Congratulations – you just got the headcount approved to hire a community manager! Now, how are you going to make sure your hiring process screens for the traits most likely to make them successful in the position? Here's a short list:

1. Resourceful. Like MacGyver.
2. Omniscient. Knowing everything that’s going on in their community, and able to predict where trends are heading.
3. Objective. Engaging with all community members in a fair and objective way, and avoiding showing favoritism.
4. Unconventional. Different, unexpected and distinctive.
5. Poised. Calm under pressure, in the face of crisis and concerns.
6. Proactive. A great community manager resolves potential issues before they crystalize.
7. Generous. Generosity of time and spirit.

Having a list of traits is all well and good, but how do you translate them into compelling questions that allow highly effective community managers shine in your interview process? Read on.

Stressful Moments

Q1: Describe your most stressful moment as a community manager, along with your solution for reducing the stress.

Points to look for:

• Creative problem solving skills
• Collaborating with other team members to resolve community issues
• Bringing the community member along in the resolution process
• Ability to remain cool and calm under pressure

Finger on the Pulse

Q2: How do you know what’s happening in your community and what do you do with that information?

Points to look for:

• How they are using technology and reporting
• Examples of actions taken and innovations inspired by community monitoring and reporting

Consistency and Objectivity

Q3: Do you interact with some community members differently than others – and if so, how?

Points to look for:

• Good to see that they are identifying and doing more outreach to influencers and most active community members to build their loyalty/word-of-mouth
• Don’t want to hear they play favorites; looking for someone whose objective is to engage with and motivate the community at large

Standing Out from the Crowd

Q4: For the online communities you managed, what did you do to make them stand out from the crowd?

Points to look for:

• Good to hear of general best practices that have carried over from community to community
• Can they articulate one interesting strategy that comes across as being specifically tailored to that community and its members?

Calm Under Pressure

Q5: A flame war unfolds in your online community. 90% of the day’s content is inflammatory. How do you respond?

Points to look for:

• Having a crisis plan in place before the flame war erupted
• Importance of clearly defined community guidelines that outline standards of behavior and any punitive actions that may be taken against community members who go against the standard of conduct
• Understanding the importance of addressing as much as possible publicly then taking grievances offline if possible
• Preference of not banning members or deleting posts; seeking a mutually acceptable resolution whenever possible

Addressing Issues Proactively

Q6: Describe a situation in which you headed off an issue before it became a larger issue.

Points to look for:

• Clarity in identifying small issues that have a strong likelihood of blowing up into big issues if not addressed in a timely manner
• Did they have an active user community in place that notified them of the issue? Or better yet, that started the mitigation and response?

Serving the Community

Q7: How do you determine how you can best serve the members of your community?

Points to look for:

• Sense of ownership and accountability on being an active member of the community themselves
• Understanding of 1:1 and mass-interaction tactics that can be effectively deployed to gain understanding of the community’s interests and needs

An Infographic from DNN

Now that you have a checklist for your next community manager interview, help spread the word on the traits that make the best community managers shine – share this infographic with your network and leave a comment with your favorite questions that help community managers shine in your interview process.

Seven Criteria for Hiring Online Community Managers from DNN