WorkPuzzle

Off for the Holidays

The WorkPuzzle crew is calling it a wrap for 2013.  Thank you to all who have engaged in the conversation over the last year.  I’ve learned a lot and I hope you have too.  We will learn much in the year to come as well. 

We’ll be back to our normal publishing schedule during the week of January 6^th.  As we finish up the year, I thought I’d share my favorite passage from one of my favorite Christmas books—Og Mandino’s  The Greatest Salesman in the World.   Hopefully, it will inspire you to draw close to those you love during the holidays.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

I Will Greet This Day with Love in My Heart

by Og Mandino

"I will greet this day with love in my heart.

For this is the greatest secret of success in all ventures. Muscle can split a shield and even destroy life but only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men and until I master this art I will remain no more than a peddler in the market place. I will make love my greatest weapon and none on whom I call can defend against its force.

My reasoning they may counter; my speech they may distrust; my apparel they may disapprove; my face they may reject and even my bargains may cause them suspicion; yet my love will melt all hearts liken to the sun whose rays soften the coldest clay.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And how will I do this? Henceforth will I look on all things with love and I will be born again. I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And how will I speak? I will laud mine enemies and they will become friends; I will encourage my friends and they will become brothers. Always will I dig for reasons to applaud; never will I scratch for excuses to gossip. When I am tempted to criticize I will bite on my tongue; when I am moved to praise I will shout from the roofs.

Is it not so that birds, the wind, the sea and all nature speaks with the music of praise for their creator? Cannot I speak with the same music to his children? Henceforth will I remember this secret and it will change my life.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And how will I act? I will love all manners of men for each has qualities to be admired even though they be hidden. With love I will tear down the wall of suspicion and hate which they have built around their hearts and in its place will I build bridges so that my love may enter their souls.

I will love the ambitions for they can inspire me; I will love the failures for they can teach me. I will love the kings for they are but human; I will love the meek for they are divine. I will love the rich for they are yet lonely; I will love the poor for they are so many. I will love the young for the faith they hold; I will love the old for the wisdom they share. I will love the beautiful for their eyes of sadness; I will love the ugly for their souls of peace.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

But how will I react to the actions of others? With love. For just as love is my weapon to open the hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate and the spears of anger. Adversity and discouragement will beat against my new shield and become as the softest of rains. My shield will protect me in the market place and sustain me when I am alone. It will uplift me in moments of despair yet it will calm me in time of exultation. It will become stronger and more protective with use until one day I will cast it aside and walk unencumbered among all manners of men and, when I do, my name will be raised high on the pyramid of life.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And how will I confront each whom I meet? In only one way. In silence and to myself I will address him and say I Love You. Though spoken in silence these words will shine in my eyes, unwrinkle my brow, bring a smile to my lips and echo in my voice; and his heart will be opened. And who is there who will say nay to my goods when his heart feels my love?

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

And most of all I will love myself. For when I do I will zealously inspect all things which enter my body, my mind, my soul and my heart. Never will I overindulge the requests of my flesh, rather I will cherish my body with cleanliness and moderation. Never will I allow my mind to be attracted to evil and despair, rather I will uplift it with the knowledge and wisdom of the ages. Never will I allow my soul to become complacent and satisfied, rather I will feed it with meditation and prayer. Never will I allow my heart to become small and bitter, rather I will share it and it will grow and warm the earth.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

Henceforth will I love all mankind. From this moment all hate is let from my veins for I have not time to hate, only time to love. From this moment I take the first step required to become a man among men. With love I will increase my sales a hundred fold and become a great salesman. If I have no other qualities I can succeed with love alone. Without it I will fail though I possess all the knowledge and skills of the world."

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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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. 

Great Coaching: Dr. Dave's WorkPuzzle Focus in the New Year

The professional business coaching industry is estimated to generate revenue of nine billion dollars worldwide this year with an annual projected growth of .02% going forward (according to IBIS World Market Research).

Why would so much money be invested into the arena of coaching? The easy answer is "it’s worth it." Many large global companies have done their homework, measured the performance improvements and have decided to invest even more in coaching their employees.  

The real estate industry is no different than many of the Fortune 500 companies. In fact, in some ways coaching is an even more valuable tool in this field.  The National Association of Realtors has indicated that agents who are coached successfully can increase their performance by 20%. That of course relates directly back to the real estate company in the form of increased revenue.  But how do you know your coaching program is the right one? 

