Archive for hiring
Major Red Flags in Your Interview Process
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Do you know the major red flags that can pop up in your interview process?
For the last few blogs, I’ve been blogging about that all-important interview process. We’ve talked about the dangers of ignoring the red flags. We’ve investigated how to discover those red flags.
I just want to hang my license (usually stated over the phone; my response is that I want to hang them…)
What are your commissions? If stated in the first five minutes of the interview (I’ve never interviewed an agent I hired who started the interview that way)
I want a special deal. –also usually stated in the first five minutes of the interview, or even over the phone (what makes them so ‘special’?)
Personally, I have never interviewed a candidate who was a a fit with one of my offices when they led with these questions.
Are these red flags to you? If not, why not?
Other Red Flags
The candidate won’t fill out any paperwork (pre-appointment questionnaire or application)
They drop in and expect me to drop everything to meet with them (they must think we managers just sit around waiting for Their Excellencies to show up)
They’re late to the interview just don’t show up!
They obviously didn’t make an effort to dress in business attire for the interview (I realize this varies greatly by area, but you can tell if the person made an effort).
Specific Red Flags To Notice in the Interview Itself
They won’t answer my questions, or, when they answer, they answer as though it was a question for me to acknowledge
They won’t let me set the structure and tone of the interview (they immediately want to know what I will do for them)
They say they don’t know their production for the past year with any metrics (or, if they do, they won’t share it)
They defend their low production and/or are accepting of a few transactions a year.
They don’t have an idea of how they will change their production for the better.
They seem enamored with the companies that have already hired them in a 15-minute a interview (low self-esteem, anyone?)
They have been sold on the companies that tell them they will provide them leads.
They want to be hired on the spot. They’re not willing to do a 2-interview process, even when I explain the benefits to them.
As you can tell from my red flags, my values and vision drive my judgement about these candidates.
What are your Red Flags?
One broker’s red flags may be another broker’s acceptable standards. What are yours? List five red flags or knock-out factors. What process or system do you have to discover them? Decide whether you would absolutely not hire an agent who demonstrated that behavior, or whether it was a minor flag. Finally, how many of those minor red flags do you need to identify before you rule that candidate not suitable for your team?
Want to streamline your selection process and recruit more winners? Check out Your Blueprint to Selecting Winners. I’ll give you great questions to ask. But, better than that, I’ll show you how to craft questions to discover exactly what YOU”RE looking for.
Poor Hiring Practices Cost You More than You Think
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Do you know how much poor hiring practices cost you? Many brokers tell me they don’t cost anything! Most brokers dona��t realize they are doing irreparable damage to their companies by hiring those who arena��t going to go right to worka��and keeping those who wona��t work. Here are the 3 biggest consequences to poor selection I see.
1. Stops you from hiring great producers. Likes attract. How can brokers hope to hire that great producer when they have more than 10% of their office as non-producers? I can see it now. a�?Sure, Ia��ll come to your office. Ia��m a top producer, and I just love to be dragged down by those non-producers. It will be my pleasure to waste my time with them.a�? Not.
2. Kills your recruiting message.
Do you have a training program? Do you use it to recruit? Herea��s the real message: a�?We have a training program. All our new agents go through it. We dona��t get any results from the program, so it really doesna��t work. But, join us.a�? You cana��t possibly show how successful your training program makes your agents because your training program cana��t possibly get resultsa��poor people in and no actions and accountability required.
3. De-motivates your agents to provide referrals to you.
Your outcomes and hiring practices speak more loudly than you could possible speak. Why would one of your good agents possibly refer someone to you when your good agent doesna��t see those you hired starting right out and making money fast?
All Your ‘Recruiting Stories’ Can’t Cover Up the Realities of Poor Hires
In a fast market, a�?accidental salesa�� buoy poor agents and make them look as though they are actually selling enough real estate to be a a�?mediana�� agent. What’s your market like? Can the agents in your market figure out the quality of your agents? Of course. You can run, but you can’t hide!
Please Tell Me What You Think
What do you think a non-productive agent costs the company? In my next blog, Ia��ll give you some line items that will probably double what you think a bad hire costs. Leta��s see what you think first. Poor hiring practices really, really hurts brokersa��both financially and emotionally.
Recruiting Resources to Help you Recruit Better
Recruiting plans, ideas, strategies, dialogue–Carla Cross has all the resources you need to ramp up your recruiting. See them at carlacross.com.
