Business, From the Experts, Your Event Career
Top Event Planner Interview Questions
Regina Osgood is the owner and creative director of Meant2Be events, a top Arizona wedding planning firm that manages over 250 weddings a year.
The ultimate proof of confidence for a small-business owner is hiring new employees. This important step shows proof of branding concept, execution and business savvy. One of the most critical steps in growing your business is hiring the right people to represent you! That being said, of course, it’s not a part of everyone’s business plan.
But if it is, having the right representation is everything to your reputation and the continued success of your business. I have been extremely fortunate to have had a lot of experience in this area of the event planning business.
In my previous life I worked for a recruitment company where our task was to find qualified people for high-level executive jobs. These positions were salaried at $150-250k a year. So needless to say, these were very accomplished and educated individuals. That being said, many of them had zero interview skills. As a part of my training for this position, we spent three months on the intricacies of resumes and interviewing skills.
Then I started my event company. I had no plans right then to grow into an event planning firm and I certainly had no plans to grow across multiple states. I was still having a hard enough time narrowing down my logo!
A decade later I have a staff of 4 planners and we are consistently working in multiple locations across the US. I have had ups and downs and, yes, a lot of lessons learned.
I am not afraid to say that my interview process is like that of a Fortune 500 company. Why? Because my business is my livelihood and my baby! So if you are considering growing your business by hiring staff, I would be sure to use a few solid, hard-hitting questions in your interview as well!
Here are a few of my favs:
- What do you know about this company?
- What other companies did you look at when looking for this opportunity? Why?
- What makes you interested in event planning?
- What relevant experience should I know about?
- What’s the one accomplishment you’re most proud of? Why?
- Tell me about a time when you had a challenge with a boss or authority figure. How did you handle it?
- What’s one thing you would like to do better? What’s your plan for improving?
- Describe the boss who would get the very best work from you.
- When have you failed? Describe what happened and what you learned from it.
- What is one thing that you can provide me that I will have a hard time getting from another potential candidate?
- Sell me this pencil. (Here I’m looking for an inquiry process, friendliness, good selling skills, and good method for overcoming objections)
- What long-term goals would you want to set for this company?
These seem tough, right?
Well they are, as they should be. Just as important as a potential candidate’s answers is their energy, body language , presentation or appearance, and their punctuality. You have to assume that this is the best they will give to your business because right now they have something at stake!
Happy hiring!
