A hiring strategy that works: Virginia Tech RPM graduate Tim Bostrom, CAM, knows the one question to ask that can lead to a successful hire.

Beacon Communities Area Manager Tim Bostrom, CAM, has a way of making job applicants feel both totally startled and fully relaxed during the interview process.

"I try to start by asking them something that might catch them off guard," Bostrom said. "From the start, I let them know that the interview probably won't be like what they are used to. This can surprise them. I tell them that I just want to spend 20 minutes having a casual conversation with them."

Bostrom, who is based at Bramblewood Estates in Richmond, Va., oversees three communities, with a total staff of 20 employees. He said his hiring strategy is modeled after an interview he went on when he was applying for an internship in 1995 as a student studying residential property management (RPM) at Virginia Tech.

"It was a one-question interview," Bostrom said. "The CEO basically asked me to tell him everything that had happened in my life." Bostrom said he looked at the interviewer with a perplexed expression. "But then the interviewer said, 'at least everything that is valid,'" Bostrom said.

That comment helped put Bostrom at ease. Bostrom said that informal conversations enable the interviewer to get to know the applicants, their attitudes and their characteristics. Bostrom said that these are the most important factors in deciding whom to hire, whether he is hiring a maintenance technician, receptionist or property manager.

"Give me someone with a positive attitude and I can teach them what they need to know to do the job," said Bostrom, who graduated from Virginia Tech with an RPM degree in 1996. "When they have that going for them, I know they will fit in with us."

For example, two years ago, he hired a maintenance technician whose background was in auto repair. "Getting to know him through the interview, I could tell he'd do well in apartment maintenance, and he has," Bostrom said. The technician recently became HVAC-certified.

Bostrom said that he has never regretted any decision he has made about whom to hire using those techniques. Bostrom's hiring philosophy and strategy continues when the new hire undergoes training. Bostrom does the training himself.

"I spend time with them from the start. I find that by developing a comfortable, open relationship with employees, you won't need to spend as much time to train them later," Bostrom said. "If they are comfortable with you from the beginning, they become more dedicated to you and to the company and the better they perform. I have an open-door policy, and I know everyone says they have that, but in my case, the employees really feel like it applies and they appreciate it."

Bostrom, whose first job out of college was as a Leasing Professional for AvalonBay, said his experiences with supervisors while working up the management ranks also helped him to understand the value of employee relationship-building.

"It's so important to have a level of comfort because there will be times when you need to discuss critical issues with staff and you can't be afraid to approach them," Bostrom said.

Bostrom said today's hiring climate for apartment management staff is challenging, He said that on average, his company interviews five people for each position. He said it is important that apartment management companies look to other industries to bring in "new blood" and new ideas to the workforce.

"We recently hired someone who had management experience in the apartment industry but had been out of the workforce for the past two years," Bostrom said. "Right away we could tell that she had new ideas, and that's the benefit of bringing in new people. We might not always use the ideas, but I will listen to them. If someone has a better way to do something, it helps everyone."

Bostrom added that he and other members of the Richmond Apartment Management Association plan to meet with high school seniors to discuss opportunities for employment and a career track in apartment management, particularly through four-year RPM programs at schools such as Virginia Tech, Ball State University and Florida State University.

Bostrom said current RPM students are desirable candidates, particularly for internship positions that can ultimately lead to full-time employment. "These people aren't just taking a job short-term only to collect a paycheck. These are individuals who want to be in our industry and want to make a future in it," said Bostrom, who serves as the alumni representative on Virginia Tech's industry advisory board.

Paul R. Bergeron III is NAA's Director of Communications. He can be reached at 703/518-6191 Ext. 137 or [e-mail].

BY PAUL R. BERGERON III