ISSA Show North America 2019 is heating up in Las Vegas — even though Day 2 is kicking off with a rare rainstorm. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by Booth 574 to say hi!
One of the best parts of ISSA is all of the education and expertise being shared. Yesterday, we had the chance to sit on on a talk by Pam Washington, the CEO of Build My Cleaning Business. She shared some great tips for “behavioral interviewing”: an interviewing tool that helps you ask questions around what people have done in the past, rather than what they would do based on a hypothetical situation.
Pam encouraged businesses to:
- Define the characteristics you need for the position. Be specific. For example, an entry-level cleaner may need critical thinking skills, but supervisory skills won’t be important.
- Choose “stem questions” that give you the information you need. Some question formats Pam recommended: “Tell me about a time when . . .”, “Describe a situation where . . .”, and “Share an experience from your career where . . .” Then, ask questions that get at the important characteristics you’ve identified.
- Create specific interview questions ahead of time. This makes it easier to compare candidates and delegate interviews.
- Up your game when it comes to interviews. As the labor market improves, great employees have more choices. Pam encouraged everyone to remember that they are also selling their company to their candidates; demonstrate how your values align with theirs.
Pam said that these techniques have transformed her hiring process. “It has really meant the difference between a lot of turnover or people who stay for decades,” she said.
Overall, it’s been an amazing show so far, and we can’t wait to share more trends and insight!
