What do you look for in entry level job candidates?

I would ask about personal experiences and interests. What did your father and grandfathers or uncles or other acquaintances do in these fields? Did you help them in any way, or even watch what they did working in these fields?

I didn't realize it then, but as I look back on my own experiences with my father and grandfather, these certainly affected what I'm doing today.

Hobbies, does either work on their own vehicle ?

When choosing between two candidates with similar technical training and no field experience, I would focus on indicators of reliability, accountability, and commitment.  Married with children indicates that they have responsibilities that will encourage them to keep a steady job. Do they pay rent for an apartment or do they live with mommy and daddy?  Are they party animals (which we all were at that age) will they call in sick on monday after a bender over the weekend? You can't ask about that stuff directly in the interview but you can maybe find out by casual conversation. 

Their social media may be a clue also.  If you don't know how to navigate the stuff, maybe your kids do and they can help you. 

For the interview: I recommend asking questions that help reveal how each candidate manages responsibility. For example:

• What commitments do you currently have outside of work?
• How have you demonstrated reliability in school, internships, or past jobs?
• Can you give an example of a time you had to meet a responsibility or deadline consistently?
• Also ask then how much they need to live on? This is to determine what you might be willing to pay them. You get what you pay for, so the guy that undervalues their worth might not be the best deal.

Candidates who can demonstrate a pattern of showing up on time, meeting obligations, and taking ownership of their responsibilities are more likely to be dependable employees.

In my experience, the key factor is not age or personal situation, but whether the individual has developed habits of accountability and follow-through.

Was their career choice a coin toss ?

Why did they pick HVAC-R ?

Yeah times have changed, I've been tearing into things as far back as I can remember.

@EBEBRATT-Ed

Electrical tends to be more abstract. Folks that can handle the abstract stuff can usually handle the mechanical stuff. And like you stated the reverse is not as true.

See if they'll meet your eyes and shake your hand. I just heard that shaking hands is 'triggering' to many of our youths nowadays. <sigh>

Be a little rude to them, see how they handle it. It's important to be able to leave your feelings behind when you're at work.

hobbies? nothing mechanical. video games for both. Truly entry level looking for their first real job.

What hobby would have been a "good" one for this question? I'm sorry but asking unrelated things isn't going to get you much.

"My favorite hobby is practicing sweating perfect elbow joints!" Let the kids have their hobbies whether it's video games or whatever.

In the end, accept that you aren't really going to be able to tell who is going to be a good employee over the long term. Employers are obsessed with trying not to make any mistakes with multiple rounds of interviews. This is an entry level job it sounds like…just pick one!

@SlamDunk , were their background checks a tie also?

When I was still working, I was tasked with checking/testing a lot of the new hires and would report my findings. I first looked at their hands. to see if they had a working mans hands or were they smooth as a baby's butt. Then I would ask what @EBEBRATT-Ed asked about working all hours of the day and night , taking night calls and in any type of weather. When I was working, I never missed an emergency call due to the time of the day, weather, or any other problem in 35 years. .Find the guy that will commit and that is your man.

Hi, I'd be looking for measures of their social skills. Are they good with people? Do they know how to listen or "do" empathy? Also, how well do they take in information? Do they get the clues people give them? How well does what they enjoy, line up with the work you want them to do?

I don't know exactly how to test for these things… maybe take them along for some jobs and see how they interact. See what lights them up. 🤩

Yours, Larry

I only got 4/8, but I'm just a dumb wholesale rep.

Neat test. Got them all…

Not sure how to answer the thread question, though. Two very different things, I suppose (I'm thinking of when I hire help around the farm here). How does the person treat machinery? And at least as important, how do they treat the critters? I simply can't afford to hire someone who is hard on machinery — that's both a money thing, but also an attitude thing. And how someone approaches the various critters (both domestic and wild) we have around tells me a whole lot about their overall personality and approach.

6 ot of 8 for me but I got lucky and guessed a t a couple of them

You hire a guy you think is perfect, but he turns out to be a drunk, beats his wife and is a jerk to your customers. Fire him and hire another guy who says he loves the trade and wants to learn, but he's always late for work and he's lazy. Hire another guy that leaves after a year to your competitor for more money.

Go through ten to find one. Do some more research on being able to let people go when you discover they're not what you or they want. Perhaps hire a local lawyer to consult with or your local plumbers association for tips.

@SlamDunk said "The Strong-campbell inventory test said my interest was off the chart high for mechanic and electrician. But, it also said I was more interested in being a nun than a priest. For some reason, that makes me proud."

Even though you'd never pass the physical for that position? 😁