A business, no matter its nature, is only as good as its employees. Hiring property management staff can be a difficult process, but it remains a critical part of running a property management company. The right staff members can lead you to success, while the wrong ones can drag down the entire team.
The Importance of Hiring Property Management Staff
Property management is a great way to earn income without needing too much educational background. With a license to practice, you can start as an independent property manager and grow your business as time goes by. Eventually, though, your client pool will become too large for you to handle alone. You need a good team to back you up and help you take care of the piling tasks.
Besides having someone to share the burden with, employees can bring a lot to the table. They can generate new ideas and offer more value. Plus, when you have a team with whom you can build a trusting and harmonious working relationship, you can accomplish more goals and be happier doing it.
A Guide to Hiring Employees for Property Management Company
The process of hiring property management staff can pose many challenges, especially if you don’t know how to approach it. Here are the steps you must take to get the right people on-board:
1. Determine Your Needs
The first thing you must do when hiring property management staff is to determine your needs.
Are you looking for someone who can shoulder all the accounting tasks? Or do you need someone with all-around property management skills? Examining your company and evaluating your weaknesses will help you identify what roles need to be fulfilled.
2. Get the Word Out
After deciding what positions you need to fill, it is time to construct a job description. A key characteristic of a good job description is its straightforwardness. That means no beating around the bush. Describe what responsibilities the role will have as well as what employees can look forward to in terms of benefits.
Then, post your listing everywhere it counts. You can do it the traditional way, i.e. newspapers and print ads. However, it is important to keep in mind that young professionals tend to begin their job searches online nowadays.
Whether you are looking for someone with experience or not, job boards and career websites work best. Think LinkedIn, Careerbuilder, Monster, Indeed, and even Craigslist.
3. Screen Applicants
Once the applications start pouring in, it is time to screen your prospects. Property management staff screening requires a thorough approach. You want the right people for your team, and that entails conducting background, reference, and job history checks. If an applicant has a history of bouncing from one company to another in a span of mere months, that could mean the person is flaky or non-committal.
You will naturally gravitate towards qualified applicants, but it is equally crucial to examine their work ethic and character. You can do this by getting in touch with past employers.
4. Set Up Interviews
Screening your applicants on paper can only do so much. You must also take advantage of in-person interviews. Talking to your prospects personally will help you gauge their character and personality. You want someone who puts out positive energy and gets along with people well. Ask the right questions, such as:
- Why did you leave your previous job?
- Why do you want this job?
- What can you contribute to the company?
- What has been your biggest accomplishment at work?
5. Make an Effort to Retain
Finding the right team members is only one half of the journey. You must also work to retain good employees. Increase your employee retention rate by offering competitive salaries, benefits, and training opportunities.
Another way to encourage your team to stick with the company is to form a strong bond with them. High salaries might attract them to the position, but building loyalty is what will make them want to stay.
Top Qualities to Look for When Hiring Staff for Rental Property Business
Employees are the lifeblood of any property management company. The goal of the hiring process is to find staff members who are hardworking, amiable, and reliable.
You will be working with these people for a long time and on a number of different projects. As such, you want employees with the best qualities to help you achieve success. When hiring property management staff, here are the top traits to consider:
- Team Player. A good property management employee knows how to take orders and work with other people. Employees with attitude issues or problems with authority will only pull you down. Find someone who is willing to help other team members and is not afraid to ask for help themselves.
- Takes Initiative. You want someone who takes orders, but not someone who only takes orders. Hire an employee who takes initiative — an employee who can spot a problem and call attention to it. When you have proactive and responsible members on your team, you don’t have to worry when you take a sick day or go on leave.
- Communication Skills. Property management involves a lot of communication, be it with clients, tenants, vendors, or co-workers. As such, communication skills are integral to the job. Your team members must know how to communicate problems and plans effectively.
- Tech-Savvy. Modern property management demands the use of technology. Therefore, you must choose employees who are comfortable working with software, social media, and other tech tools. After all, we are living in the digital era.
- Professional. Even if you form a close relationship with your employees, both parties must know where to draw the line. As their boss, you must not present an opportunity for your employees to abuse your relationship. Similarly, employees must always maintain professional behavior when dealing with you, their co-workers, clients, and tenants.
Your Most Dependable Resource
Hiring property management staff is a bridge most property management companies will eventually cross. As such, it is imperative to know how to handle the process and what qualities to look for in applicants. After all, employees are your most valuable asset. Therefore, it is only wise to treat them as investments.
Using our online directory, property owners, as well as potential tenants and employees, can narrow down their search for property management companies, real estate companies, and HOA management companies.
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