Have you just launched your own business and need an advanced team to help you grow? Perhaps you have been an independent broker for some time but are eager to revamp your staff. Well, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to hiring talent. You not only want to make sure you are hiring the best fit for your business, but that you have a robust onboarding process in place to retain them once they say yes.
According to Craig Wilburn, CRS, CEO and team leader of Team Dynamo in Gainesville, Florida, to not only recruit but also retain the best talent, you must first know what you are looking for. Make sure when you hire someone, they match your business’s vision, mission and core values.
One way to do this is to utilize the DISC profile, a behavioral assessment that focuses on four personality traits: dominance, inducement, submission and compliance. Many companies have implemented this test to better learn the characteristics and work habits of their employees and candidates, and to make it easier to assess the behavior of their potential customers.
Another important aspect is: Do not compromise. Do not hire someone simply to fill the position the fastest. Take the necessary time to weed through your applicants to ensure you find the best fit.
Wilburn attributes his success and growth to the meaningful relationships his team has built among clients and within the community. According to Wilburn, here are eight tactics to keep top talent:
1. Know Your People
Discover your employees’ values and goals. Have them create vision boards and help them put plans in place that will lead them to success.
2. Set and Keep Expectations
Clarity is power. Communicate clearly and early what an employee’s role is, so there is no confusion once they get to work.
3. Create, Maintain and Enhance Culture
“Culture is the glue; it literally keeps us together,” says Wilburn. A good company culture has been proven to keep a happy employee from leaving, regardless of pay and growth. Work to perfect your business culture to properly suit you and your team’s vision.
4. Run Your Business on Systems
Better systems equal less stress and confusion, and they can offer everyone accessible solutions.
5. Promote Accountability
Have weekly check-ins with your employees during which you engage, assist and assess their work. This keeps them on task and addresses issues—if there are any—early.
6. Always Add Value
Offer opportunities outside of work. This can be education, volunteering, you name it! See your staff as more than just REALTORS®. Appeal to their interests outside of the office.
7. Reward Behavior and Performance
Employees need to know they are appreciated. Go the extra step in acknowledging a job well done when you see it. Also, put bonus incentives in place. This makes completing tasks that much more enjoyable.
8. Be More Than Just the Job!
Focus on the whole human. As a boss, you must learn how to navigate the life and leadership balance wheel. Do not be seen as someone who just signs the paychecks. Let your team get to know the human inside the suit. Be someone they can trust and rely on.
It is all really quite simple. To keep top talent, you must look at your employees as people with their own goals and desires. “Most top-talent individuals have dreams bigger than just making money,” says Wilburn. “Therefore, find ways to add value to their lives and dreams, and you will retain hardworking, ambitious top talent who will push your business forward.”
The Council has multiple resources for retaining top talent and other independent broker challenges—check them out at CRS.com/careers/rrc-human-resource-consulting.
Photo: iStock.com/LeoWolfert
