Selecting the best candidate for a management position is one of the most difficult challenges faced by senior management and human resources staff.

Mark Hamister, our CEO, frequently compares preliminary interviews to a first date: everyone is on their best behavior and neither party learns what the other is really like. Repetitive interviews involving a number of people can reduce this "first-date mystique" and help us make better judgments. 

Furthermore, we can never put ourselves 100% in the shoes of our customers.  Only they know exactly what they demand from the team that delivers services at an assisted living residence or hotel.  Their inclusion in the process and their insightful input can be critical in making the right choice. 

When a key management position became vacant in one of our adult residences, I decided to employ some unusual interviewing techniques: I reviewed the applications and conducted the first round of interviews with our President, narrowed the candidates down to the top two, and then asked our department managers and two of our residents to conduct the final interview.

The department managers at the residence in question were all long-term employees with solid experience in the successful operation of assisted living residences.

Their background and knowledge would enable them to recognize the type of leadership we sought. The occasion also provided an opportunity to give them the recognition and appreciation that they deserved after years of exceptional service.

Both our corporate office and the residence's existing management team responded enthusiastically to the idea of customer and co-worker inclusion and helped to identify two residents who were both qualified and interested in participating: Martha and Charles. 

Martha, an active member of our Resident Council, was uniquely qualified by her degree in Education and Theology. She had taught Latin and French for 8 years and had functioned as a pastor's assistant in a Wesleyan Church, where she was responsible for assisting in daily operations. 

Charles had been a division supervisor for Niagara Mohawk for 32 years and at one point had 182 direct reports. He personally participated in the selection and hiring of these employees. Later in his career he was elected to public office and served as a county judge.

After the first round of interviews, we presented the applications and resumes of our two top candidates to the department managers and interviewing residents. They reviewed and analyzed each candidate's application and prepared their own questions. Charles' most important question was: "why do you want this job?"

He thought that the responses would reveal whether the candidates were going to stay at the residence for a significant period of time and truly invest in our community. Martha, on the other hand, was more concerned about whether the candidate would be approachable and willing to speak with the residents about their concerns. She asked the department managers to ask the questions that she had prepared so that she could better observe the candidates' body language while responding.

Both Charles and Martha were keen to find a candidate who was honest, consistent, family-oriented, and willing to learn new skills.  Our department managers were also looking for the qualities of good leadership: confidence, poise, strong communication skills, honesty, a strong work ethic, and related experience.

Following the interview the department managers and residents thoroughly discussed and rated the candidates strengths and weaknesses. They agreed that one candidate was preoccupied with his own career and personal gain, while the other seemed eager to become a part of an organization that is committed to corporate service, has strong values, and respects its employees.

By this point I had already formed my opinion of who was the best candidate, based on my previous interviews, a compilation of reference results, and field test results. I took great care not to influence the managers and residents with my choice, which is why I was not present during their interview. However, after careful consideration, we all agreed on the best candidate.

The inclusion of department managers and residents in the interview process not only reinforced my decision, but it also gave me a new insight into what is really important to our residents and co-workers. They wanted management that was family-oriented, shared their values, displayed strong leadership skills, and would be with them for a long time to come.

A few weeks after the interview and selection process was completed, I met with the department managers and residents to obtain their impressions and suggestions for improvement of the hiring process. Both were honored to have been included.

 Martha would have liked a few more days than had been given to review resumes and applications. She also thought that more residents could have participated in order to obtain a broader perspective. Charles was completely satisfied with the process.  The department managers were very happy to have been involved: it made them feel that their input and experience mattered.

Finally I asked the residents and co-workers if our new manager was living up to their expectations. Both indicated that the candidate was doing well, was very approachable, and had made some positive changes.  The impressions that they had formed during the interview had turned out to be correct and there had not been any surprises afterwards.  The experiment was a success.

If you are thinking of involving customers and co-workers in management interviews, here are a few tips:

• Involve long-term co-workers with a proven record and experience.
• Select customers with varying strengths, skills, and approaches.
• Give interviewers ample time to review applications and form questions beforehand.
• Review the questions yourself to avoid repetition and any inappropriate or illegal questions.
• Take care not to influence customers and co-workers with your own opinion—but make sure that you have one!
• Follow-up: did the selected candidate live up to everyone's expectations?  What could you do to improve the process and make better selections in the future? 

 The Hamister Group Mission is to provide top quality assisted living management services, enabling our clients and their investors to achieve superior revenues. Our 30-year success in the assisted living industry is due to our unwavering determination to exceed our customer's expectations in every aspect.