?
• Would you like to earn more money? How much more? Do you see yourself doing that with your current employer?
• What program do you use to manage your client database?

All of these interview questions – no matter if it’s for a new, struggling or top producing agent – are designed for me to find out where they are at. It also lets me see where I can add value to their sales career with the systems that we provide. Building relationships with prospective agents takes planning, patience, and a conviction that we are providing the best product for that agent.

Wes Cafourek is co-owner of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate | SOUTHWEST GROUP. BHGRE SOUTHWEST GROUP has 3 locations in Missouri. The home office in Republic, MO and two branch offices in Springfield, MO and Aurora, MO to serve the real estate needs of residents in the Southwest Missouri area.

SmartRecruiters is the hiring platform with everything you need to source talent, manage candidates and make the right hires. 

When you think about it, it’s no huge surprise. So much of what makes a company’s culture what it is, well it’s intangible. It can’t be converted into stats that can be analysed, it can’t be assessed against a tick list of right and wrong. It is what it is and you’ll either like it or not. But when it’s such an important part of attracting your ideal candidate, you have to try.

So, Where to Start?

There is one main principle you need to keep at the forefront of all your activities but the good news is it’s pretty simple – don’t tell people how great your company is, show them.

No one cares what you think of your company because let’s be honest, it’s your company, you’re going to be slightly biased. They want to see for themselves. They want to hear from people who aren’t under pressure to say the right thing, they don’t want scripted messages – they want an honest insight into your company.

So, now we’ve got that straight – let’s look at some of the practical ways to make that happen.

Your Existing Staff Are One of Your Biggest Assets

“Word of Mouth” can be an incredibly effective marketing tool but remember, it’s not just your customers who talk to each other, your staff do too. It’s important to remember your staff are integral to your brand at every stage of their time with you – from a new candidate to those moving on to pastures new. If they feel valued, challenged and engaged with your company it will come across in everything they do. They won’t have to tell people you’re a great company to work for, it will be obvious and if they do say something great, people will believe them.

Use the Power of Video

Of all the communication channels, video is one of the most powerful in managing to portray feelings as well as information, to challenge perceptions as well as promote an image but to be truly effective, we’re not just talking about putting the CEO in front of a camera with some spiel about how brilliant the company is. We’re talking about showing candidates what life is really like at your organization, highlighting the corporate culture and giving candidates a glimpse “behind the scenes.”

Take Starbucks – they go straight for the warm and fuzzies. The first thing you see on their career site is a video about their employees and how Starbucks has enhanced their lives. Here in the UK, some are taking the idea a bit more literally with T-Mobile letting prospective candidates have a “cheeky peek” directly into their offices.

Get Social

There’s no getting away from it, it’s here to stay and pretty much everyone is on at least one of the different platforms so it’s a great opportunity to communicate your brand but don’t just jump in all guns blazing!

There’s lot’s to think about. Which channels will work best for you, where does your target market hang out, how will you manage your personal brand (because you do need an identifiable person behind your social chatter), how will that fit with your employer brand, what happens if something goes wrong, the list could go on. But sit down and figure it out because when all that’s decided, then comes the fun bit.

And the fun bit is just as important as the rest. You need to enjoy it, have enthusiasm for it, have a strong willingness for it to work. Because you’re not going to get any short term rewards from it. You’re starting this because you want to do some good for the community but it’s a job and like all jobs, the ones you enjoy are the ones you do well at.

And a Final Reminder?

You need to do all this, put time into building those relationships and learning how best to communicate your brand well before you need to use it to find a new recruit. If you treat your activity like a sales tool candidates will sniff it out in an instant and already you’ve damaged your chances of building any trust. Be genuine, be interesting and be part of your own activity and you’ll find the people you need are drawn to you naturally.

Mark Bevans: Entrepreneur & Founder of “We Love 9am” Employer Branding Agency. Helping  Recruiters around the world give an amazing candidate journey. Blogger & Speaker. Connect on LinkedIn , Twitter, Facebook or Google+. Photo Credit Yacine Baroudi,

SmartRecruiters is the hiring platform with everything you need to source talent, manage candidates and make the right hires.

Interviewing is a philosophy not a science; theory, not fact. Like philosophy, there is a fine line between the very good, and the utterly awful. Unfortunately, we all tend to develop interviewing ego.

We become poisoned by the power of judgment. We’re twisted by the notion that every question asked is without fault.

Even worse, we’ve settled into the belief that our questions have only one “right” answer. We dupe ourselves into listening for it, shutting off to any ludicrous idiocy that falls outside the lines we’ve drawn. But like philosophy, the problem doesn’t often lie in the answers, but with the questions.

Common interview questions – What is the perfect job for you?

Honest answer: Ideally speaking, I don’t really care what the job is. But, I would love to make as much money as possible for doing the very least amount of work required.