What makes an outstanding coaching program? As in every discipline, the science and art of coaching cannot be successfully executed without sound philosophy and techniques to guide interactions with those you are charged with coaching. Coaching is not just cheerleading or meeting a randomly set goal. The successful coach must take a more holistic approach to a very complicated and sophisticated branch of learning. The following are examples of what I would consider to be the top three elements to be fulfilled:

• Attitude and Philosophy
• Methodology
• Proven techniques for assessing goals and measured results

 The good news is, if your company learns to “coach” well (all other variables being equal) you can easily beat the competition. Remember, if you miss even one step of a successful program it can have a negative impact on the final results.

 Over the next six months, I will be expanding on this subject matter. Ben will continue to write articles on other interests, but I want you to expect one article each week on coaching and how to do it better. I hope that this concentrated time of learning will be valuable to you, your managers, agents and your organization. 

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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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. 

Looking Good at Your Holiday Parties

I’m going to veer slightly off course today from our normally serious and thought-provoking WorkPuzzle content and talk about something different:  Men’s fashion. 

Ok, maybe that’s a hard right turn, but it does have something to do with performing at a high level during the next few weeks.  Even if you’re one of our female readers, I promise we’ll have some fun with this topic and you’ll learn something too.

Here’s the topic:  How does a guy successfully wear a sports jacket with jeans?

Of course, if you’re a guy you can immediately see why this is an important topic.  Dressing to look your best for a holiday party often means balancing a casual look with something that still looks sharp.  If you can learn how to master the jeans and sports jacket combination, you’ll be well on your way to making a great impression.  If you look good and feel good, you’ll be well-equipped to do some of your best networking.

What about the ladies?  Well, I would never be so foolish as to try to give you fashion advice, but many of you have guys that you coach on what to wear (or what not to wear). Truth be told--if my wife did not coach me on fashion issues, I'd be lost.   Perhaps you can pick up a few pointers for the guy you're coaching from this discussion as well. 

Our expert on this topic is Antonio Centeno, the founder for Real Men, Real Style.  Earlier this fall, wrote a very detailed article on the pairing of jeans and a sports coat. 

There are two ways to digest the information, a great 11-minute video that outlines some of the highpoints of this topic:

  

 

If you’re more of a reader, I’d suggest taking a look at his complete article.  It has lots of pictures and examples.  Here are some of the high points I found helpful:

Selecting The Right Jeans

“The jeans you wear with a jacket need to look dressier (if there is such a thing!) than your basic worn out work jeans for this to be a good combination.

‘Dress jeans’ is something of a contradiction in terms, but people should be able to tell at a glance that you don’t wear these pants for working on your car or hiking in the woods.

A good pair of jeans to wear with a sports jacket should have the following “dressy” features:

Close fit. They don’t have to be skinny jeans, especially down below the knees, but there shouldn’t be any sag up around the thighs and crotch. You want a smooth outline of your body, not a drape of loose cloth that you can wave back and forth.

Dark color. Deep indigo is most common, but grays and black are also typical choices for nice jeans. More fashion-forward men may also experiment with white or very light gray jeans, or even brighter colors, but beginners should stick to jeans that are darker than the jacket.

Proper length. You’re going to be wearing nice-looking shoes with most of these outfits, and the cuff of the jeans should rest very lightly on the tops of the shoes when you stand straight.

You want to stay away from fashion details that make the jeans look more worn, even if it’s a deliberate fashion statement:

Severe fading or “acid wash” patches, rips or tears of any kind, fraying at the cuffs and pockets, cargo pockets or gear loops.

That’s not to say that some men don’t wear deliberately distressed jeans with jackets, but it’s a fashion-plate look — affected and a little over-the-top. Don’t experiment with it if you’re just trying to look a little sharper.”

Selecting the Right Jacket

“The other half of the equation is your jacket. There’s a huge range out there to choose from, and no one ‘right’ style. But think about a couple important factors when you choose one:

Casual Jacket Fabric – This is more important than a lot of guys realize. A very fine, worsted wool jacket pretty much screams “suit jacket” to a practiced eye. It can work with jeans, but it’s not the unthinking casual ease of something more relaxed like corduroy or a visible twill weave.

Relaxed Jacket Cut – The advantage of any men’s jacket is the added definition, but don’t overdo it. You don’t want a razor-edged Italian suit here. A little softness in the shoulder is good, and the taper at the waist shouldn’t be too extreme. For tightness, remember the name of the garment — it should be loose enough that you could do “sport,” i.e. hunting and hiking in the countryside, comfortably.

