You posted your job description and now you have several applicants to sift through. How can you pick out the star performer from the bunch?
Let’s start with what you should be looking for when hiring your next OM.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD ROOFING OFFICE MANAGER
- Attention to detail. Whether they’re pulling permits, ordering materials or completing payroll, roofing office managers need to be able to hone in on the smallest details to keep the office running smoothly.
- Hard skills. You want an OM who comes to you with a good understanding of common office technology like Microsoft Excel, Outlook, etc. If he or she has a basic knowledge of your CRM, it’s even better.
- Phone etiquette. Office managers are typically the voice of your company. Whoever you hire will be answering phones and making calls on your behalf. You want someone who is professional, easy to understand and represents your company well.
- Fits well with the company culture. You want someone who not only has the right skills but who will work well with you and your team members. Some skills can be taught on the job…fitting into the company culture isn’t one of them.
So, how do you find these characteristics in your pile of resumes?
PRE-INTERVIEW
You can determine if someone has attention to detail and hard skills before you even bring them in for an interview.
- Attention to detail: Anyone can claim to have attention to detail skills but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re detail-oriented. When perusing the resumes, toss out any resume with misspelled words and grammatical errors. If they can’t even proof their own resume, it’s a pretty safe bet they’re not great with details.
- Hard skills: Don’t just take them on their word when they say they’re proficient in Excel. There are many free quizzes online that you can use to test their skill sets. The benefits of sending the quiz are two-fold. One, you will get the results to see how proficient they actually are and two, you’ll see how motivated they are. If they can’t be bothered to take a 5 minute quiz, what other duties will they dismiss?
INTERVIEW
Now that you’ve weeded out the candidates who don’t have the base skills, it’s time to start the interview process.
Start with a phone screening.
- Phone etiquette: What’s the best way to tell if someone is good on the phone? Talk to him or her on the phone! By setting up a phone interview, you can determine how they interact on the phone.
- Have they researched your company? Also in the screening, you should ask leading questions specific to your company, like, “How did you learn about us?” And “What about our company stuck out to you?”
This will tell you how much they’re willing to do to succeed, how much they know about your roofing company, and give you a sense of who they are and how they will fit with the company culture.
Then invite them to an in-person interview.
- Are they punctual? If they’re not on time for an interview, that’s a good indication that meeting times and deadlines aren’t that important to them.
- How do they present themselves? Are they well-groomed? Professional?
KEEP IN MIND
Remember, interviewing is a two-way street. Interviewees are trying to determine if your roofing company is a good fit for them as well. So, when you’re going through the interview process, live your mission statement. Be on time. Give them the same courtesy you expect from them.
NEED HIRING HELP?
Do you need help in your office manager hiring endeavors? Elite can help! Our recruiting division can help recruit the candidates you’re looking for and even provide Zoom training to get your new office manager up to speed.
Want more information? Visit https://eliteclaimsolutions.com/consulting/elite-talent-solutions/ or contact mneil@elitetalentsolutions.com.