Here are 5 questions you need to ask!

We all want quality facilities management talent working in our business, so we spend a long time asking ourselves what’s the best way to find strong candidates.

Do we promote in-house?

Do we choose a top recruiter?

Do we hire a headhunter to try and poach from the competition?

At the end of the day whether you make a good hiring decision doesn’t depend on the method you use, it depends on the individual’s productivity, achievements and character. So if you’re wanting to attract high quality talent to your company, here are 5 questions you need to ask.

Are they PRODUCTIVE?

Every employer knows that a productive employee is worth their weight in gold. Speak to the candidate during their interview about how they organise their workload, and ask for examples of their productivity. Once employed, set them goals that you continually review. Be open with feedback and encourage the candidate to seek feedback from other departments. Always make sure you identity any barriers to their productivity early on, as this can lead to an unsettled employee.

Have they made an IMPACT throughout their career?

You want people who will come in to your business and make an impact. During the interview stage ask about key professional achievements. You’re looking for tangible answers here, things that can be quantified, such as “When I started in the business we were 5% over budget, during my first 6 months I reduced the overspend by 50%.” You’re not looking for generic answers (“I’m really hard working…”) without examples to demonstrate.

Do they reflect your COMPANY’S CULTURE?

The culture within a business can have a huge impact on how a candidate performs. Are they used to working alone and so would struggle in your collaborative environment? Are they willing to pitch in on any task to help get the job done? Will they understand what drives your business and represent it in a positive light? The interview stage is essential, consider a full day interview or a work trial so you can get to know the candidate better and see how they interact with other members of your team.

Do they have CHARACTER and INTEGRITY?

A candidate can learn many things throughout their career, but it is almost impossible to alter someone’s character. Also, you can find the most productive employee, however if they lack integrity and you don’t trust them with your business, they are almost useless to you. Again this is where an interview day or work trial could come in useful to get an idea of their character and how they operate. You want to try and find out if what they value and believe in represents the vision of your business.

Can I keep them ENGAGED?

When you find this productive, impactful candidate with the right vision, you need to consider how you can keep them engaged. High staff turnover isn’t good for any company, as people leave and take all your information with them. Top performers in the workplace tend to be ambitious by nature, so ensure you set regular goals and continually monitor their performance so the candidate feels invested in. Knowing how to approach recruitment, and picking the right candidate is a time consuming and sometimes painful process! But when you’re looking for a quality hire, and you ask the right questions, you’ll find yourself building a strong and talented team that will set your business up well for the future.

Peter Forshaw
Peter is Managing Director for Maxwell Stephens Recruitment. Maxwell Stephens are Facilities Management Matching Specialists.