Bold Jacket Color & Pattern – A solid jacket is fine, but you’re not going to be wearing it to any business meetings. Have a little fun. Colors like browns and grays work well, as do patterns like windowpane checks and plaids. In general, keep the dominant color lighter than your jeans, and if you’re wearing blue jeans steer away from navy blue jackets.

A jacket that you’re buying to wear with jeans is also a great place to play around with unusual decorations you don’t wear on your other jackets.  Ever wanted to see how you look with leather elbow patches, or with big, square, accordion-style pockets? This is the place to try them out.”

I know that some of our clients (especially our East Coast clients) have accused me of being a little more casual in my attire than is sometimes appropriate for the real estate industry.  Hopefully, this is some middle ground that will help you feel confortable at your holiday parties, but also sharp enough to feel confident.  If it doesn’t work…just blame it on the guy you know from Seattle!

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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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. 

Why Your Brain Loves Lists: The Psychology of Digesting Information

About four years ago, I wrote a popular blog on an obscure medical book called the Checklist Manifesto.  Since then, that book has become quite popular and the principles outlined by the author for hospitals have benefited managers and individuals in many industries.  Hopefully, you’ve used it yourself!

Since reading this book, I’ve often wondered why people are naturally drawn to the concept of a checklist. Whether I’m talking with a seasoned executive or my 7-year old, it just seems right to create and follow a list.  I never get an argument on this topic—it’s always, “…of course we’d need to create and follow a checklist, that only makes sense.”

Well, I need not wonder any more.  Best-selling author Maria Konnikova recently wrote a fascinating article in the New Yorker magazine that reveals the science behind the ubiquitous success of the list.

It’s a long and very detailed article (that surprisingly does not contain any lists), but here are a few of the points I found most interesting:

"Your mind seeks organization. “Lists tap into our preferred way of receiving and organizing information at a subconscious level; from an information-processing standpoint, they often hit our attentional sweet spot.

When we process information, we do so spatially. For instance, it’s hard to memorize through brute force the groceries we need to buy. It’s easier to remember everything if we write it down in bulleted, or numbered points.”

Your mind wants to categorize. Lists also appeal to our general tendency to categorize things—in fact, it’s hard for us not to categorize something the moment we see it—since they chunk information into short, distinct components….

Because we can process information more easily when it’s in a list than when it’s clustered and undifferentiated, like in standard paragraphs, a list feels more intuitive. In other words, lists simply feel better.”

Your mind wants to know how long this will take.  “The more we know about something—including precisely how much time it will consume—the greater the chance we will commit to it. The process is self-reinforcing: we recall with pleasure that we were able to complete the task instead of leaving it undone and that satisfaction, in turn, makes us more likely to click on lists again.

The social psychologist Robert Zajonc, who made his name studying the connection between emotion and cognition, argued that the positive feeling of completion in and of itself is enough to inform future decisions. Preferences, goes his famous coinage, need no inferences.”

Konnikova’s insight has a number of applications in the real estate industry.  Here are a few that come to mind quickly:

Recruiting.  During an interview, help the candidate categorize the dissatisfaction they feel in their current job/career by creating a list.   Prioritizing the list will help them feel and remember the dissatisfaction.

Coaching.   You have important concepts that you want your agents to understand during a coaching session.  Present the information in a list.  It will be easier to remember and refer back to later.

Training.  As the Checklist Manifesto taught us, if you want someone to consistently do something, create a checklist. This will be good for your brain and the person you’re trying to train.

Communicating with clients.  Teach your agents to use lists in their communication with clients—especially marketing pieces. As people skim information, their eyes are naturally drawn to lists.

Follow-up emails.  When you’re finished with a meeting and write a follow-up email to those who attended, use lists to summarize.  Here is what we discussed (bullet list).  Here are the action items (2^nd bullet list).

There are many more applications (another hint; done’ make your lists too long), but you get the idea. 

The psychology of digesting information is key to your success as a communicator.  If you think about it, getting people around you to hear, digest, and act upon the information you’re communicating is the main part of your “job description” as a leader.   Make sure you become proficient at using this tool.

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

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Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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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. 

How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Procrastination

Writing doesn't come easy for me. It's actually one of my least favorite things to do. As many of us do
with tasks that take us outside our comfort range, I usually leave it until the very last minute. It sometimes takes me days to come up with just the right title or the beginning paragraph and often it is still not quite “right."  At times, the task of writing feels overwhelming.

I would guess there are many candidates who feel this way about their goal of becoming an effective and successful agent. For example, they might love selling because they are socially adept, but find studying and taking tests more difficult.  Trying to pass the licensing exam may seem like an unreachable goal, they leave the studying until the last minute.  In turn, procrastination causes many people to fail.

