Interviewing & Screening

Telephone Screening

Telephone screening can serve as a time saving element of the interviewing and selection process. This step is used primarily to determine whether a candidate’s qualifications warrant a personal interview. Telephone screening allows the hiring manger to determine if a candidate meets the minimum requirements to perform the job (for example, if the applicant has a valid driver’s license, is able to travel a minimum of four times each month, can lift up to 50lbs, etc.). Employers may use this opportunity to clarify other information on the resume or perhaps determine a candidate’s salary requirements.

Ask for the same information from each candidate. consistency of the calls will help you compare candidates. Each call should last approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Inform the candidate of the next step in the hiring and selection process; for example, “We will contact you by the end of the week if we feel a personal interview is necessary.” Taking notes during the call will be helpful when comparing candidates.

Interviewing Preparation

Once the initial screening process is completed, the employment interview, often the most important step in the selection process, is next. It is an opportunity to obtain more information about candidates who have met the job qualifications based on resumes, completed applications, and telephone screening. A successful personal interview will provide the additional information you need to determine how a candidate will perform in the position and how he/she will fit into the company.

Preparation in the following areas will lay the necessary groundwork for a successful and informative employment interview:

Know the Job Requirements – It is very important for the interviewer to know all of the essential skills and requirements for the position for which he/she will be interviewing. Knowing the required and desired technical and performance skills necessary to be successful in the position, as well as the working environment and hours, will help you better determine who is most qualified for the position.
Know the Job – Just as you are seeking information about the candidate, the candidate will be seeking information about the position and the company. Review your prepared job description and be prepared to give each candidate a concise and realistic job preview of the position being offered. This includes the requirements and essential job functions. You should also be prepared to give a brief background of the company and the industry. Avoid sharing too much information in the initial stages of the interview. By doing so, you may inadvertently “coach” the applicant on answers to your future questions.
Know the Candidate – Review and familiarize yourself with the candidate’s cover letter, resume, and application prior to the interview. Have the candidate’s paperwork at your fingertips for reference during the interview, including notes from the telephone screening.

Other important considerations prior to conducting the personal interview:

Consider the Environment – The environment in which you conduct an interview may be critical to the amount and accuracy of the information exchanged. Interviews should be conducted in private, away from noise and other distractions.
Clear Your Schedule – To maintain the professionalism of the interview, avoid interruptions and distractions.
Review Cambridge’s Interview Questions – Ask all the candidates the same questions, this consistency will help make the selection process fair and consistent. Click the following links to download Cambridge’s Maintenance Interview Questions & Site Office Staff Interview Questions.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Interviewing

The dos and don’ts of interviewing will provide you a brief outline of what is and is not acceptable or proper when conducting an interview. Please note this list is not all inclusive.

Do…

Plan the interview; review interview questions; be consistent with all candidates.
Make sure each applicant completed an application and provided a resume and references.
Review the application and resume prior to the interview.
Review the open position’s job description and requirements prior to the interview.
Present an accurate picture of the position.
Ask job-related questions.
Take brief notes during interview, while listening to the candidate answer your questions.
Make eye contact.
Evaluate each candidate after the interview is concluded.
Be friendly, but businesslike.
Hid your personal feelings.
Remain as objective as possible.
Allow candidate time to think and answer the question.
Close the interview by providing the applicant the next steps in the hiring process.

Don’t…

Lose eye contact for long periods of time.
Look at your computer or phone.
Make judgements on one trait without having considered all traits.
Conduct yourself in a manager that is too friendly or too stern.
Let the applicant see that you favor or disfavor them.
Ask questions which all a yes or no response.
Accept general answers. Probe for more specific information.
Continue to talk just because the applicant does not reply quickly.
Let yourself become lost or fail to listen carefully to everything being said.
Ask inappropriate or illegal questions. Refer to these guidelines.
Make any promises of employment of promotion to applicant.
Provide any information regarding other candidates.

Testing

While we can evaluate some applicants based on past experience and verbal abilities, qualified applicants for maintenance positions requiring technical skills are tested to determine technical skills and proficiency. Generally speaking a Lead Maintenance employee, a Maintenance Tech or a Turnover Specialist will require testing while a Porter, Grounds Keeper, In-House Painter or Cleaner will not require a technical skills evaluation. If you are not sure which position requires a test, contact your Supervisor.

The hiring manager will need to request a current maintenance test from Human Resources. The applicant must complete the test at your property and without reference materials. Before giving the test to the applicant, confirm that they have the time available to take the test. If they don’t, reschedule the applicant . Do not allow the applicant to take the test with them. To be fair to all applicants taking the test, control of the process is important.

Completed tests are forward to Human Resources via fax for prompt grading. After grading, test results are forwarded by Human Resources to the hiring manager and the Property Supervisor.

Final Screening Process

You have found the perfect candidate. After you have confirmed that the applicant would accept the job if an offer is made, check with your supervisor to determine if they will be involved in a final interview or if the applicant is approved for immediate screening.

If the applicant is approved for immediate screening, forward the completed job description to Human Resources for background screening.
If the applicant requires a final interview with the property supervisor, arrange that interview first and then coordinate the delivery of the completed job description to Human Resources with your property supervisor after your recommendation to hire is confirmed by the Property Supervisor.

Background Screening

After receiving the approved application, Human Resources immediately orders a background screening. Depending on the scope of the check, the screening agency returns results within a few days.

Human Resources forwards the results to the supervisor for review and approval. The property supervisor discusses, in general terms, background screening results with the hiring manager.

Drug Screening

For candidates with favorable background screening results, Human Resources provides the hiring manager authorization to send the applicant to drug screening. The applicant is provided a Chain of Custody form, Cambridge’s Drug-Free Workplace Policy, collection instructions and a list of lab sites that perform drug screening for Cambridge. Forms are obtained from Cambridge Human Resources. Make sure you have several on hand.

Human Resources receives and forwards the drug screening results to the Property Supervisor. In response to favorable results, the supervisor provides the manager a thumbs up and a “go forward with the offer”.

Details, details, details

So that important documents can be created, the hiring manager confirms via e-mail the employment details with Human Resources. This will include:

start date
rate of pay
maximum hours per week,
days of work
housing credit (if applicable)

For candidates who do or will live on site, let Human Resources know the move in date, apartment number and monthly rent.

Employment Understanding and other forms

Human resources is now ready to prepare the new hire paperwork including an EU (Employment Understanding), new hire forms, applicable benefits information and employee handbook. This package is forwarded to the hiring manager.

The hiring manager provides the package to the new employee for completion on the first day of employment. Benefit enrollment forms may be returned at a later date. Be sure to point out the eligibility dates to the employee and the related deadlines for returning the forms.

On the first day of employment, the hiring manager faxes the W-4 and I-9 forms to Human Resources. These forms with all other original employment forms are then forwarded to Human Resources.

Filing Applications and Resumes

Cambridge Real Estate Services maintains all applications and the resumes of applicants who were interviewed on file for two years. Across the top of each application, record the following information:

⇒ Date Interviewed
⇒ Interviewer Name
⇒ Position interviewed for
⇒ Property Name

After you have found your candidate, in a single batch, forward all applications and resumes for applicants interviewed for the position to the Central Office, Attn: Human Resources. Include a cover memo that clearly indicates the batch is for applicants who were not hired. Do not forward resumes from applicants who were not interviewed or did not complete an application. These may be shredded.