In the previous post, we included descriptions of several strategic skills characterizing an ideal candidate for the event coordinator position. In today’s we present a set of questions that should be asked to check those skills.
Perfect work organization
An event coordinator is a profession in which the shortage of time is a common problem. It is never enough time, especially in the period preceding the event. Therefore you should look for the person who can manage time perfectly. Questions to ask:
- What are your first steps when you start working on a new event?
- What kind of time management tools do you use?
- Have you ever managed more than one event at a time?
- Were these events successful?
Stress resistance
The event industry is a business burdened with a high dose of stress exposure. To check if your candidate is able to cope with stress, you can ask about such issues as:
- Which professional situations are the greatest source of stress for you?
- How do you deal with a situation where you have to take last-minute actions?
- What actions do you take in above situation and who do you ask for help?
- What measures do you take to avoid burnout?
Communication skills
Good communication skills are crucial in the event organization industry. The event coordinator stays in contact with colleagues, event participants, service providers, contractors and many other entities. How to check if the candidate has such skills? Below are some questions to ask:
- Have you ever been in a situation where you had a communication problem with your supervisor or the client? What caused the problem? How did you solve it?
- What type of communication do you prefer (by e-mail, phone call, personal contact)?
- Have you ever had a situation in which you had to pass bad news to your boss, colleagues or client? (share some details about that)
- How would you respond to a negative online opinion about our company?
Problem-solving skills
For the event coordinator, effective problem solving is a key skill, especially when the problem is reported by the participant during an already ongoing event. This skill includes both the ability to communicate effectively and work under stressful conditions. It is worth asking the following questions:
- What kind of professional situations in the event industry are difficult for you? Are they related to tasks, interactions with people, time pressure?
- What do you do when you have to face a dissatisfied participant of the event (and he – for example – starts yelling at you)?
- Have you ever had a conflict situation with your colleagues or your supervisor? Tell us how it ended.
- Have you ever came up with an unconventional solution to the professional problem? Tell us about it.
Negotiation skills
An event coordinator with negotiation skills is a treasure. A good negotiator will manage negotiations during the preparation for the event (meetings with service providers) and during the ongoing event when persuasive skills are needed most. Following questions can be asked:
- What does success in negotiations mean to you?
- How do you prepare for negotiations with the service providers?
- What were your the most difficult negotiations that you have carried out so far?
- Have you ever had to convince someone to your professional idea? Tell us some details.
Computer and mobile devices
The event industry professionals have to keep up with the latest trends and tools to support the event organization process. The candidate who knows any software dedicated to event industry is the one you’re looking for, even if he hasn’t been acquainted with the particular tools you use in your organization. So let’s ask about it:
- What technology/software do you use, and what new technology supporting the event organization process would you like to try?
- What marketing support tools do you use when promoting events?
- How do you manage campaigns in social media?
- What are you doing to keep up with the event organization industry?
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The above-mentioned issues don’t fully exhaust the list of possible questions to be asked. Those questions, however, will help you to check whether the candidate really has the skills or just declares having them. Finding the right person for the job can be time-consuming, so it’s worth to prepare for the recruitment process. Well-conducted recruitment can be really beneficial – it gives you a chance to obtain a valuable support for your event team.