Four Tips to Avoid the ‘Hire from Hell’
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Let’s be honest. Have you ever hired someone and found out it was the ‘hire from hell’? If you haven’t, you just haven’t hired enough agents or staff!A� Many managers tell me that the hardest thing they have to do is to hire staff. I think that’s because most of us never had any training in how to hire staff (or hire agents, for that matter).A�During a 3-day management symposium I taughtA�in South Carolina, and one of my students emailed me: “Can you give me some tips toA� assure I don’t make a hiring mistake with staff? If any of us hasn’t made mistakes hiring staff, please comment! I know I’ve made many–and that’s why I’ve developed the tips here. This tips work for hiring agents or staff. And, they work for agents hiring team members.
How’s Professional is Your Interview Process?
You work so hard to gain those interviews. But, do you have planned interview process that assures you pick winners? (And assures the candidates are impressed with you….) I’ve just completely updated Your Blueprint for Selecting Winners, with new information about what desired agents of today are looking for, a guide to create your unique attractors, how to put together a powerful presentation, and a completely new video showing exactly how to craft the best ‘crystal ball’ type of questions. Learn more here.A�
Turning the Tables: What Should Agents Do for You and Your Company?
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Let’s turn the tables. What should agents do for you and your company? I’m just finishing my new book, What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School (out in about a month). I wanted prospective and new agents to know they also have an obligation to their companies (is this a new thought?!). I included the ten things below in my book.
When agents interview, they understandably want to know what the company is going to do for them.A� We managers spend a lot of time creating what we feel are value-added services, and explaining these services.A� In reverse, Do you tell them what your company expects from them? Do you have a ‘mutual expectations’ talk?
Sobering thought: IfA� the company doesn’t expect anything from the agent, how much effort will the company put out to see the agent is successful?
The Ten Things
From working as an agent for 8 years, and managing agents for almost two decades, Ia��ve drawn some conclusions about the a�?turnabouta��s fair playa�� that I believe agents owe managers. Ia��ve also listed these in Up and Running in 30 Days, to give agents a ‘heads up’. I believe if managers are willing to give 100% support through training and coaching each agent to success, agents need to give it their best, too. Here are agentsa�� ten commandments:
- Do the work. You know what it is!
- Dona��t argue.
- Dona��t make excuses for not doing your start-up plan.
- Dona��t tell the manager youa��ve been in the business two weeks and you have a better way.
- Do thank your manager frequently.
- Do tell other agents that you appreciate your managera��s efforts.
- Do tell other new agents you meet in other companies that you have a great manager.
- Dona��t bug other people in the office to find another answer because you didna��t like your managera��s answer.
- Dona��t change the Up and Running plan because you a�?dona��t like ita�?. (You just dona��t like lead generating, do you?)
10. Dona��t miss a coaching appointment!
Ia��d love to hear what you think of my a�?ten commandments.a�� Are there others you think are important? Before you hire an agent, get agreement on what you will do for the agent–and what that agent will do for you!
Getting agreement on what we both expect before deciding to work together is key to a happy partnership. The only surprises I want agents to have after they start are good ones!
Up and Running in Real Estate Starts Your AgentA�Right to an Exceptional Career
Congratulations to the 3 winners of the scholarships for my new UP and Running in Real Estate program:
Jeffery Doescher of Apollo Realty in Cocoa Beach, Florida
Stacy Coppola of Coldwell Banker in Castro Valley, California
Bessie Selfridge of Coldwell Banker in Port St Lucie, FL
You can bet they are going to get the secrets of becoming a top producer–and get into action with the most proven business start-up plan in the business!
Do you have newer agents who you know should succeed? Please do them a favor and have they enroll in Up and Running in Real Estate. All the training, coaching, and supporting documents are online, so agents can go at their own speed and go back as many times as they want. How this program is different: It is foundationed with a business start-up plan, so agents learn how to self-manage a successful business, not just do activities. And, there’s nothing else to buy–no extra cards that stay in their trunks! (And, there’s a coaching component for you to support your agent every step of the way!).
Check it out and see how you canA�help your agents can reach their potential–and beyond!
How to Hire the Right Staff Every Time (or almost….)
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Many managers tell me that the hardest thing they have to do is to hire staff. I think that’s because most of us never had any training in how to hire staff (or hire agents, for that matter).A�During a 3-day management symposium I taughtA�in South Carolina, and one of my students emailed me: “Can you give me some tips toA� assure I don’t make a hiring mistake with staff? If any of us hasn’t made mistakes hiring staff, please comment! I know I’ve made many–and that’s why I’ve developed the tips here.