WorkPuzzle

Post Memorial Day Insight: To Do...Or...Not To Do

The WorkPuzzle gang has been a little slow in recovering after Memorial Day Weekend.  We'll be back to our normal publishing schedule next week. 

To wrap up this week, I thought I'd post something a little more eclectic than normal.  I found two "lists" this week that caught my attention.  Whenever I spend significant time away from the office, I tend to come back and question my priorities--what am I doing, and why am I doing it?  As I try to get back on track, rules that speak to priorities tend to resonate with me. 

The first list was orginally published in Reddit and was consolidated by Dina Spector, one of the Business Insider contributors.  It is an intriguing list of small things you can start doing to make yourself more healthy.  If you click through to the original article, most of the insights are documented with original research citations.

The second list is written by Jeff Hayden and published in Inc. Magazine. It is a list of things that you should immedietly elliminate from your daily routine. 

So, here is a slight adaptation Hamlet's famous question:  To do, or not to do.  That is the question.

To Do

1. Learn to drink your coffee black. Coffee is good for you (in moderation). Eliminating milk, cream, sugar, or flavorings will cut calories and maximize coffee's health benefits.

2. Stand on one leg while brushing your teeth. This is an easy multi-tasking activity that can improve your balance. 

3. Spread avocado on your toast instead of butter. Avocados are a good source of healthy fats. The fleshy green fruit is a mainstay on the "superfood" list. 

4. Meditate for just 20 minutes a day.  At least a dozen executives swear by the relaxing technique.

5. Eat fruit instead of candy.  Candy is sweet because it contains processed sugar, usually high fructose corn syrup. Fruit is sweet because it contains natural sugar, while it's also rich in fiber and vitamins. 

6. Learn how to cook. You will eat healthier, save money on dining out, and boost your self-esteem armed with a new skill. 

7. Park farther away from your destination. This is an easy way to squeeze more physical activity into your daily routine. 

8. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. This will burn calories and tone leg muscles.

9. Shop on a full stomach. Studies show that people who snack before a grocery trip buy fewer unhealthy foods. 

10. Drink more water.  The benefits of staying hydrated are endless — healthier hair, skin, and more energy. Some fitness experts claim you can lose weight if you drink water before every meal. 

11. Turn off your phone from time to time. Occasionally unplugging can help stressed individuals achieve a state of complete relaxation. 

12. Read a book. Expand your knowledge, reduce stress, and briefly cut ties with the Internet. 

13. Walk faster. Power walking will help blast fat — and get you to your destination sooner. 

14. Eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread.  Whole wheat bread is higher in fiber than regular white bread. Fiber helps with digestion.

15. Moisturize daily. A good moisturizing regimen prevents dry, flaky skin.  

16. Stretch every day.  Studies have shown that, in addition to enhancing flexibility, stretching makes you stronger and increases endurance. 

17. Regularly wash your hands with soap and water and dry properly.This simple step gets rids of germs and drying off prevents the spread of bacteria.  

18. If you are a regular public transport user, get on the bus one stop later than usual, and get off off one stop earlier than usual. Walking burns calories, reduces anxiety, and strengthens bones. 

19. Wear sunscreen. You don't want skin cancer. And you don't want to look like this. 

 Not to Do

1. Check my phone while I'm talking to someone.  Stop checking your phone. It doesn't notice when you aren't paying attention.  Other people? They notice. And they care.

2. Multitask during a meeting. The easiest way to be the smartest person in the room is to be the person who pays the most attention to the room.

3. Think about people who don't make any difference in my life.  Trust me: The inhabitants of planet Kardashian are okay without you.

4. Use multiple notifications.  You don't need to know the instant you get an email. Or a text. Or a tweet. Or anything else that pops up on your phone or computer.  They can wait. You, and what is truly important to you, cannot.

5. Let the past dictate the future.  Mistakes are valuable. Learn from them. Then let them go.The past is just training. The past should definitely inform but in no way define you--unless you let it.

6. Wait until I'm sure I will succeed.  You can never feel sure you will succeed at something new, but you can always feel sure you are committed to giving something your best.

7. Talk behind someone's back.  If only because being the focus of gossip sucks. (And so do the people who gossip.)  Spend your time on productive conversations. You'll get a lot more done--and you'll gain a lot more respect.

