You know the dance already! You reach out to a Real Estate Agent that you want to encourage into your business or a Recruiter has done it for you. You arrange to meet on mutual ground, a coffee shop for example, just for a "Chat"!
During the meeting, you realise this is the person you want in your business. They are confident, well presented, have great experience and are making all the right noises about being open to offers...
You both leave the meeting happy and looking forward to next steps...but...what are the next steps? This is where most Agencies trip themselves over... You want to grow your team remember!
The natural next steps are to meet once more, as soon as they are able, take them on a tour of your business, introduce them to some people in the team, have a bit more chit-chat...and, If you're both comfortable, you could realistically present them an offer right there...face to face, in your office! Job done...
Why Agencies make it any harder than that is known only to them, but when they do...the chances of that person joining the team in the next month drops by 72%...
As Recruiters, we see it time and time again, employers putting hoops in front of good candidates who would otherwise simply jump ship. We have seen some Agencies with an 8 step recruitment process comprising of multiple meetings with different people in the Agency & a weekend long trial to see if they like it. Who has time for that?
We have seen some Agencies organising catch-ups again a week after the first, then another a week or 2 after that meeting, another catch up a week later again. A lot can happen in the world of Real Estate in 3 -4 weeks...the Agent takes on more listings, another Recruiter or Agency reaches out with a different proposition, and you wonder why the Agent has all of a sudden stopped responding to your texts or calls...
We have even seen some Agencies that charge candidates $250 to do a personality profile!
It's like inviting someone on a date and asking them to pay for dinner...there will be no second date! The Agency says they use this step as a tool to see who is really keen or not and it weeds out 89% of the applicants. Sure does!
Agencies that want to grow, but need to go away for days to put an offer together, possibly haven't thought the "growth" part of their business's through properly...
It's great to have the skills to attract people to pitch to...but then what?
You need to have a very clear understanding about what your "offer" proposition is...and it should be standardised, with Job offer documents already templated...that can be easily tweaked as needed. It will help you tremendously in the recruitment process...
Remember: "Time kills all deals" The better prepared you are...the better result you will get!
In a candidate driven market...if you have the interest of a candidate, and you know their their right fit, you need to make it as quick and painless as possible for a good person to come across to your business! If they weren't the right person, why are you even meeting them for a 3rd or 4th time?
If your goal is to grow your team...make it easy! We'll give you the tip now, if an Agent tells you their ready to move, and their sitting in front of you for a 2nd or 3rd time, they have already done their homework, their ready to finalise their decision!
One of the most appropriate saying's we have heard on this topic is: "Hire fast, fire faster."
If a Real Estate Agent, Property Manager, BDM or support person is already doing the work somewhere else and they have a verified track record...what more could you hope for?
Sure there are risks involved in hiring in general...but really, what's the worst that can happen? They don't work out and you send them on their way? The upside is, they love their new job, appreciate how fast they were able to get started and end up a shining star, it's a 50/50 risk...
We have seen some great Recruitment process's too. These are usually with the Agencies that build great culture through hiring fast and building their team with people who have great potential.
They are not afraid to take risks and people appreciate the opportunity and generally become more loyal. If your recruitment process is slow, a candidate is already questioning if they are joining the right business. Is everything slow? Do they always take this long to make decisions etc...?
Agencies that understand the process, and have confidence in their offering, usually have a Job offer template already organised and ready to present at the 2nd or 3rd meeting...
Some Agencies go as far as providing a timetabled training schedule, and some stats on how they have been able to grow existing Agents revenue with their support and marketing, so the Agent can take it home to show the family...
They always close the candidate. "We're so thrilled to make this offer to you and we see you as a valued addition to the team. We would love if you accepted this offer and join our business. Are you happy to accept?. When would you like to start?"
If growth is important to your Agency, don't be afraid to close the deal as soon as you're comfortable in you decision...
Hire, Grow, Succeed...
