SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/126035
From the Sidelines Eric Schroder Editorial Director SportsTurf eschroder@specialtyim.com 1030 W. Higgins Road Suite 230 Park Ridge, IL 60068 Phone 847-720-5600 Fax 847-720-5601 717-805-4197 How to interview job applicants I N A FEW PAGES we have an article on the job prospects of recent turfgrass program graduates and one about strategies for success and significance in your work life. Here we share some thoughts from the other side of the table, courtesy of Patrick McGuiness, who presented at this year's STMA Conference on "Hiring the Right Person." McGuiness is a consultant, speaker, author, and attorney as well as a First Lieutenant and Judge Advocate in the US Army Reserve. "The interview process is one of the most important tools you have when hiring. How many times have you had a candidate that looked incredible on paper turn out to be a dud during the interview process? Here are some questions you can ask to point you to the right candidates for the positions you are trying to fill." 1. Have a level playing field. It would be unfair to give one candidate a bunch more time than another to explain the qualifications. So, set a time limit for each interview and stick closely to it. However, don't put a stopwatch on the table that just makes things unnecessarily awkward. Create a comfortable interview environment for all the candidates. You want people to be at ease at first when they are being interviewed so that they feel comfortable opening up to you when they answer questions. 2. Prepare ahead of time. Have specific questions planned for each interview ahead of time. If you are using a panel to interview candidates, assign each question to a specific person so that the interview flows smoothly. Often interview questions end up a lot like bad job postings. The questions are too easy to anticipate, such as "Tell me about a time you faced a challenge, and how you overcame it." Whenever you have questions that are anticipated by the candidate, you are going to get 'canned' responses that do not give you much insight into what the candidate is really like. 3. Ask good questions. Ask questions that will give you clues about the candidate's ability to perform well at the job you are hiring for. Don't ask leading questions; instead try to keep questions neutral so that you can find out how the candidate honestly feels, not how they think you want them to feel. For example, if you ask "Would you be able to start at 7am every day and work weekends sometimes?" of course the candidate is going to say yes. Instead, try asking "What would you ideal work schedule look like?" While the answer they give may not match your hours exactly, you will get insight into the candidate's work ethic, and whether they researched your organization. 4. Pause and pay attention. While you are working within a timeframe, don't jump to the next question whenever there is a lull in the candidate's response. Take a second and pause before starting the next question. Often this pause will spur the candidate to keep talking and expand on what they have already said. This will give you further insight into the candidate's level of preparedness. Make it a habit to add this silent pause before asking more questions. You will be surprised how candidate's fill the space you create. n 6 SportsTurf | May 2013 The Official Publication Of The Sports Turf Managers Association President: James Michael Goatley, Jr., Ph.D. Immediate Past President: Troy Smith, CSFM President-Elect: Martin K. Kaufman, CSFM Secretary/Treasurer: David Pinsonneault, CSFM, CPRP Vice-President Commercial: Rene Asprion Professional Facilities: Allen Johnson, CSFM Academic: Jeffrey Fowler Parks & Recreation: Debra Kneeshaw Higher Education: Jeffrey Salmond, CSFM K-12: Michael Tarantino, CSFM Commercial: James Graff At Large: Jay Warnick, CSFM At Large: Ron Hostick, CSFM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Kim Heck STMA Office 805 New Hampshire Suite E Lawrence, Ks 66044 Phone 800-323-3875 Fax 800-366-0391 Email STMAinfo@STMA.org www.STMA.org Editorial EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Eric Schroder TECHNICAL EDITOR Dr. James Brosnan ART DIRECTOR Brian Snook PRODUCTION MANAGER Karen Kalinyak STMA Editorial Communications Committee Jim Cornelius, CSFM, Jason Henderson, PhD, Paul Hollis, Clayton Hubbs, Joshua McPherson, CSFM, Brad Park, David Schlotthauer, & Grant Spear SportsTurf (ISSN 1061-687X) (USPS 000-292) (Reg. U.S. Pat. & T.M. Off.) is published monthly by Specialty Information Media at 1030 W. Higgins Road, Suite 230, Park Ridge, IL 60068. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sportsturf, PO Box 4290, Port Jervis, NY 12771. For subscription information and requests, call Subscription Services at (845) 856-2229. Subscription rates: 1 year, $40 US & Poss.; 2 years, $65 US & Poss.; 1 year, $65 Canada/Foreign Surface, 1 year, $130 Airmail. All subscriptions are payable in advance in US funds. Send payments to Sportsturf, PO Box 4290, Port Jervis, NY 12771. Phone: (845) 856-2229. Fax: (845) 856-5822. Single copies or back issues, $8 each US/Canada; $12 Foreign. Periodicals postage paid at Park Ridge, IL and additional mailing offices. COPYRIGHT 2013, SportsTurf. Material may not be reproduced or photocopied in any form without the written permission of the publisher. www.sportsturfonline.com