8. Say "yes" when I really mean "no."  When you say no, at least you'll only feel bad for a few moments. When you say yes to something you really don't want to do you might feel bad for a long time--or at least as long as it takes you to do what you didn't want to do in the first place.

If you follow the advice on both of these lists, your summer will be off to a great start, and you'll be making investments in yourself that will pay dividends far beyond the next few months.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Turning Your Sales Expertise into Recruiting Expertise—Part 2

In our last discussion, I outlined two of the five steps that allow you to connect your previous sales expertise to the recruiting process.

The first two steps—developing a relationship with the candidate and identifying the candidate’s needs are critical to the process.  If this important groundwork is not laid at the beginning of the recruiting sequence, the remainder of the interaction with the candidate will feel “sales-y.”  Talented candidates shut down and run the other way when they detect an interview heading down this path.

Assuming you’ve laid the proper groundwork, here are the remaining components of the recruiting strategy:

Preventing/Overcoming Objections: Although objections are inevitable in any sales process, the key for successful sales professionals/recruiters is actually preventing objections. By asking the right types of questions in step 2, many objections that would have occurred in the process are addressed before the candidate has an opportunity to bring them forth. Keep in mind that some objections are inevitable, that they are often training responses, and that most are emotional and not practical.

It is not uncommon for candidates to experience “buyer's remorse” at some point during the recruiting process.  After the initial attempts to build a relationship and share information, candidates often get cold feet.  If this should happen after an interview (during the follow-up process), reminding your candidates of why they started down this path in the first place may help them get back on track. 

Filling the Need/Providing Benefits: Identifying the need (step 2) is considered the most crucial skill in sales or recruiting; filling the need (step 4)  is the second-most critical step to ensure success. Often recruiters and sales professionals alike pay little attention to step 2, and focus solely on step 4.

Like many sales professionals, recruiters often focus on what is commonly known in sales language as their “product knowledge.” They have an in-depth understanding of the organization they are recruiting for, they understand every detail of the position and its function, and they completely understand the requirements of the role.

Armed with all of this product knowledge, these untrained recruiters contact potential candidates and attempt to “tell” them about every benefit of the position and company they represent, never addressing the real needs of the candidates. This is a common mistake that is made by most sales professionals and is illustrated further in this article.

Most of our recruiting coordinators (ie. the individuals who first make contact with candidates) have been advised to not over-share information.  While many of them do have the “product knowledge,” that information is best shared by the hiring manager later in the process (if it even needs to be shared at all).  If a candidate is told everything about the career and company, there is little reason for the person to invest time in an interview. 

When a hiring manager is face-to-face with a candidate, it’s important to only address the unique and specific needs identified in step 2 of the process.  At this stage of the hiring process, the candidate’s needs are the primarily concern.  Product knowledge and information overloading just muddies the water and makes it difficult for the candidate to gain clarity in an important career decision.

Advance/Close the Sale: In recruiting and sales, advancing the sale is the final objective throughout every step of the process. By filling the need in Step 4, you are in a position to advance the sale to the next step.

In recruiting, closing is most commonly compared to presenting the offer and gaining acceptance from the candidate. At this stage recruiters often focus on the practical aspects of the offer being made: compensation, benefits, perks etc.

Effective recruiters and sales professionals alike understand the importance of re-emphasizing the emotional drivers identified in Step 2 of the sales process prior to presenting the practical aspects of the solution.

In the real estate recruiting process, there is often more “advancing” and less “closing” required.  After learning about the candidate’s unique situation, figure out a reasonable first step (or next step) in the hiring process and attempt to get the candidate to commit to that step.  Mutually select a date when the next step will be completed and then hold the candidate accountable to the target date. 

Without “closing” a candidate on the next step, the hiring process will not gain and maintain momentum.  Seemingly great interviews result in disappearing candidates—i.e. individuals you never hear from again after the interview is finished. 

Knowing what to ask, when to ask, what to share, and when to listen is fundamental to both the sales and recruiting process.  Here’s to becoming an expert at both!

Note:  Note: Quotations (italicized text) are excerpts from a great article written by  Stephen Lowisz.  Read more of Stephen’s article by visiting his author page on Electronic Recruiting Exchange.

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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. .

