Home Library Translate
A A A
Share »
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on LinkedIn
Connect »

Blog: Supervision

Menu

  • This Blog's Home
  • Guest Writer Submissions
  • Policies
  • To Subscribe to a Blog
  • About
  • Feedback

Hiring: How Do I Know If The Applicant is Qualified?

By Marcia Zidle on January 15, 2013

I have just been promoted to a supervisor in a call center and I’m responsible for hiring. What are the best questions to ask when interviewing call center workers ?

A great deal depends upon whether these people will be taking orders (incoming and therefore the emphasis is on the applicant’s customer service skills) or truly attempting to sell a product (out-calling/cold calls that require a high level of selling skills). Each requires not only a different skill set but also a different mindset.

An order-taker needs to “be nice” to the customer, have good listening skills and be able to react quickly and accurately to a complaint or request. For these people, here are some potential questions.

  • Tell me about your most difficult call and how you handled it?
  • How have you dealt with a customer who was very nasty? What was the result?
  • Tell me about a time when you went far beyond what normally would be expected in order to satisfy the needs of a customer.
  • After a difficult call, what do you do to prevent that call from influencing the way you handle the next caller?

The sales person needs not only to develop rapport with the caller but also influence his or her behavior… to say yes…to buy. Here are some questions to get at their sales ability:

  • Tell me about your most difficult sale and/or most challenging customer and how you handled it.
  • What steps do you take to prepare for a sales call?
  • What strategies have you used to get an understanding of the customer’s needs?
  • Tell me about a time you dealt with a “thinking-about-it” customer.

Then listen carefully and assess their qualifications:

1. The skills fit. Can this person do the job that they are interviewing for?
2. The motivation fit. Does the person have the traits and desire to effectively do the job?
3. The company  culture fit. Does the person have the same values or work style or that would fit into the way we do things around here?

Management Success Tip:

A good interview follows an outline or  guide. That means each applicant is asked the same set of questions. Then you’ll be able to compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges.  A structured approach keeps the interview on track, gives all applicants a fair chance and provides more accurate information to select the most qualified.

Do you want to develop your Management Smarts?

  • Build your skills with The Effective Manager
  • Sign up for Quick Wins: 101 Management Tips.
  • Find performance boosters in the Smart Moves Blog.
  • Need a speaker? Get the Edge keynotes-webinars-workshops.
  • Copyright © 2012 Marcia Zidle business and leadership coach.
« Previous Next »

Search Our Site

Meet the Blog’s Co-Hosts

Carter McNamara of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, provides organization development and consultant training services, and is developer of the Free Management Library. [Read more ...]


Marcia Zidle, a certified career strategist and business coach, works with high potential, high impact executives, managers and professionals to advance their careers and grow their leadership capabilities. [Read more ...]

Categories of Posts

  • Basics and Overviews
  • Coaching
  • Delegating
  • employee communication
  • Employee Motivation
  • Employee Recruitment
  • Employee Staffing
  • Feedback With Employees
  • General Resources
  • Management Effectiveness
  • Organizing Employees
  • Performance Management
  • Roles and Responsibilities
  • Skills Required
  • Team Building
  • Training Employees
  • Uncategorized

Recent Blog Posts
Alternate Recent Posts Widget

  • How Good Are Your Management Skills? Part 2
  • How Good Are Your Management Skills? Part 1
  • Wearing the Same Shirt Doesn’t Make a Winning Team
  • Three Strategies to Connect and Engage Employees
  • Do Some Rules Need To be Broken?

Related Library Topics

  • Coaching
  • Employee Performance
  • Group Skills
  • Human Resources
  • Mentoring
  • Policies (Personnel)

Library's Blogs

  • Boards of Directors
  • Building a Business
  • Business Communications
  • Business Ethics, Culture and Performance
  • Business Planning
  • Career Management
  • Coaching and Action Learning
  • Consulting and Organizational Development
  • Crisis Management
  • Customer Service
  • Facilitation
  • Free Management Library Blogs
  • Fundraising for Nonprofits
  • Human Resources
  • Leadership
  • Marketing and Social Media
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building
  • Project Management
  • Quality Management
  • Social Enterprise
  • Spirituality
  • Strategic Planning
  • Supervision
  • Team Building and Performance
  • Training and Development
About Feedback Legal Privacy Policy Contact Us
Free Management Library, © Copyright Authenticity Consulting, LLC ®; All rights reserved.
  • Graphics by Wylde Hare LLC
  • Website maintained by Caitlin Cahill

By continuing to use this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.X