I've heard it a million times-Marty, we can't afford to pay our ticket sellers what you're suggesting. There just isn't the budget for that! It's true that the wage we pay impacts the pool of candidates who apply for a position. What's the difference between the following two job postings:
Ticket Seller
$9.00 per hour
Requires strong cash handling skills, ability to work well with others, and prior guest service experience preferred.
Concierge Sales Agent
$11 per hour plus commission
Seeking energetic individuals to share their enthusiasm with arriving guests. Leadership roles and other advancement opportunities available.
Which one of the positions above attracts the better candidate? Hands down, the second one. And from that pool of interested candidates come our most effective sales people...but only when we ask the right questions.
Attracting the right caliber of candidate is a great start... but it's the selection of the right team from these candidates that makes or breaks the sales team. Asking the right questions is key and it's critical that we ask questions that let the candidate do 90% of the talking. It's amazing what they will say. All you need to do is listen. Here are some great interview questions that I use to hire the best:
ENERGY & ENTHUSIASM. Hire people who are passionate about your attraction and can demonstrate that enthusiasm during the interview.
Q1. Tell me why do you want to work here? What made you apply for Concierge Sales Agent?
Q2. We've got some great experiences here. Sell me.
Q3. What is one thing you've accomplished in your career that you are most proud of?
Q4. Describe the best boss you've ever reported to.
ATTITUDE, WORK ETHIC, & CHARACTER. It's usually easier to teach your people the technical skills to be successful in their position. More important is gauging a person's attitude, work ethic, and character so you can be confident that they are the right fit for your organization. You can use a candidate's work experience as the means to gain some great insight into how a candidate will conduct themselves as part of their team.
Q5. I see you worked at _________________ for 6 months. If I spoke with your direct supervisor, what would he/she tell me about you?
Q6. Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a co-worker.
What did you do to address the issue? What was the final outcome?
Q7. What frustrates you?
Q8. Think of a time when you witnessed someone stealing or acting dishonestly? What was the situation and what did you do about it?
Q9. Tell me about a time in which you followed a policy that you did not agree with.
EXPECTATIONS. As important as it is for the candidate to be "right fit" for the organization, the opposite must be true as well-the organization must be "right fit" for the candidate. It's a shame when someone we judge as 'right fit' ends up moving on because we haven't met their expectations.
Q10. What qualities are important to you when looking for your next position? What do you expect from us?
Q11. We prefer to promote from within. Where do you see yourself in two years? How about in five years?
Q12. Tell me what motivates you?
The key is to ask the right questions and then to listen carefully to each of your candidate's responses.
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