During my 365 Leadership series, one of my members said she was having trouble creating reasons why people should join her company. Those reasons are your ‘magnets’. Think of a magnet as a powerful attractor to the agents you want. The more strength the magnet has, the easier it is to recruit.
Key: The Magnet Should Attract Those You Want
Now, that sounds obvious, but, too often, we use magnets that are easy for us, like,
a�?Youa��ll love it here. Wea��re a big family.a�?
Now, who does that appeal to? The agent who doesna��t intend to do much business, and wants to be in a secure environment! (Not always, but most of the time).A�
What magnets are you using now? Are they the magnets you need to attract the kind of people you want? In a later blog, wea��ll create descriptions of the kind of agents you want. Then, ita��s easy to draw conclusions about what will attract this type of agent.
The Weakest Magnets Are not What You Think
Historically, recruiters relied on company magnets to recruit. Today, those magnets have moved way past what the company offers, or even what your office offers. In fact, the weaker the recruiter, the more he/she relies on the company magnets to attract an agent. Example:
a�?Join us. We are larger than any other company. You have to be with us to succeed.a�?
The Strongest Magnet is YOU
I have been associated with two very large successful regional companies, and one very large international company. Ia��ve observed, from these experiences, that some of the offices in each of these situations had great agents, and some had not-so-good agents. What was the difference? Leta��s take one company. There were 19 offices. Five of those offices were stand-outs, with strong agents and great recruiting. The others drifted down from so-so to pretty desperate. Yet, they were all the same company. If it were true that the company provided the strongest magnets, you would think that all the offices would be equal. What was the difference? The specific manager. In a later blog, wea��ll investigate how to build your own magnets, based on your strengths, and create your story.
Capture and Analyze Your Magnets
Below is a worksheet for you to use to capture the magnets youa��re using now. How many magnets can you name in each categorya��company, office, and YOU? Which do you count on the most? Who do your magnets attract? Are they attracting the kind of people you want, or repelling the people you want?
Tell me your best magnets. Let me know what youa��ve changed in your recruiting strategy to deal with the challenges of the market today. Tell me the changes youa��re making in your recruiting strategy as a result of analyzing your magnets.
