Minimum Qualification Quick Reference
This quick reference guide will cover important elements of the Minimum Qualification (MQ) training. This is a simplified guide, if you have any questions or would like additional support, please contact Shelly Stahara.
Reading Beyond the Title
Say you’re looking to hire for a customer service position. Just because an applicant doesn’t have “customer service” listed as their job title or duties doesn’t mean they lack customer service experience or skills.
Keep an open mind and read through the application. It’s okay to skim for what you’re looking for but avoid using a search tool for specific keywords. We want to assess applicants based on their skills, not how well they market themselves. Encourage your hiring managers to also keep an open mind.
For Example: Here is a list of job titles that do not include the words “customer service” but might involve customer service skills.
- Retail cashier
- Restaurant cashier
- Call center representative
- Server
- Host (at a restaurant)
- Help desk attendant
- Barista
- Bartender
Remember: Make sure to read all job duties. Customer service can be described without using the exact words. You can be more lenient in the MQ stage, MQs are an entry into a class not a final fit for a specific job description. The process will help you naturally narrow down the pool of candidates.
Keep in mind that:
- A relevant bachelor’s degree is equivalent to four years of experience
Supplemental Questions
To screen for customer service skills, please consider adding one of the following to your job posting’s supplemental questions.
- Please detail your experience with customer support/service.
- Please detail your experience with, or supporting, customers or members
of the public. - Please provide examples of your experiences with customer service and or
support.
Important CO-Jobs Reminders
- Use the templates provided in CO-Jobs for each job posting
- DO NOT copy existing posts
- DO NOT reactivate an old post in CO-Jobs
- This will result in incorrect data for your agency, negatively impacting the accuracy of reports