How do you hire a moderator ?

[Cedric]

Do you think people who are applying for a moderator position on your forum should have some type of past experience? Should they be able to list a few forums where they previously worked on ? How do you determine a good moderator ? Would you accept an external staff application or do you want members on your forum to be a moderator specifically ? Do you agree that being a moderator is a learning process or is it more a "you've got it or don't have it" kinda thing ?

 

[Cory]

I'd rather select members from my community to be a moderator rather than use applications. If you find members that are civilized, active, and experienced then you may have found yourself a good person to be a part of the team. If I were to accept applications I'd certainly want to see some past or current experience that would make me consider giving them a position. Hiring moderators can sometimes be a risky business if you don't know the person well enough, everyone online is cloaked behind a screen.

 

[Shortie]

Whenever I look for moderators on my forum I always choose them myself with the help of my staff as to who would be a great fit for the job at the time. Usually, I go for someone who is very active on the forum, likes to post new activity, and has a strong interest in the forum. If I see someone like that and I feel they would be a good person for the mod job I will approach them and ask them if they would be interested.

 

[Smokey]

I generally look for active members that are interested in the site to a degree that I feel they would make a good candidate to help keep things running. I generally don't promote anyone who asks for the position though.

 

[Xilia]

I ask all my staff to be a minimum of 18+ for the sole fact of, I want to avoid "minor drama" that just naturally creeps up with being a minor. Other than that, it really depends on the exact circumstances and position (I, myself am in my late 20s). I normally have my current partner always be a co-admin even if they're more of a visitor. This is mostly so that if I get locked out for whatever reason, they are like my backup to restore my account, haha.

 

[Cory]

I generally don't promote anyone who asks for the position though.

I remember that being a rule on a lot of forums I lurked.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I watch to see who the best candidate is.

But I'm also open to those who ask and genuinely show interest.

That's really important these days as forums are losing more and more to social media. (for now)

Anyone who shows interest in being a bigger part of your community might be someone who helps you make it the best community you've ever imagined.

The only way to get a job anywhere is to look for one and ask, right? Why can't that same thing apply to a forum?

But most of the time, people are asking knowing that they won't get paid for the position.

I think that's something for us to really stop and think about.

 

[Ken]

I hired about 3-4 people in the past 3 years and they gave me a bad time. I just hire the ones who can keep things in order, listen to new ideas and maybe come up with ones of their own.

 

[Arantor]

People *asking* is almost always a recipe for a bad time.

 

[Strength]

It’s hard to find good management/staff. I personally think staff applications are a good idea for large communities or to narrow the candidate pool down some. It also sets forth what you’re looking for and minimum requirements you feel are necessary.

With that being said, I’ve generally stuck to a core group of individuals I’ve met through my forum journey. An example would be @Aerodynamic. If I created a forum I know he would jump in and be along for the ride no problem. I think he feels the same way about me since I’m here and I’ve been with him during most of his startups. Once you find someone good that has similar interests and goals you generally lay a good foundation for other like minded individuals.

 

[Kale]

Post mod/general applications usually. I then look through the users post history and how they interact within the community. If they'd be a good fit then they will be invited to become a mod of the forum.

But I'm also open to those who ask and genuinely show interest.

Same here. I am open to people who ask and express interest to be a mod. I don't like the whole "don't ask to be a mod" stuff. Sometimes people who do ask are good candidates.

I ask all my staff to be a minimum of 18+ for the sole fact of, I want to avoid "minor drama" that just naturally creeps up with being a minor. Other than that,

Yup, good call. All my staff nowadays must be 18+ and if caught lying they will be stripped of the role and banned.

 

[SpookyZalost]

For me they'd have to be an active member of the community. Someone that's shown good judgement and occasionally leadership traits. That way they'd be a good fit and already having demonstrated dedication. I wouldn't push it on someone though, I'd offer it to them rather than taking applications. After all "The best leaders aren't the ones who want power but the ones who have it thrust upon them" - old Klingon proverb

 

[Reverie]

Prior to opening I might reach out to people who I think have good qualities for the community. People who I think would enhance the community in some form! If the forum is opened already and I'm in need of more help, I would definitely reach out to an already active member who participates! Typically, the best staff is people who are in your community already. They know how the forum typically works and have built relationships with other members. I do open up staff applications if they decline and then check out who may be interested.

I remember the days of posting on admin/advertising forums "Looking for staff" and it may work on specific niches, but when they are hired sometimes it takes some time to make it feel like they are truly part of the community.

 

[Empire]

I hired about 3-4 people in the past 3 years and they gave me a bad time. I just hire the ones who can keep things in order, listen to new ideas and maybe come up with ones of their own.

I had the same vote, but not all though.

It can be hard to find people to mod, I mean if you running a very small site that has no active members on your site then ou end up going elsewhere looking for people to join and you may end up having one person interested and you have no options to approve.

 

[JennyorAlice]

I like looking from within as well. If someone is already familiar with the forum, then that's just an added bonus. But if I can't hire from within, then I'll look elsewhere. I don't expect someone to have 20 or 30 years worth of experience but I do like someone to have a little bit of experience, yes.