It may seem a step too far for many Realtors, but we insist on it because it works.
When we take on a new real estate client to help them with their recruiting and hiring, we have a process. This process is the same for every client and it has a proven record of success. There is one step in the process that almost every client resists. We deem it to be essential to be sure that your hire is going to work out and, more importantly, stick around. What is this miracle process? It’s a paid onsite assessment.
While interviews – usually more than one – are essential, they don’t give the full picture of what a person can do, what they’re about, how they think on their feet or how they respond in a crisis situation. An interview can give you the basics of the person you’re considering hiring, but as the saying goes: the devil’s in the details.
Getting to see first-hand how your candidate functions in the office, interacts with others and deals with situations that come up, is an essential step in determining if they’re going to be a good fit.
It works both ways too, because while you’re interested in making sure she’s a good fit for your realty office or real estate team, she is interested in making sure your office is a good fit for her. The culture of an office is a big reason why people leave jobs and the only way to truly get a sense of it is to be a part of it, even for a day.
How does it work? Your candidate will spend the day (or half day) getting paid to actually work with your team. Treat this day as if it is the person’s first day at work. Give them things to do. See how they type on the computer, how they answer the phone, how they write an offer or produce a feature sheet with content. This also gives the candidate the opportunity to examine how you work, how you give instructions and how organized/disorganized your office is.
Hiring is expensive, so skip the revolving door
Whether you use the skills of a recruiting agency or go at it alone, hiring is an expensive proposition and a revolving door ever more so! Finding the candidates, interviewing/testing them, training them… It all adds up in terms of time and money. Invest the time upfront, so you can save the costs later.
The former owner of Imaginahome Inc. and former Realtor at Re/Max, Aiman Attar is the managing partner of AGENTC: The Real Estate Recruiter. She has worked in the real estate industry for over 10 years with Toronto’s finest, most accomplished Realtors. She decided to dedicate her talent and experience to helping you hire the best candidates to build your business. Email Aiman.