What can we do to avoid the pitfalls of procrastination? I recently read an article in Psychology Today that spoke more about laziness than procrastination, but the solution proposed works well for both. The following is an excerpt from the article:

"Dealing with our own mind is a bit like dealing with a small child. It doesn’t always know what’s best, and our job is to take it by the hand compassionately and set it on the right path. With practice, inertia is relatively easy to overcome – at least compared to other mental roadblocks. The key, in my experience, is to stop arguing with the mind.

Most minds, like children, don’t switch gears easily. “Time to go to the gym,” you might say to yourself, to which your mind answers, no thanks, I’m fine where I am. The gym is far away, and it will take too much time, and everything there is really heavy, and do you really want to spend your day lifting heavy things?

And by the way, says your mind, you should be ashamed of yourself for laying on this couch.

It’s easy to get drawn into an argument with the mind, and it can stymie us with that bizarre combination of sloth and shame. Sometimes arguing works; sometimes it doesn't and you feel awful. But there’s an easier way – a lazier way: don’t engage in the argument.

When the thought of going to the gym (for example) seems overwhelming, try shifting your attention to something more manageable, like the first small step that starts you down the path. We may not be able to prevent lazy thoughts and urges, but we can control whether or not we focus on them.

You might tell yourself, "I don’t have to go to the gym right now, I only have to put on my shoes.” Once your shoes are on, the next task is simply to get to the car, and so on. Momentum will often take over if you can get your body moving in the right direction. Don’t worry that your mind isn’t in the mood, it will catch up later. Before you know it, you’ll be working up a sweat.

It takes practice, but I’ve found this approach to be quite effective. While you’re in the process of ignoring the bigger picture and taking small steps, it helps to divert your attention to something external, like music. It also helps immensely to frame your goals in terms of what you want (I want to be physically fit) rather than what you don’t want (I don’t want to be fat).”

I vividly remember reading about Ed Viesturs (a famous mountaineer) who would continually break down each climb into 25- 50 yard segments. He would look ahead and find a rock or a snowdrift, and focus his attention on only reaching that landmark. He would then celebrate his small accomplishment and repeat the process.  After doing this again and again, he would eventually find himself standing atop a 30,000-foot peak. 

I am going to try this when writing my next blog. Ironically, this is the same advice I frequently prescribe as a psychologist, but I had not thought about it in broader terms.

If we can help agents (and ourselves) see the goal as a process, it sets us free to break that process down into small, manageable steps. The security of knowing that we’ve successfully completed one small step makes it much easier to take the next step.  Like Ed Veisturs, we’ll also be amazed at the significant things we accomplish!

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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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. 

You’re Talking, But What Are Your Candidates Hearing?-Part 2

As we discussed earlier in the week, there is no such thing as an “active candidate” (someone that needs a job from your company) in the world of real estate.  By default, all prospective agents are “passive candidates.” 

Since passive candidates don’t need a job at your company, they are evaluating if working with your organization is better than what they are currently doing.  Often, their easiest option is to do nothing.

To treat passive candidates (especially new-to real estate prospects) as if they are active candidates is a mistake.  It destroys your chances of convincing high-quality individuals to join your organization.

With this foundation in place, Peter Weddle addresses one more issue during telephone screening that commonly derails the passive candidate recruiting process. 

The issue is inconsistent messaging. 

Peter puts it this way in his recent newsletter:

“In order to engage and effectively influence passive prospects…the recruiter begins the call and continues the selling effort for an opening that was begun in the recruitment ad to which the applicant replied.

This short but carefully orchestrated period should not be used simply to restate the information in the ad, but rather to highlight the key elements of its value proposition. In other words, what makes this opening a special opportunity and what makes the employer a special place to work?

The purpose of this initial interaction is "re-recruitment." It's done to remind the passive prospect why they applied for the job and to reinforce the position's potential advantages for them.”

Notice how the telephone screening builds upon the message the candidate “heard” when they responded to the initial sourcing event.    Typically, a sourcing event would be a job advertisement, but it could also be something like an agent referral or a visit to the career page of your company’s website.

If the initial sourcing message and the next contact (the telephone screening) do not complement and support each other, the candidate will typically sense the disequilibrium.  When this happens, the red flags go up in a prospect’s mind. 

