Like many people in property services businesses, I have worn a lot of hats over the years. When I stepped into a leadership role, HR responsibilities came with the territory. We were a small but established company experiencing a strong growth phase. While I felt confident in my understanding of our company’s processes and needs, HR was completely new to me. 

It didn’t take long to realize I needed some education—and hiring was the area where I could make the biggest impact. I was fortunate to have hired a few strong people early on, but I realized that hiring great people couldn’t just be left to chance. I needed a real process and strategy for growing our team. 

I took a five-day course on hiring and it was a game changer. I can’t cover everything I learned, but these five strategies will improve your hiring process and help you avoid common mistakes.

1. Ask Questions First

This was my first big “Aha!” moment. If you let candidates start with their questions or if you launch into explaining the role and company right away, you give the candidate all the information they need to tailor their responses. Looking back, this was my biggest mistake. 

I was nervous, so I jumped into talking about how great our company and our people were. When I finally got around to asking them questions, the candidate simply echoed what I had already said. I wasn’t truly getting to know them! 

Regarding the questions asked, be sure to prepare them ahead of time. Have a mix of general and specific ones that focus on experience. If you stay too broad, they will too and you won’t get meaningful insights.

2. Phrase Your Questions to Be Open-Ended

If you ask a yes-or-no question, that’s the answer you’ll get. Instead, frame your questions to encourage detailed responses. 

Example:

• Instead of: Are you worried about learning new software?
• Try: What concerns do you have about learning new software? or Tell me about a time you had to learn new software for a job. How did you approach it?

If you’re unsure how to phrase a question, ask your favorite AI program to help reword it into an open-ended format.

3. Ask for Behavior-Based Examples

Interviews are short, so you need to ask questions that give you the biggest picture of a candidate. Understanding their past behaviors in the workplace helps predict how they’ll handle challenges in your company. 

I like to ask about extremes—big successes and tough failures. These stories tend to bring out a candidate’s personality and reveal key traits, like how they handle stress, what motivates them and how they interact with others. 

Some examples:

• Tell me about a project where you had to go the extra mile for success.
• Tell me about a favorite customer you’ve had.
• Describe a project that went completely wrong and how you handled it.
• What is your ideal work environment?
• What tools do you use to stay organized?
• Tell me about the best manager you’ve had. What made them great? 

A great trick with this style of question is to ask the inverse—it gives you two perspectives on the same topic.

4. Avoid Personal Questions

In the U.S., asking personal questions in interviews can be risky. However, in property services, the ability to work outside the standard 9-to-5 often matters. This concept should be covered in job postings, but it’s also important to ask about it in the interview—carefully. 

For example:

• We sometimes need emergency responses outside of business hours. Do you have any restrictions that would prevent you from working overtime, when needed? 

If a candidate volunteers personal information, acknowledge it politely but steer the conversation back to their professional qualifications. I once shared details about my flexibility for work travel and an interviewer reassured me that my personal situation wouldn’t impact their hiring decision. This is a good comment to make in case a candidate spends too much time discussing personal information. 

5. Be Excited About the Position!

Remember, candidates are interviewing you just as much as you are interviewing them. They want to know why the role is open and what kind of company they’d be joining. Be prepared to answer these questions with enthusiasm and transparency. 

I always tied an open role to the company’s mission. If it was a new position, I explained why we were adding it and our expectations. If we were replacing someone, I clarified whether it was due to career growth or another reason. You don’t need to share details about former employees, but you can frame the answer in a way that reassures candidates. Most importantly, convey your excitement about welcoming a new team member. Highlight what success looks like in the role and how the team operates together.

These tips are just a starting point. At a bare minimum, be present and engaged during interviews. Candidates are taking time to meet with you, and you owe them advanced preparation and attention while they are with you. Show enthusiasm and represent your team in a way that excites the right candidates about joining your company.