Turning Your Sales Expertise into Recruiting Expertise--Part 1

I recently came across an article that reinforces many of the principles I believe to be true regarding effective recruiting.  Steven Lowisz does a great job of succinctly summarizing the parallels between effective recruiting and effective sales.  

Since many of the hiring managers in the real estate industy started out their careers as sales professionals (ie. agents), the connection between these two activities will feel familiar.  The skills that once made you a great salesperson will now help you become a more effective recruiter.    

In this two-part series, I will discuss five steps to effective recruiting that also apply to sales.  Managers will get a two-for-one benefit in this discussion--insight for recruiting and insight for coaching agents on the sales process.  

I believe these ideas are also helpful for the "first responders" in the recruiting process (what we call recruiting coordinators).  It is important that the candidate experiences a consistent set of best practices from their first contact with your organization to the face-to-face interview.

1. Developing the Relationship: This is the time that the warming-up events occur before the serious selling begins. This includes how you introduce yourself and how you begin the conversation. Candidates have stated that it’s during the first two minutes of the call that they form crucial initial impressions that influence the rest of the recruiting process.

The recruiting coordinators are on the frontline with the HiringCenter leads.  They are the first to start building the relationship between the candidate and the company.  I’ve found most of the candidates who are contacted within the first 24 hours after applying are genuinely appreciative of the responsiveness and information that is shared.  After the initial screening the candidate is then introduced to the manager who starts to build their own relationship with the candidate.

2. Creating/Identifying the Need: Every sale involves identifying a need that the candidate is often unaware of by asking questions. This is much more than a simple collection of data. Identifying or creating the need is the most important of all selling and recruiting skills. Recruiters who are the most effective during this investigative stage are most likely to be the highest performers. Recruiters with poor investigative skills generally create candidates who ultimately do not accept the position once offered.

Here is where a little finesse comes into play.  Just asking for one’s work history is not enough. Of course it's important, but falls short of effective screening. 

Take it a step further and ask what it is that they enjoy about their current career/position…listen. Then ask what it is that they don’t care for….listen.  Then compare and contrast how a career in real estate would address those observations in their favor. 

For example, a candidate may say “I don’t like being behind a desk all day” or “There is a lack of advancement” or “I really feel micromanaged.”    All of those observations are non-issues as an agent.

As you capture the frustrating aspects of their current job and gently suggest how these issues may be solved by transitioning to a real estate career, the need for an interview with the hiring manager will be easier to sell.  Remember, that is the primary function of the recruiting coordinator. 

Also, when similiar questions are later asked by the hiring manager, he/she will be in a better position to build upon the groundwork that has been laid earlier in the process.  

In my next installment I will discuss the last three steps critical to the recruiting process.

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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. .

Is Requesting a Resume a Good Idea for a Real Estate Agent Interview?

Over the last few years, we’ve worked with several real estate hiring managers who insist on seeing a resume before meeting with a candidate. When our account managers ask for an explanation, the conversation usually goes something like this:

"My time is valuable, so I want to make sure the person is both serious and qualified to become a real estate agent.” 

One manager recently said:

"If they can't send me a resume, I don't want to waste my time on them." 

Is this a good policy?  Let’s investigate the pros and cons of this stance.

First consider that every business practice is an expression of various underlying assumptions.  From that premise, let’s try to surmise what possible assumptions are being made in the “resume first” stance and then assess their validity. 

Assumption #1: Any candidate worth interviewing will have a resume handy and be eager to show it to me before a meeting. 

I want you to consider the best people who have entered and thrived in your organization. How many of them would have sent a resume or even had a resume handy when they were first hired?  How many of them would have come to an interview if you asked them for one?

It appears to me (for reasons I will go into below) that only the most desperate (and perhaps confused), would feel compelled to bring a resume to the first interview when considering becoming an independent contractor within the real estate industry. 

Assumption #2: You interviewing them is more important than them interviewing you.

This assumption is clearly communicated in the request for a resume. In many highly competitive corporate jobs where a salary, benefits, and security are provided, this is certainly to be expected. But, in the real estate industry, there is a different set of expectations. 

Most candidates know that becoming a real estate agent means signing up to invest significant resources to become an independent contractor.  From this perspective, it only makes sense that the first interview would be a two-way street of reciprocal respect.

