The Interviewing Chronicles

My first and currently most pressing task as Operations Manager of the Ol'e Brokerage is to find a bookkeeper. As this week has progressed, I'm not sure I truly want a bookkeeper any more. 

Tessa asked me to interview Leah. Leah is a wonderful person in our office. Initially I didn't want her. She's an agent. She has bookkeeping skills. Will she get bored and realize she can make more money selling homes? She'd be in a compromising position, knowing Tessa's financial status and the commissions of every agent. How would that inside knowledge be treated by her? I granted her a courtesy interview, figuring I would then be able to give Tessa all the reasons Leah wouldn't work.  

However, once I interviewed Leah, I changed my mind. She's perfect. In addition to being everything I know I wanted for this position (clerk and bookkeeper) I would be able to get along with her--which is also high on my list of qualifications. She doesn't really want to sell houses and kind of does it for a side hustle while she works as a bookkeeper for a friend of hers. She'd like to loose the friend-of-hers job and find something a bit more consistent with the real estate side hustle. She's older, more seasoned and not into drama. Confidentiality wouldn't be an issue. I liked her more than I should have.  

Then Tessa changed her mind. She didn't want an agent from the office for all the same reasons I initially didn't want her. We've gone round and round on Leah and I know I just need to whip through the five stages of grief and move on. Bummer. 

Then, I interviewed two more. The first one had great qualifications and interviewed well. If I ever get through with these interviews, she would be one I'd call her back for a second run. 

Or I would have called her back until I found out she had been Tessa's rental client last year. This woman's behavior cost Tessa a lot of money and Tessa lost a contract with a long-time and prolific landlord client who had been a regular source of Tessa's income. Tessa had nothing positive to say when she found out this woman interviewed with me. Given my opinion of entitled tenants who lie and mislead--and I could see this woman being that kind of person--she's my PTSD'd induced nope. 

In addition to Leah (my favorite and qualified) I also spent an hour with Kristy. Kristy is part of the Chamber of Commerce, Toastmasters, Kiwanis, and several other civic organizations. She is a Girl Scout mom, a past Junior League president and the list goes on. She does this and also finds time to raise four kids. She'd be bored in this job in three months, tops. 

This coming week I have a few more interviews. None sound as wonderful as Leah. So, now I'm looking for a clerk/bookkeeper who doesn't have too much ambition, hasn't previously annoyed Tessa and isn't Leah. Tall order.