Interview Questions, Omega 2.0

[rba828]

I need help putting together some interview questions for a job position.

Some details about the job: Must have excellent computer skills, will have to run Omega 2.0 to design traffic signs, business logos, advertisements. Needs email skills, knowledge of the different file formats, and have great troubleshooting skills. The person does not have to have experience specifically with the Omega 2.0 software, but does need to be smart enough to figure it out with minimal training. No degree necessary.

Basically, I have to interview people for this position and need to have somewhat intellegent questions to weed out the wrong people. Thanks for your help!!!

 

[iSign]

I once read where a guy had his prospects carry a 2x4 through a crowded shop, turn around & carry it back out. If he could figure out how to do that, he was probably trainable, if not... forget it. In truth he was more of an old school shop, so this wouldn't apply as much if you actually have a position that is all computer work, but I thought it was humorous at the time, and not without some seriousness in the importance of being spatially aware & coordinated.

Anyway, beyond that I guess I could add that I've always imported illustrator files into Omega, so a skilled graphic designer could do what you need without having to learn all that much about Omega. I like to find a personality who will respect my knowledge & be open to learning new things and taking direction from me. I'd be wary of anyone too set in their ways, or over confident in their current skill level.

Last fall I hired a 25 yr. old with a graphic design degree. I have been very impressed with his willingness and ability to learn new software... this has been extremely helpful. He had never worked in the sign industry, & I made sure to tell him I would need him to carry heavy boards to the saw, run various tools, paint boards, & join me on installs, digging post holes, and climbing ladders. He was up for all that & now he has a great job doing a lot of design work, but learning and helping with the multitude of other tasks.

Compatible personalities is of the highest priority. I think it is also wise to ask where your prospects see themselves in 2 to 3 years. Also ask other questions that could shed some light on their stability and likelihood to stick around long enough to be worth training.

DO NOT FAIL TO CHECK REFERENCES!

 

[threeputt]

Kind of agree with Isign regarding personality. In a small shop where everyone must interact, it's essential that you don't have a "prima donna" on board.

Around here we have always had the philosophy of "hire the attitude, train the skill".

The one time we deviated from that was a disaster. The guy was gone in about 5 weeks but not before we co-signed a note for the guy to buy himself $7000.00 of computer equipment. (for home use, he was a graphic designer) He defaulted on the loan, of course, and my credit rating was at risk.

Off topic, I know.

Questions: Ask a potential employee how would you handle this:.... and then give him some scenarios. What if you had a physical/verbal dispute with another employee? What if the boss was gone and you ran into a problem you couldn't solve by yourself? What issues do you think are paramount in a small business? Etc, etc.

 

[Creations]

i support omega 2.0 (in house) we have 2 stations set up running our gerber's...

I would have a couple of different situations going on...
-i would open a file, unlink a graphic and see if they can find it and output the print/cut file.
-or maybe just put in a broken blade and see if they figure it out within a certain amount of time....that would balance out the software/hardware and give you a idea of their over-all abilities.
B

 

[Fred Weiss]

In hindsight, the most successful employees we have employed had:

• no sign making experience
• good native intelligence
• excellent common sense
• were easy to get along with

What you should be looking for is a good fit for your environment and that of the applicant. People that live nearby have a better chance of working out than those who live further away. People who have poor eyesight are less likely to be happy and productive in a sign shop environment than those whose eyesight is good to excellent. Spelling and math ability count for a lot. Learning Omega is a piece of cake for the right person. Your real screening should be about how well they will fit in and be able to handle all the other things that will be expected of them as well.

Attached is a applicant questionnaire and a quiz. It asks more pertinent questions to our particular needs. In particular, I would pay attention to the quiz on page three. Pick some commonly confused and misspelled words for the spelling part such as:

• there > their > they're
• lose > loose
• to > too > two

Make sure you can answer the questions correctly yourself. Most are very basic but you would be surprised at how many applicants do not know how many inches are in a foot. Question #5 is the only question that's tricky and will identify individuals who arrive at answers too quickly or carelessly.

Feel free to use as is or edit to your own needs.

 

[rba828]

Holy Smokes Fred, thanks for that attachment!