There are many companies across the country that, given the state of the economy, are choosing to postpone hiring new talent at this time.  I sincerely believe this to be a grave mistake.

Here is why: 

When times are good, the best talent is already heavily engaged in their careers. They are the ones leading the charge in innovation and growth among their industries.  It is very difficult to dislodge these high performers during periods of growth.  Although you can always count on a certain amount of good people at any point in time, as there are always people who are languishing, many of those you are able to dislodge during good times are those looking to make an easy buck.

Look around your office… I know for a fact that some of your top producers and best managers came on board during the tough times of 1979 to 1984.  They were the few who said, “Of course I’m going sell homes with mortgages of 15% interest rates!”  Many of them are your leaders now.

In tough times people are shaken to their core.  The wisest and healthiest people, reexamine their lives, their values, and their vocation.  It’s during these times that people question the trust they had in what they thought was “stability,” and entertain the possibilities for change.  You likely did this at some point yourself, before entering your current position.

It’s during this period of “reexamining” where you can most effectively dislodge the best talent from their current occupation and get them to mindfully consider working for you.

These people will be the innovators of tomorrow’s real estate industry.  They will twitter their way to selling homes in ways we can’t even imagine.  Don’t waste this period of time in history.  Your next wave of talent is out there, just waiting to be discovered…