interview with clip boardIs your selection process ‘seat of the pants’? A�I think it’s a big problem today in the real estate industry. Do you? Let me know your feedback about the comments below.

Ia��ve already provided you one a�?whack up the side of the heada��. That a�?whacka�� was about recruiting. Herea��s another a�?whacka�� for managers. This ‘whack’ is about selection–or the lack thereof by the real estate industry today.

Before I start: Where does the a�?whacka�� come from?A� My dad used to say when my sister and I were behaving badly he thought we needed a a�?whack up the side of the heada��. Dona��t worry. He didna��t actually do it, but we did pay attention when he said it, because we knew it was time to stop, look, and listena��and change our behavior! Ita��s time, I think, for brokers to get that a�?whack up the side of the heada��, too.

Selection a�?Whacka��: A�That a�?Give Everyone a Chancea�� song is so played out.

Ita��s time for us brokers to get serious and re-vamp our selection process. Start thinking of your potential recruits as a�?candidatesa��. It helps us use a selection process to actually screen candidates, not just sell them on us. Other businesses have used stringent candidate screening processes for years. We are about the only industry left that doesna��t use a planned interview process. The a�?on firea�� market covered a multitude of sins. However, our less than skilled business practices dona��t work for us when we need real workers and when our clients expect a high level of service.

Recommendations:

Get and use a planned interview process.

Spend at least A? of the time you have with a candidate asking questions and listening.

Ask the right questions (questions about their pasts). Practice those questions and keep a list of them in front of you. Do you know what ‘past based questions’ are? They’re like a crystal ball. See Your Blueprint for Selecting Winners for exactly how to craft them–and lots of examples.

Use the hiring ratios great companies use: Hire only one out of five candidates at minimum and one out of ten to create a quality company. Do these ratios this frighten brokers? Sure. It means we must become skilled recruiters. Businesses hiring service people use hiring ratios of one to twenty.

Ask yourself: Would you hire a secretary with the interview-to-hire ratios you hire agents? Do your agents have as great an impact on the perception of your company from the public as do your staff?

Create a a�?mutual expectationsa�� dialogue to assure that agent sees the value in your training, coaching, and start-up plan. a�?You never have another chance to make a first impressiona�? is the truism here.

Bottom line question: Are the agents youa��re hiring tough and good enough to deal with the discriminating client of today?

Tell me: If you believe real estate managers aren’t being as selective as they need to be, why?

Have you Polished your Selection Process?

Blueprint_Ebook_DisplayFor an 8-step ‘sure-selection’ process, plus those fantastic ‘past based’ questions, see Your Blueprint for Selecting Winners, and update your selection process to find more winners with less effort. A�(all online, so you get immediate access, and can start using it with confidence today!)