If you are newer to the property management game, or are just looking to change things up within your office, then it may be that you’re looking to hire some new faces. Hiring property management office staff may seem like a simple-enough task, but there are some considerations involved that separate this hiring process from that of bringing on other types of employees.
The Best Way to Go About Hiring Property Management Office Staff
Would you say that you spend more time doing ‘office work,’ or working out and about, managing your properties ‘hands on?’ “Your ability to do what needs to be done hinges on having an office staff to take care of the little things for you.” These are going to be the people that your renters, and prospective renters, interact with when they aren’t speaking to you. Therefore, you want to make sure they are a professional representative of your business so that you give off the right impression.
For one thing, you should have your “biggest business needs” in mind before you even begin the hiring process. Everyone wants to save money in nearly all situations, but hiring someone because you can pay them less will negatively impact your business in the long run. In fact, if they aren’t qualified enough, or are unpleasant to work with, then they can end up costing you money and business over time. It’s almost never worth it to take on a new employee for this reason alone, so consider seriously what you’re looking for them to accomplish before you hire someone.
If you’ve been using a standing job description for years, or just came up with it in a short period of time, then you might not be making the right impression. You want to create a listing that isn’t too long or too short, but which captures a potential employee’s attention with precise language, and which also “covers all of the key responsibilities of the role.” That is, the listing shouldn’t be long-winded and rambling, but should inform in a clear and concise way. Don’t forget mentioning what you can do for them, too!
Hiring property management office staff won’t come easy if you aren’t sharing the listing in a lot of different places. If you aren’t utilizing online resources in particular, then you won’t see the kinds of options that you likely want. Using all the major job search websites is a great first step, though there are other, less-specific options, such as Craigslist, if you are really trying to get the word out to a more diverse audience. Throughout this process, don’t forget “give a lot of thought to keywords that will attract the candidate you want.”
When interviewing your potential new employees, don’t make a quick hiring decision just because you’re tired of the process. This is no way to find the best person for the job! Rather, do a thorough background check, review their references, and really take the time to consider how this person might fit within your business. Yes, this might be an experience that takes time, but it will be worth it when you find the perfect person to fill that opening. If you’re familiar with it, LinkedIn is a great place to check up on these applicants.
Finally, during the actual interview itself, try to be as “authentic” as possible. Hopefully, this will encourage the other person to do the same so that the meeting is as productive as possible for everyone involved. This allowance of honesty makes it so “the environment becomes more conductive to getting to know the real person underneath the polished exterior.” Since you probably want to know more realistically who you might hire, this is key. Hiring property management office staff may not be an easy process, but if you need more people to help out with your day to day work, then it’s necessary that you find the best way to go about this process.
You may need some extra help around the office before or even after you hire more staff. This is where Skyline Property Management and Accounting Software comes into play. Skyline has the functionality to manage all of your work information and data so that you can keep everything organized. This electronic “assistant” will improve the productivity of your work while impressing renters and staff alike by its many functions and possible modules. Give it a try today!