Remember, you need great candidates as much as they need you. If, after the first interview, you have doubts about the person’s potential to perform, asking for a  resume would seem reasonable.  At this juncture, it makes sense to test a weak candidate’s follow-through or investigate their background.

But if you ask a savvy candidate for a resume, you run the risk of alienating them because they are often employed successfully and want to assess you (and the real estate career) before you assess them.  

Assumption #3 Your time is more important than their time.

Most working professionals do not have an updated resume in hand.  Most people do not prepare a resume until they are unemployed, or think they will soon be unemployed. I know many people who have never needed a resume because their reputation and professional performance speaks for itself.

How do you think the most capable candidates will respond to this request? Do you believe that they will spend the time necessary to prepare a resume just for you? They will only do so if you have earned the right to make such a request.  Instead, most candidates will interpret your request in one way:   "My time is more important than yours." 

Assumption #4: You're in the power position not them.

The very act of requesting a resume communicates a great deal about your assessment (or your insistence) of the balance of power in the relationship. You might as well be saying: "Yes... I think I'm more important than you".  Even in competitive corporate America when an important executive is being courted for hiring, the resume is not requested until it makes sense to everyone involved.

In order to attract the best candidates you must not assume this power position.  The relationship has to feel peer-to-peer, especially in the first meeting.  In my opinion, some managers who request resumes before the first interviews have issues around fearing vulnerability.  This technique may help them from exposing this apprehension.

Assumption #5 : You don't expect to interview successful candidates.

This assumption could be based on past experiences of interviewing terrible candidates. The problem with this assumption is that protecting against “wasting time” with unqualified candidates kills the chances of engaging better candidates in the future. It would be similar to a fisherman giving up casting because previous casts were unproductive.  Yes, he’ll save a lot of time.  But, the chances of catching fish have diminished to zero.

In our experience working with real estate hiring, about one third (33%) of interviews result in an engagement where the managers is truly excited about the candidate’s potential.  Of the third who fit into this category, usually one half (50%) of those candidates end up joining their team as an agent.   Working backwards on these percentages, it takes an average of six interviews to hire one high-potential “new to real estate” agent.*

If you disagree with my analysis of this problem, don't hesitate to let me know. I have been wrong before and expect I will be again. But, in my view so far, the basic rule of thumb is this: 

If you want to attract the best talent to your team, you must treat everyone, initially, like he/she might be the best candidate you've ever seen. 

*Note: The overall hire/interview percentage is higher than 17% (1 hire in 6 interviews) for most high- performing real estate organizations.  This happens because some of the “not-so-great candidates” also become agents.  Overall, high- performing real estate companies see 25% of their total interviews eventually convert to hires.  This data is based on the companies who are clients of Tidemark.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Be Happy--Become a Real Estate Agent--Part 2

Last week, our discussion focused on new research concerning where individuals find happiness in their careers.  Surprisingly, the “real estate agent” position topped the 2013 “Happiest Jobs in America” list.

How did the real estate agent position garner such a high ranking?  The position scored highly on the top ten factors that produce happiness at work:

1. Work-life balance

2.  One’s relationship with his/her boss and co-workers

3.  Work environment

4.   Job resources

5.  Compensation

6.  Growth opportunities

7.  Company culture

8.  Company reputation

9.  Daily tasks

10.  Job control over work performed on a daily basis.

In part one of this blog, we talked about how to use this information during an interview.  But, there is more to learn from this research; both from a retention perspective and a second recruiting angle you may have not considered.

Retention

Think about how the agents on your team would rate each of the happiness factors listed. It might be interesting to conduct your own research on this topic during upcoming coaching sessions. 

To mirror a job happiness study, use a five point scale (1-Unacceptable…5-Outstanding) and ask questions in the following manner….”How would you rate your work-life balance while working in our company?”

As you might suspect, retaining agents has a lot to do with maintaining an environment where people feel they can initially obtain and then later sustain a sense of personal happiness.  

Typically, agents won’t leave your organization because the company next door offers something better.  They leave (initially with their emotions) because something (or multiple things) is constantly irritating them. Once this irritation sets in, it’s easy to rationalize that the grass must be greener somewhere else.

To be successful at retaining your agents, be proactive and make sure that these irritations don’t take root in your organization.

