As most hiring managers in the real estate industry know, the hiringprocess is unique. Other than an initial application and interview, the candidate is fundamentally independant in terms of entering the real estate field, and could be on their own for months, before joining a real estate company.
Many of the managers with whom I have consulted have heard me discuss the post interview follow-up that is so critical to their hiring process.
In a nutshell, treat a potential hire as if they are hired.
I came across this short video in which Indigo Triplett, CEO of Careers in Transition, discusses a concept I have shared with many managers…in her case she refers to a “Work With program” that allows prospective hires to actually work as a hired employee for a short period of time--up to 40 hours.
The concept allows for a hiring manager to move away from predicting a candidate’s success based on the interview and resume alone.
Clearly there are some limitations in the real estate world prior to obtaining one’s license, but I submit there is plenty for a potential hire to do and see prior to activating their license.
The more you and the people in your office engage personally with a desired new agent, the more you will know who you are potentially hiring. You will get the benefit of getting other perspectives from those who worked with the prospective hire.
Some ways to engage candidates:
1. Invite them to sales meetings.
2. Invite them on office tours.
3. Match them up with an experienced agent in the office and have them attend an open house.
4. Invite them to training sessions….the sooner they are trained the sooner they will produce.
We all know how important relationships are in every facet of the real estate industry; hiring is no exception. The more you engage a candidate in your office, the more they will feel an affinity not only with you, but also with the office culture.
This is a huge competitive advantage. They will be more motivated to complete the licensing requirements, and less likely to consider your competition.
Stay tuned for my next installment in which I will share with you what a couple of my high performing accounts are doing, relative to the strategies discussed today.
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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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