The Real Estate Recruiting Challenge Defined

Many real estate organizations unwisely turn to their recruiting departments, or even hire retained search or contingency real estate recruiting firms to address attrition problems.  When employees are leaving, these hiring managers will look to the recruiters to find more talent, fill the department holes, and get the company back to being productive.  

This is the classic scenario described by the old adage, “When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”  In other words, you need to have a variety of tools if you are going to adequately address a variety of problems. 

While the talent acquisition function is absolutely crucial to every organization, TalentWoo explains what recruiting can and cannot do for a company that is looking for authentic solutions to business challenges.

Recruiting will never create meaningful work

According to Talent 2020 – a longitudinal survey series conducted for Deloitte Consulting LLP by Forbes Insights – employees value meaningful work over other retention initiatives. “A majority (42%) of respondents who have been seeking new employment believe their job does not make good use of their skills and abilities.

Moreover, surveyed employees who are planning to switch companies cited a lack of career progress (37%) and a lack of challenge in their jobs (27%) as the two top factors influencing their career decisions.”

In summary, it is more prudent (and cost-effective) to create better work environments to address attrition, rather than pay talent acquisition, training and on-boarding costs associated with new employees.

Recruiting is no substitute for leadership

According to this same survey, “A workforce is far more engaged and committed when it trusts its leadership, receives clear communications about corporate strategy, and believes its leaders have the ability to execute on that strategy. In other words, employee retention is not simply an HR function; it should be driven by business leaders.”

Strategy and culture cannot be simply written and communicated by HR and Recruiting.  It has to be something that is genuinely believed in and lived out at the highest levels of the organization – from the top down.  If it is not, there will be attrition problems that no staffing agency can overcome.

Recruiting CAN give you a pulse on the market

Because recruiters spend their days talking to employees that work for your competitors, their voices are absolutely crucial to every business leader.  How is your company perceived in the marketplace?  What are other companies paying their employees, and how does your company compare?  How are their organizations structured?  What are other companies doing to retain their employees (ie why is your recruiter having a tough time convincing employees to leave your competitors)?

Recruiting CAN spread brand awareness

Your recruiting department, or the best recruiting search firms, will enthusiastically spread the news about your real estate company, its leadership, its culture, its successes, its unique products/services and position in the marketplace, its benefits, its unusual perks, and so on.  Recruiters spread awareness of your employer brand.  They love to do it.  It’s how they draw candidates in.  Let them.  But please be sure the brand they represent stands for something.

If your real estate company is currently hiring and you are looking for a staffing company to help you with employer branding, recruitment advertising, applicant tracking software or just good old fashioned talent acquisition (staffing), then contact TalentWoo.

About TalentWoo Real Estate Recruiting

TalentWoo Staffing helps real estate organizations find, attract and hire best-fit talent to scale their operations. We’re more than just recruiters; we’re real estate recruiting experts!

We offer builders, developers and owners of residential, commercial and industrial properties a variety of real estate recruiting services, including outsourced recruiting process support, providing on-demand resources during times of frequent turnover, seasonal growth, or lack of internal recruiting capacity.

With our niche expertise in the real estate industry, we can help you find the right people in today’s tight labor market and competitive employer landscape.