Researchers have frequently demonstrated that the human mind doesn’t like disequilibrium when it is trying to assimilate new information.  If candidates can’t quickly find equilibrium during the telephone screening (“This makes sense based on what I initially heard…”), they’ll eject themselves from the recruiting process to find that equilibrium (“Changing careers was probably not going to work for me anyway.  What was I thinking?…").

By the way, the same principle applies to the interview stage of the recruiting process. 

If the messages at these three recruiting junctures (initial sourcing event, telephone screening, and interview) do not match and support each other, your recurring success with passive candidates will be greatly diminished. 

If you remember the take-away from part one of this discussion—all prospective agents, new or experienced, are passive candidates—you can see why it’s so important to master this technique.

Here is some final advice from Peter:

“The telephone pre-screen is often implemented as a mechanical element of the recruitment process - a pass-fail test that is all about what the employer wants to know. By [being consistent in your messaging] you can both assess applicants more effectively and get more of them - especially those elusive passive prospects - to accept any offer that is made.

Consciously or unconsciously, passive prospects believe that the way they are treated in the recruiting process mimics the way they will be treated as employees, so it's essential to optimize their experience from the beginning to the end.”

Exactly.  

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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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. 

You’re Talking, But What are Your Candidates Hearing?

One of the purposes of WorkPuzzle is to aggregate recruiting information and best practices from traditional recruiting industry sources.  While many of the topics that corporate recruiters and staffing companies discuss do not apply to the real estate industry, there are occasional parallels that are instructive.

Peter Weddle, an author and popular recruiting columnist, recently addressed such an issue in his bi- weekly newsletter.   The topic was telephone screening, but the application for the real estate industry has broader implications.   

We’ll discuss not only the nature of the candidate (who are you talking to?), but also the message your candidates are hearing as they progress through the recruiting process in your organization.

Nature of the Candidate.  For traditional recruiters, candidates come in two flavors—active candidates (those who need a job) and passive candidates (those who are already employed and would consider changing jobs if a better deal came along).

Depending on the nature of the candidate, the initial phone contact (often called a telephone pre-screen) is handled differently.  Peter makes the following distinction:

“Traditionally, the telephone pre-screen has primarily been used to verify the qualifications of candidates and determine if they should be invited for an on-site interview. The assumption behind this approach is that every applicant has already been sold on working for an employer.

While that may be true for active job seekers, it's not true for most passive prospects.  This difference occurs because passive prospects have a choice, and active job seekers don't.

Active job seekers are almost always unemployed, so their application for a position signals their genuine interest in it and, more often than not, their intent to accept an offer made for it. They have applied because they need the job.

Passive prospects, in contrast, are almost always employed, so they can choose to stay with their current employer or to accept any of the offers they have likely received from other employers. They have applied because they are interested, but not yet sold on the job.”

In the real estate recruiting world, there is no such thing as an active candidate. 

Whether you’re recruiting new or experienced agent candidates, they are all, by default passive candidates. 

Why?  Due to the independent contractor nature of the agent/broker relationship and the fact that your competitors are always hiring, no one “needs” a real estate agent job.  Any candidate can easily find a broker at any time with which to hang his or her license.

While this concept probably seems simple and self-evident, it’s amazing how many real estate recruiters treat prospective agents (especially new-to-real-estate candidates) as active candidates.

In the initial telephone pre-screen, they make the assumption that most candidates are unqualified and need to prove themselves worthy of evaluation by the company. There is also a secondary (more subtle) belief that most candidates don’t have other compelling employment options, so they’re considering real estate.

Peter points out that this attitude greatly hinders the recruiting process if the objective is to hire talented individuals:

“Why worry about the different responses active job seekers and passive prospects have to a telephone pre-screen? As the Golden Rule of Recruiting acknowledges: what you do to recruit passive talent will also recruit active talent, but the converse is not true.

In other words, if you configure your telephone pre-screen for active job seekers, it will work just fine for them, but will turn away many if not most passive prospects. On the other hand, if you design the pre-screen for passive prospects, it will have a positive impact on them and on active job seekers as well.”

From this discussion, there are two questions worth considering:

How does your organization treat candidates during their initial phone contact with the organization? 

If you don't know the answer to this question, find out by asking some questions of those making the calls and listening to some of those calls as a third party observer. 

Does the messaging in the telephone pre-screen (positive, passive-candidate messaging) carry over into the other part of the recruiting process (interview, post-interview, etc.)?

We’ll cover this question in Part 2 of this discussion.  As you probably guessed, starting off on the right foot is an important part of connecting with talented individuals, but communicating consistently also plays an important part in shaping the candidate’s perspective. 

 

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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.