An affiliate manager can save you an abundance of valuable time and increase your bottom line. Therefore it pays to find the right affiliate manager for your internet marketing business. Once you’ve found a handful of interested and potentially qualified candidates it’s important to schedule time to meet with them or to talk on the telephone. Never conducted an interview? No worries, here’s how to interview a potential affiliate manager.
Step One: Schedule a time to talk. Let your candidate know the interview will take about 20 to 30 minutes so they can schedule the appropriate amount of time. If the interview goes on too long then the candidate may feel rushed. Call your candidate rather than having them call you. It puts the ball in your court so to speak.
Step Two: Prepare your questions in advance. A typical interview follows a specific structure.
- Minute or two of friendly chit chat. This isn’t a waste of time; it’s a great way to get a feel for how the candidate communicates. Are they approachable? Do they communicate clearly? Are they professional?
- Preliminary questions. This is where you briefly address their qualifications, work history, and interest in the position. If you have specific software requirements or skills then you can verify those here.
- In-depth questions. This is where you’ll spend the bulk of your time and where you’ll really get to know the candidate. You’ll want to ask open ended questions here like, “Tell me about a time you set and achieved a goal.” This type of information can tell you a lot about a potential candidate. You want to hear stories of success, and potentially failure, here – case studies so to speak.
- Wrapping it up. Concluding an interview can actually be the most difficult part. Be prepared by having an action plan. Know when you’re going to make your decision and how you’re going to follow up.
Requirements for an affiliate manager range from introductory virtual assistant skills to very specific technical and marketing skills. Outline your requirements before you post the position and interview only those people who match, or best match, your job description. It’s easy to spend an enormous amount of time interviewing. Make a plan and stick to it, which includes preparing for the interview ahead of time and asking the questions you need to know.