I recently wrote an article about recruiting for RISMedia that appears in the March edition. What’s interesting is that the same principles that applied 15 years ago when I was personally recruiting and retaining agents still apply today. Of course, technology plays more of a role now – it is easier to find people and stay in touch with sites such as Linkedin and Facebook. Electronic advertising on the various career sites has, for the most part, replaced newspaper ads, and keeping in touch via email seems to be what everyone prefers. In the article, I caution the reader not to rely too heavily on technology, as personal contact and handwritten notes create a stronger emotional bond. And we all know that real estate is a very emotional industry (and business) …
As I was writing the article, a little bit of nostalgia hit me. I started thinking about people like Carol Johnston, who, for many years, has held an annual recruiting conference … I started attending back in the early ’90s and met people like Lou Izzo from Hunt ERA who was, and still is, a master recruiter. Life and recruiting seemed less complicated back then.
Recruiting doesn’t need to be complicated. Assess your needs, build a plan, generate leads, communicate with candidates, hire new recruits, and make sure that they stay with you. And finally, make sure you have support. Have someone hold you accountable. Just like a group of us used to do when we attended Carol’s conferences …
Happy Recruiting!
