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. .