Hiring for the Future
When it comes time to hire new staff, company leadership may not really know what to look for. While I am not a fan of hiring people just because they have done something for a long time, I am a fan of recognizing successes and creativity that have been earned from years of experience and a passion for the business. So don’t be blinded by a resume that has relevant experience. Just because they did it, doesn’t mean they were good at it.
It takes all types
When staff changes seem inevitable due to retirement or attrition, take a minute to evaluate the strengths of the existing staff and seek out employees that can help shore up those weaknesses. I liked to have a wide variety of personality types and skillsets. They complemented one another and helped bring the others along in areas where they needed assistance.
I was recently helping a client fill a remote relocation and referral coordinator role. We got over 275 resumes and most had real estate-related experience such as mortgage, former real estate agent, and transaction coordinator—since we had been clear that they needed 3-5 years of industry-related experience. There were so many, they all just started looking the same to me. I only skimmed them for related experience and typos. I didn’t even read them, I just looked at the actual jobs and the length of time they had them. A typo is an immediate rejection. If you can’t get a resume right, you can’t get anything right.
What would have sealed the deal was if someone would have customized their resume and written a cover letter to reference the specific job and why their past experience would make them the perfect candidate. Not one of them did that. No one made a personalized case to choose them. It was as if they were just flinging it out there in the universe and hoping something would stick. So it meant slogging through them and nitpicking them to eliminate people.
Don’t pass down bad habits
While experience is helpful, I am all for bringing inexperienced people into our industry. It is important to continue to backfill our aging relocation population. But not by just throwing them in and hoping they figure it out. That is why mentorship is so critical in our industry. It may mean paying two salaries for the same role for a period of time, but it will be worth every penny. Just make sure the one leaving doesn’t pass down bad habits. Preserve their legacy and make sure the institutional knowledge is passed on, but use it as a time to revisit procedures and policies that may be outdated, unnecessary, or perceived as punitive. And you don’t necessarily need to replace the leader with the same personality type.
Some experienced relocation people can be set in their ways and carry a lot of baggage. Or conversely, they can use everything they have learned along the way to be wildly innovative and use that expertise to continue to grow and learn. Hard to say which one they are when interviewing.
A few probing questions can help pull back the curtain on someone who works for a paycheck and another who does it for the joy of helping others and wants to continue to grow.
Why do you think you are a fit for this position/company?
What interests you about working with this type of business? Why do you think you would be good in this role?
Give me an example of a time you resolved an issue?
Talk to me about something you did to contribute to growth at your previous job?
Give me an example of when you took initiative at work.
What was your favorite job/thing you did at your last job? Why?
What was your least favorite job/thing you did at your last job? Why?
When you reflect on all of your professional accomplishments, what accomplishment are you the proudest of? Why?
Give me an example of when you had to deal with change at work.
If you have a one-person department, make sure the person you hire is curious. If they aren’t continuing to explore how they can grow personally and professionally, then you can expect your department to be the same way.
There are relocation directors out there that are managing a department the same way as they were ten years ago. Nothing worse than a comfortable employee. The business has changed and continues to do so. There is so much opportunity out there that is a completely new departure from regular relocation and needs to be managed as such. When there is no motivation or drive to improve, you can expect the performance of the department to reflect that. The most painful thing about that to me is that many broker-owners don’t know what they are missing out on.
If you think it might be time to hit the refresh button, I’m available to evaluate your department to see if they are positioned to take your company profitably into the future.
“If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.” – Simon Sinek, author & speaker
