In my quest to encourage, promote and assist our clients in their recruiting efforts, I often find myself trying to find a new way to approach the work of recruiting.
Most all of
the managers with whom I have worked understand the need for consistent
recruiting
results, but they really languish in the execution of that
task. In helping them overcome this
common state of mind, I often find myself trying to reframe this experience
into something less objectionable.
I have written in the past about changing one’s mindset from the concept of recruiting to the reality of relationship building, which most managers do naturally well.
I have also discussed the idea of the recruiting process mirroring that of the sales process. In any sales process, it’s common sense that one prospects, identifies a client, and nurtures that relationship consistently and thoughtfully until it closes. Looking at the recruiting process from that perspective should not feel objectionable—especially to those managers who love to sell.
So here I am again, trying to playfully trick hiring managers into falling in love with the recruiting process. Margaret Heffernan, an entrepreneur and author, brought this new vantage point to my attention. Consider how she has learned to find and engage talented individuals for her business:
“Every CEO I know worries about people and talent. How do you find and keep the right people? Why is it so hard to find employees when you need them? Why does recruitment take so long and cost so much?
These questions contain the answers. Most leaders fill slots as they arise--and that's the wrong way around. What more creative leaders do is collect talent, all the time. At conferences, visiting other companies, at community events, talking to the parents of their children: they scan the horizon constantly for energy, talent, and drive.
Then, when they find those qualities, they can do one of three things.
They can notice and move on--and remain frustrated.
They can notice, develop a relationship with the people who've caught their attention, and keep lines of communication open. (They're like casting agents who watch every movie, see every play--even school plays--and know immediately what to do when a spot opens up.)
But the boldest of these CEOs go even further: they just hire the talent in the confidence that great people make themselves useful. This doesn't always look efficient but it can be terrifically productive. How many business owners can seriously afford to keep talent out?
Talent gatherers are, in effect, impresarios. They are always recruiting because they just love finding new talent, connecting to it, and nurturing it. It's their nature, not just their job. Everyone else is just trying to catch up.”
From Margaret’s perspective, real estate owners are indeed bold because they understand the need to constantly be on the lookout for potential talent. They encourage both their managers and their agents (in the form of referral programs) to be constantly performing the recruiting function as they go about their normal business duties.
But in Margaret’s description, most real estate hiring managers get stuck on points one and two. It’s all too easy to see opportunity and take no action.
But, it’s also too easy to only consider those “actors” who seem to be close to a “role” you need to fill. This is equivalent to a hiring manager only taking notice of those who are already licensed or in school for real estate. Those candidates are perceived to be the most visible and easier to communicate with since you most likely run in the same circles, but this is a limited source for recruiting.
For me, the third point relates to opening up the hiring aperture to hiring new agent talent. By beginning a dialog, (i.e. starting a relationship) with highly skilled individuals in your community you open up the door to on-boarding a new pool of talent that could convert at any point in time.
Does this type of recruiting seem time consuming to you? Even if your efforts don’t directly produce a hire, might they become your next client or referral? It seems to me you are already building these relationships…why not explore the possibility of a career in real estate with them as well?
Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. .
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