Recruiting

From a recruiting perspective, there is a second angle worth considering in the jo happiness study.  It will always be difficult to lure happy individuals away from their current positions with a “life’s great over here” message.

A better strategy is to find those who are unhappy. 

Almost any message of hope has a good chance of resonating with these individuals.  The CareerBliss study documented the job positions where workers are most dissatisfied:

There are a few patterns worth noticing in this data. 

1.  Pay is not correlated to happiness.  The most “unhappy job in America” pays a six-figure salary.  None of the happiest jobs are particularly high-paying positions.

2.  Education level is not correlated to happiness.   Several of the jobs on the unhappy list require high levels of education (nurse, teacher, attorney, pharmacy technician).  Many of the happiest jobs do not require highly specialized education.

3.  Serving unhappy customers is taxing.  Notice that many of the unhappy professions regularly deal with dissatisfied customers or unhappy clients.  People typically interface with the legal, medical, and customer service professions when something has gone wrong.

Successful recruiting first involves finding people who are unhappy with their current employment and then engaging them by tapping into their feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration. 

Unless a  candidate first feels heard on these two topics, the positive traits of being a real estate agent will fall on deaf ears. 

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Be Happy: Become a Real Estate Agent

I had the opportunity to spend some time with the executive team and managers of Ruhl &Ruhl Realtors in Davenport, Iowa late last month.  Caroline Ruhl and her team lead a highly productive company that is full of optimism and contagious energy.

Caroline’s company is very successful at attracting talented young professionals to the real estate industry.  They are far ahead of most of their industry peers and have a bright future emerging. 

By chance, I happened to arrive for a pre-planned speaking engagement on the day when the company surpassed a very aggressive recruiting goal they’ve been working on for several years.   

The impromptu celebration (which started at 9am) included cake, sparklers, candy, champagne, and balloons.  And not just any balloons, the meeting room was filled with balloons that each had the individual name of one agent in the company written on it.  It was quite impactful to look around the room and recognize the lives that have been impacted by the recruiting process.

Doesn’t this sound like a fun place to work?  Darcy Holle and Sally Atwell planned the surprise celebration.  Both of these ladies are great recruiters and lots of fun at a 9am party too!

I relayed this experience to you as a way of introducing some new research that was recently published in Forbes Magazine.  Not surprisingly, Caroline pointed me to this article during my visit.  It only makes sense that a fun place like Ruhl & Ruhl would discover this research!

The research was done by an online career community called CareerBliss, and it involved collecting surveys from more than 65,000 employees.  Forbes magazine reported:

“Employees all over the country were asked to evaluate ten factors that affect workplace happiness. Those include one’s relationship with the boss and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and control over the work one does on a daily basis.

They evaluated each factor on a five-point scale and also indicated how important it was to their overall happiness. The numbers were combined to find an average rating of overall employee happiness for each respondent, and then sorted by job title to find which occupations had the happiest workers. A minimum of 50 employee reviews was required to be considered for CareerBliss’ 10 Happiest Jobs in America, and executive level jobs, like chief executive, were excluded from the study. “

And the results…

"The happiest employees of all aren’t kindergarten teachers or veterinarians. They’re real estate agents. Professionals with this job title are typically responsible for renting, buying, or selling property for clients. According to the BLS, they study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. They make about $51,170 per year, on average—but top earning real estate agents rake in over $92,000.

With an index score of 4.26, real estate agents said they are more than satisfied with the control they have over the work they do on a daily basis. They’re also fairly content with their bosses.

Real estate agents have definitely weathered quite a financial storm over the past few years but right now [mortgage] rates are between 2% and 3% and inventory is low, making it a real estate agent’s dream as new homes hit the market and are getting multiple offers in the first week….  Happy times.”

This is great information to have in your back pocket during your next interview.  If you’re interviewing a “new to real estate” candidate, a high percentage of these individuals are leaving jobs/careers that make them unhappy. 

As we’ve discussed many times in the past, make sure you listen to their story first and address the unique points of pain that you uncover during the interview.  As a side point, after the groundwork is laid, it may be helpful offer this independent research as a way of driving your point home.

During our next discussion, we’ll spend some time learning about the most “unhappy jobs” in America and how this information can also improve your recruiting results.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.