Admit it, if you’ve ever been asked this interview question, you’ve chuckled to yourself and some variant of the answer above flashed through your mind.

It’s okay. Truthfully speaking, there is no perfect job, at least not in this world.  Every career requires hard-work, sacrifice, and continuous improvement. What we really want to know is whether the job on the table will provide a sense of satisfaction to the person interviewing.

A better approach:  Ask, ‘What are you passionate about?’

I’m a big fan of being politely direct. If you’re curious about a candidate’s interests and passions, ask them directly!  Encourage them to let down their guard and answer openly. Then, connect with the person. Discuss how the position may offer benefits that would allow the freedom to pursue their passions.  Provide the candidate the power to decide how the position fits into their desired lifestyle.

Can you walk me through your resume

Honest answer:  No. That’s why I created my resume, which you’ve had for a week. If you would have prepared for our meeting prior to sashaying in here like the second coming, you wouldn’t need to ask redundant, time-stalling questions, would you?

Remember, an interview is a two-way conversation.  Both parties, the company and the candidate, need to be represented well. Talented individuals have a lot of decision-making power, and as a company representative, you’re being sized-up. We expect the candidate to come prepared, they expect the same.

A better approach: Come prepared.

Do your homework.  Review their Linkedin profile. Research their former companies. Compile a group of questions relating specifically to the work they’ve performed. Discuss achievements, and goals met. Learn about what makes them better. The best want to work for the best, an interview is a first impression. Make the most of it.

Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?

Honest answer:  As your boss.  Pucker-up chief.

Who doesn’t want to advance their career, have more responsibility, and make more money? It doesn’t matter where someone sees themselves in the future. What matters is what they’re doing to ensure it happens.

A better approach:  Ask, ‘What are your long and short-term career goals?’ Then, as a follow-up: ‘What are you doing to ensure you’ll achieve those goals?’

By asking a more open-ended question, you’re revealing how the candidate defines long and short-term. You’re also discovering if they’re a proactive planner or someone who may need more guidance.

Why do you want to work for this company?

Honest answer:  If you say and live the things I want to hear, I don’t care what the name on the building reads.

As a company, you can’t be everything to everyone. But it’s important to truly understand your culture and be able to clearly articulate the costs and benefits of being an employee there. In order to attract the best talent, you need a defined and focused sense of being.  Then, build an employee base around people who share the same mission and values. As a candidate, we’re hoping to find a company we can believe in. We strongly desire being a part of something bigger than ourselves. We need to feel like the work we do matters. As we plunge ourselves into the job hunt, each interview is approached with hopeful optimism. Working is like dating, sometimes finding the right one, takes a lot of wrong ones. We’re searching for a mutually beneficial partnership that can grow with time.

A better approach:  Ask, ‘What type of culture and environment do you work best in?’

You’re trying to discover if you’re a match on a deeper level. Could you imagine if on a first date, someone asked you; why do you to want create a long-lasting relationship with me? I don’t know, because you’re hot?  We’re searching for genuine compatibility, not a one night stand.

This job requires overtime, are you willing to put in the extra effort?

Honest answer:  Sure.  Are you willing to make it worth my extra effort?

Okay, you require overtime. Why? Do you run super lean? Are you strategically misaligned and unable to operate efficiently? Or, do you simply accept burning people out as a cost of doing business?

Occasional overtime is understandable, but if you use this question to test commitment, you better be able to live with the consequences. The days of command and control, ignorant and blind obedience, are over. Gone are the pension plans and gold watches. In today’s marketplace, we all watch out for ourselves. If you’re going to require overtime, we expect to be provided with other benefits to balance the equation; paid time off, bonuses, etc.  Bottom line, if you won’t appreciate my hard work, I’ll find someone who will.

A better approach:  If you’re trying to test commitment, ask, ‘What would we need to commit to you in order to keep you committed to us?’

Where we work is a choice.  We make it based on what a company offers in return for our results.  Comparing a candidate’s candidate’s expectations to the company’s culture and historical performance is a solid indicator as to whether or not someone will stick around for the long haul.

Agree, disagree?  Leave me your comments.  Like any philosophy, interviewing is a journey to discovery, learned through shared experience.

Cheers!

Photo Credits: People-Results.com, Urbanette, Small Business Trends, The Clever Consultancy, Workmeter-en.blogspot.com

With an educational background in entrepreneurship, Travis Baker’s views tend to build from a broader business perspective.  Born in 1985, he’s a true millennial.  He believes we’re all citizens of a global community, and we have a shared responsibility to society.  His experience as both an agency and corporate talent acquisition professional has taught him that people are the real drivers of business.  Learning how to effectively communicate and collaborate is the key to success. Born in South Bend, IN, currently residing in Charlotte, NC, working hard to relocate to Austin, TX.

Do you want to share your expertise with how to interview for specific positions? Follow these guidelines to get published!