Finding the perfect fit for your team can be difficult. At BPI, we take finding the right candidates to deliver our high standard of services to learners and their families very seriously. The success of the learners we serve is our priority, and it is crucial to ensure that the professionals who join our team will be able to deliver effective therapy services. Not only is it important to find candidates with the right skill set, but also the right attitude and dedication to the amazing work they’ll be doing!

So, how do we know we've found the right fit after just a short interview? The answer is not always as straightforward as one might hope, but there are certain things we look for when choosing the right candidate.

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Personality and Culture Fit

This is a big piece of the puzzle. 

Delivering ABA therapy means interacting with many people, whether team members, learners, families, or members of the communities we serve. We must trust the team members we bring on to be friendly, professional, and knowledgeable when navigating those interactions. 

We also look for individuals who are excited about the role they're applying for. It's important to try to gauge why they are here and what brought them to apply for a role at BPI. Some of the things we look for are pretty straightforward:

• Does this person seem excited to be here for the interview?
• Is this person charismatic and personable?
• How does this person interact with meeting other team members and learners during floor observations (where we see them interact with teams and clients during the interview)?

So, how do we effectively make these observations? Much of the answers are communicated through body language and social cues: 

• Do they seem warm and friendly when they introduce themselves? 
• Do they show up and professionally present themselves (e.g., dress for the interview, come prepared with their resume or other credentials, etc.)? 
• How do they present themselves when speaking to other team members?

Of course, there are also direct questions to ask the person applying that may indicate if they are a good fit for the company culture.

• "How would your previous coworkers and supervisors describe you?"
• "How would you describe your interactions with other team members in high-stress situations?"
• "Can you describe a time when you received feedback that was difficult to hear? How did you respond? What did you learn from this experience?"
• "Think about the best manager you've ever worked with. What made them stand out?"

Gauging how prospective team members view themselves and those around them can be very enlightening about how they will thrive in a high-paced, team-oriented environment.

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Work Ethic

Working in human services comes with its own set of responsibilities, and a high level of dedication is crucial when other people, particularly underserved communities, depend on your services to grow. 

It's important to highlight how each role collaborates toward a common goal. This can be done by discussing how essential the role is within the bigger picture of what BPI does. Additionally, the interviewer should discuss what benefits are offered that allow team members to balance those responsibilities with their personal lives.

Being transparent about what we can offer and the real day-to-day expectations of the role helps the interviewer gauge if the applicant is here for the right reasons and also helps the applicant determine if this is a good fit for their life. Remember that sometimes, even though a role may seem like something they want to do, the reality of that role may not mesh with their other responsibilities in life. 

That is completely fine, by the way! 

As an organization, we must always give realistic expectations into what we can offer so that the candidate can determine if the role is a good fit for them, just as we are trying to determine if they are a good fit for the role. 

Taking on a career is a two-way street. What the interviewee thinks about us matters as much as what we think about them!

Some good ways to try and gauge work ethic during the interview include asking questions like:

• "Here is a scenario. X, Y, and Z are all happening at once, and it's your responsibility to take care of each item. What do you do when under pressure to complete multiple things simultaneously?" 

This question allows the interviewer to see the candidate's thought process. Can they prioritize things in a way that makes sense—ranking things from most important to least important? Do they take some time to think about the scenario you've presented to them and come up with a reasonable response?

• "How do you help alleviate feelings of burnout or stress? What are some methods you use to cope when things get rough?" 

Again, remember to set realistic expectations. ABA is not an easy job, and it doesn't help anyone to sugarcoat the role! It can be tough seeing learners and families try to navigate through therapy, supporting them through challenging behaviors, and trying to help develop skills that will allow them to communicate and advocate for themselves in life.

With that being said, these fast-paced, sometimes stressful, parts of the job contribute to something significant and meaningful—learners who are able to learn, grow, and achieve all that they want from life!

• "Say you have something stressful at home but have an important deadline or goal to reach with a learner. Knowing there is a high level of responsibility in a role like this, how do you balance that with your responsibilities outside of work?" 

Now, there's no need to get too personal here with specifics, but seeing how the interviewee responds and thinks about how they would handle a hypothetical situation gives a good indication of the interviewee's ability to separate personal life from work life.

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What drives the person?

Now that you've spoken to the interviewee about their personality, work experience, and how they can balance multiple responsibilities at once, it's time to dig a little deeper! 

• Why are they here talking to you right now? 
• What made them decide to apply with the organization? 
• What is it that drew them to this field in general?

These are all great questions to decipher whether the candidate is here for the role or a job. Working in ABA isn't just a "job." 

Our team members are here doing important work every day, and it's crucial that we build our teams with people who want to be here, who understand what they're doing, and who understand the impact they are making.

Some good questions to start with include:

• "Can you tell me what you understand this role to be? If you could tell me the top three responsibilities you understand this role to focus on, what would those be?" 

This question helps to gauge whether this interviewee spent time researching ABA, the company, and/or their role. Do they know who we are and what we do? Not every candidate will have ABA experience, and that's okay. We still want candidates who are ready to learn more about it.

• "I see that you've worked for a few similar organizations. Can you tell me a little bit about what you liked and disliked about working in this field?"

In the instance where a person has a background in the field, it's a perfect opportunity to ask why they love doing what they do.

• "Can you tell me a little about what motivated you to want to start a career in the ABA field?"

It is not uncommon for interviewees to be interested in ABA because they have a family member who has gone through therapy or been diagnosed. Asking respectfully about what they've learned from those experiences can be very insightful and demonstrate how passionate they may be about the role. 

There are so many ways that interviewees can prepare for interviews, such as simply searching for interview tips. That's why it's helpful to ask a variety of questions that make the interviewee think rather than just repeating what they saw online. It can be difficult, but it's important to sift through genuine, thoughtful responses and those automated "say what they want to hear" responses. 

Be sure to balance those questions and provide realistic expectations of the role, the organization, and what it means to serve others. Sometimes, this may be a person's first exposure to a role like this, and it's important to vary questions, keep the conversation organic (build off of previous responses and let the interview flow naturally), ask tough questions, and leave the interview feeling like you've gotten to know the individual. 

What leads many managers down a less successful path is when questions are limited to only operational questions. For example, focusing on the schedule availability needed, whether they are looking for full-time or part-time work, or solely their pay expectations. While those are certainly important questions, they do not allow you to truly determine if this person will be a good fit and wants to join the team for the right reasons!

It's important to remember that even if someone didn't score 100% on your evaluation during the interview, they can still be trained and supported along the way to really become an asset to the team. 

Ongoing support and training for team members are crucial for creating and maintaining strong, effective teams. We are all about growth at BPI, whether it's for clients or team members. We also believe that sometimes it's okay to take a chance and help someone develop a passion for a field they may not have otherwise considered. 

By using your best judgment, experience, and knowledge of the field to effectively guide interviews early in the hiring process, interviewers can feel confident that they made the best decision for the organization. 

Allowing interviewees the opportunity to think about why they applied, setting clear expectations and realistic overviews of the role, and taking time to get to know someone in your limited time is the crucial first step to creating strong, lasting teams in the ABA field.