- How to hire a
Superintendent
- By Peter Grech
Begin with the beginning:
Before beginning the search the board has to consider:
-
The
physical building needs?
-
The
building residents’ needs?
-
In
other words, what kind of superintendent do you need and want?
These
questions address whether the superintendent will be hands on,
administrative / supervisory or perhaps both. This sets the tone for what
skills the candidate should have, such as mechanical, technical,
management / supervisory, and/or the standard plumbing, electrical and
carpentry.
The
question should also address the management style and traits of your
superintendent, such as aggressive or passive, proactive or not, do you
want him/her to lead or follow.
Do
you see the building doing any major construction, repair or
renovations? If so, you should look for a superintendent who has, while
in his/her tenure, been involved with the same kind of improvement or
major repairs. Perhaps some project management skills would be ideal. You
should always keep in mind the future and where do you see your building
in 5 years, 7 years and 10 years time.
- What
can you afford in salary?
- You
have to decide what is the most you are willing to pay. Although this
figure may not be set in concrete, you need to establish a dollar
amount prior to looking.
What
is the full compensation package? Keep in mind, a high paying amount
doesn’t guarantee a great super. But high pay does not discount great
supers.
- What is the job
description for the superintendent?
- You also have to at
least have a fair idea of what you want the super to do. Job
descriptions vary from building to building as does salary.
-
- Licenses and
Certifications?
- It has to be
established what licenses and permits are needed for your building. Are
you looking for a superintendent who has some kind of certification or
accreditation? You should! Keep in mind too many licenses and
certifications may not be a good sign. Rather a sign of the applicant
being over qualified.
-
- Who is going to
head up the search?
- Who is responsible
for the prescreening and screening once your building has received 100
to 150 resumes or more! Will management be solely responsible to wade
through the candidates and supply the board with a handful of
candidates? Will the board assign a committee to do it? It is best to
let management manage. However, in this case it is best to have one or
two from the board go through the resumes and confer with management
through-out the elimination process. This way, a good candidate won’t
slip through the cracks.
Management should do the leg work by placing the ad, and collecting the
resumes.
Keep
in mind, no matter how the ad reads, there will be many that will apply
for the position that do not have the requirements that you have listed.
Predetermine how many candidates the committee will see, and how many
candidates the full board will interview. For example, 30 candidates for
the committee, 5 to 7 candidates for the full board with recommendation
by the committee.
So
far all of the interviews have been, essentially, a pre-screening stage.
Keep
in mind before the committee interview the set amount (30), there may
have been as many as 120 to 150 resumes received. Prior to the set
amount being interviewed, there should have been a reference check of
past employers, etc.
- Now what?
- Once the full board
has interviewed the amount that was agreed upon, it is management's
duty to do full background checks on the candidates. This includes
criminal, credit, and final reference check. This thorough check may
eliminate one or two candidates. Then a reassessment of the salary may
be necessary. A second interview of two or three of the finalists
should be conducted then a decision made on the first place candidate.
An offer should be made to that candidate, and if accepted, great, if
not, the second place candidate should be offered the position. Keep
in mind just because a candidate is interviewing for the position,
this does not always means he/she will accept the position.
-
- The Interview
- Rules:
First
of all to keep things on the straight and narrow, establish a time if
the interview is at the committee level, perhaps 20 minutes is a fair
time, with a ten minute interval. This will allow time to discuss the
candidate in private, or give you a few more minutes should you need
some more time for the interview. NEVER writing notes on the resume. You
should take notes on a separate paper and attach that to the resume.
Secondly, you need to keep a standard set of questions to ask the
candidates. That is, ask each candidate a core of the same questions.
Thirdly, do not digress from the plan. Keep to the agenda.
Fourth, keep the questions simple. Let the candidate do all the talking.
- Questions to
consider asking:
- Keep in mind there
are questions that you can not ask. The managing agent should brief
you on this.
-
What do you like most about your profession?
-
What do you dislike most about your profession?
-
In
your mind what constitutes an emergency?
-
Will
the one bedroom (or whatever you are offering) meet your family's
needs?
-
For what salary are you looking?
The
standard:
-
Why
are you looking to change?
-
What are you weaknesses (this I think is lame but may not be to you)
-
Why
should we consider you for the position?
-
What are some of your accomplishments?
-
What is your management style when dealing with:
a) Residents, b) Staff, and c) Building Operations.
Do
not ask technical questions if you don’t fully understand the subject.
You
are not only looking for the answer to the questions but also tone, what
and how the answer is being given.
- Screening tools:
- The use of screening
tools such as:
Credit reports, employment verification and references, criminal back
ground checks, licenses and certification verifications, and substance
testing should be done.
I
also recommend a copy of the applicant's last pay check showing the
deductions.
Remember though these reports are only tools and do not tell the whole
story. The applicant should have the opportunity to explain any negative
reports.
- Mistakes:
- One of the biggest
mistakes both board and managing agent make is not knowing what they
want in a person who will fill the position. Another mistake is not
being forthright at the interview and hiding certain facts when asked.
Both board and managing agent as well as the candidates are guilty of
this. Ergo the hiring is done on a false pretense.
Another mistake boards make is hiring someone they are not quite sure
of but have the "let's see" approach. If you don’t see a candidate that meet
your requirements and needs, then don’t hire. Settling is the worse
thing you can do.
Once
you have hired the candidate, my advice is; do not let him/her move in
right away. Even if this means paying extra to supplement his/her rent.
It is a wise move. Only after two or three months when you are
comfortable, should you allow the new superintendent / resident manager
to move in. If you can hold off until the probation period is over with
then even better.
The
Probation period is 6 months. At the end of the fifth month you should
have decided if you are going to keep the new superintendent/resident
manager on or not. If you are not sure by the fifth month, don’t kid
your self… DO NOT hire/offer the full time position hoping that he/she
will get better. Dismiss him/her as soon as possible. There is a
learning curve. But that curve is only a matter of a month or two. Worst
thing you can do is to hire someone when you are not sure. Would you buy
a car if you are not sure? No!
Would
you buy an apartment or house if you are not sure? No! Then why hire if
you’re not sure?
A
consultant/adviser can also aid the board by screening out the non-qualified candidates.
In most cases the board and even the managing agent
are not qualified to ask technical questions.
A
consultant/adviser can also aid in comprising a job description.
Once
the superintendent / resident manager has be hired, again, the
consultant/adviser can help setting up the proper procedures,
maintenance schedules and such to get the new superintendent/resident
manager off in the right direction.
Just
because a new hire has 10 plus years experience in this field does not
mean he/she has the right experience. There is nothing like investing a
small amount of money in making sure things get off to a right start.
Property managers, managing agents are professionals. But they are NOT
specialists, and keep in mind they have a work load as well as a small
self-interest in hiring a superintendent / resident manager.
I
trust the past few paragraphs have helped you in some way. If you do
have any questions, I would be pleased to answer them. Just email me or
call.
- Peter Grech
-
Pgrech4214@aol.com
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