Are you hiring a leasing professional? Here are some thoughtful questions you can ask your candidate to help gauge whether he or she is qualified.

• Have them give an “audition” tour. It is a great way to see how they would react to stressful situations. Don’t judge them based on how nervous they appear, but on their vocabulary, communication skills and general awareness. Relying on standard interview questions might not be the best indicator of their ability because those questions are overused and predictable.
• Ask if they know what a maintenance team does on a day-to-day basis. This will give you an indication if they have a good understanding of property management.
• How would you attempt to defuse an angry resident?
• Are you familiar with fair housing laws?
• How do you feel about filing and staying organized? Are you a pass-along kind of person or are you someone who can handle an issue if the property manager is too busy or is out of the office?
• Ask the candidate to tour two or three comps and then submit via email a review of the employees they met and the building. This way you can get a glimpse of their writing style, attention to detail and you can begin to see what they might need to work on.
• How would your previous supervisors or managers describe you?
• If three prospective residents walked in at once, how would you handle the situation?
• Use the interview to “judge” the person. Some questions tell a lot, such as, “Do you make your bed in the morning?” If they answer, “Yes,” that’s a good thing because it shows they have goals, seek accomplishments and have a get-up-and-go attitude. Another is, “What’s the last thing you learned on your own?” This shows if they have initiative and reflects that they have a positive attitude about having a willingness to learn.

 —Facebook's Apartment Management & Maintenance Support Group