With all of the hustle and bustle this time of year brings it is easy to let our talent attraction responsibilities slide. While your competitors may be enjoying too much Eggnog as they wait for the calendar to flip into the New Year, there are several things you can do to identify the right real estate agents to hire. To do this you must continue to position your brokerage as the destination company for experienced agents in your market.
Combining the sentiment of the season with your growth goals is pretty easy, will be a lot of fun and will pay off in the long term.
Here are a few ideas to get you started moving towards your talent attraction goals!
Tis the Season for Talent Attraction
1. Business Planning
Organize a group business-planning session for your own agents and open it up to other agents in your market; complimentary coffee and tea, seasonal cookies and candy canes add a nice touch here. To follow-up, offer to hold 1:1 business planning sessions (you can use our Introductory Business Planning Tool) with your own agents and agents on your target list, book the face-to-face meetings now.
2. Decorate Your Office
A few Poinsettias and some lights strung on a tree and around the office will add a touch of holiday magic to your surroundings. A small freshly-cut tree (if you can get one) will bring a lovely smell. Keep a full bowl of candy canes on the front desk and in any board rooms and offices. People will smile when they walk in, guaranteed.
3. Pot Luck
Everyone loves pot luck! This is a great lunch-time activity for your current agents and any other agents you want to invite. Retention activity first, but for anyone who is seriously considering joining your company this is the perfect opportunity to meet your team and to really get a feel for what it would be like to work with you.
4. Secret Santa
Everyone loves getting presents! This is an in-office activity for you, your current agents and staff. Place a small spending limit on the gift, even $5 is good, it’s the thought that counts right? Bring in some Eggnog and cookies and exchange the gifts before everyone takes off for the holidays. This is also a great time to wish everyone well, thank them for their hard work and loyalty and share your vision for next year.
5. Holiday Parties
Host a holiday event or events for your own agents and staff and invite agents on your target list. Seriously, who doesn’t like a holiday party?
6. Toy or Food Drive
There are so many children and families in need this time of year. Contributing to charity says a lot about who you are and about your company’s value. Get your agents, staff and vendors involved. Post your progress to your social networks and send out a news release with a picture of your team with their pile of toys or food when the drive ends.
7. Mall Walks
Walk the malls in your areas served with your business cards; seasonal sales people are currently getting a taste for what it feels like to make commissions! Ultimately you are looking to attract people who work hard and are customer service oriented; many of these new hires will be once again looking for work come the end of the retail sales season.
8. Holiday Inventory
Get out of the office and visit some Open Houses in your market. Take along some candy canes and meet some new agents. Make sure to follow-up with them the next day with a hand written card and schedule your next action item with them for the first week of January.
9. Holiday Cards
Purchase a couple of boxes of generic holiday cards and pen a personal message to the agents on your talent attraction Agent Target List. In your message, wish them well and let them know that you are looking forward to learning more about how you can help them to sell more real estate in 2012.
For more information on these ideas, and to share any I missed, please give me a call at 973-407-6659. Happy Holidays!
Allison Lewis, Talent Attraction Coach, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC
