Are you ready to hire an assistant?
There are not enough hours in the day to get everything done as a busy solo agent. Buyers are enquiring, vendors are calling for updates, follow up calls to make to potential sellers, solicitors requesting contracts, pest and building inspections, open house preparation, ready to sell meetings – phew we are tired thinking about it! You may be thinking it is time to hire an assistant to help with these tasks.
You are sure that hiring an assistant will alleviate the stress and give you time to breathe so you can better service your clients. But will it? Sure, a great assistant can make all the difference to your business, but a hasty hire can be diabolical. If you are considering hiring your first assistant, read on for our helpful hints and things to consider.
Write down what you plan to delegate
It is important to identify what tasks and activities you are planning on getting your assistant to look after. Hiring with the mindset that you will work it out once they are in the office is a bad start. Knowing what tasks you need help with means that you are able to write an accurate job description and ask the right questions in the job interview.
Write the job description
Once you have given some thought to the tasks and activities that you plan to delegate, it is time to write the job description. What experience are you looking for? What traits are you looking for? What kind of training and benefits are you offering? Is the role full time or part time? Writing an accurate job description lets potential candidates know if they will be suitable and have the right experience and qualifications.
Understand you get what you pay for
We have all heard the old saying ‘if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys’, and it is true. Do not expect to find a quality candidate if you try to get away with paying a low salary. Offering a low salary will only attract incompetent and unskilled workers. To find the best person for the job you will need to offer a competitive salary and favourable conditions. This will ensure that your hire has the best chance of successfully working out.
Present realistic scenarios in the interview
In the interview, present the potential candidate with some realistic scenarios. Get a feel for where their strengths and weaknesses might be with the tasks you have in mind. It is okay if they do not have experience doing a particular task, but you need to know they could do it if requested. A good example of this is finding out how the candidate would feel talking to buyers at open homes. They may say they have limited experience in this area but are confident speaking to people. Another example is asking if they are prepared to work weekends. It will be a pointless hire if you are looking for weekend help only to discover that the candidate thought it was a Monday to Friday role. By spending time asking the right questions you will be able to evaluate if the candidate is going to be a good fit for the role.
Hire a specialist recruiter
A specialist recruiter meets potential candidates all day, every day. They know the red flags to avoid and can spot a gold candidate perfect for each role. They understand that everyone can make a resume look impressive and they also understand how to evaluate what is on paper. Recruiters have connections in the industry and a database of quality candidates seeking work. Yes, you will pay for this service but having someone else screen resumes and cull through to a list of quality candidates is worth the fee. A bad hire could cost you a lot more than a recruitment fee. Take the time to provide your recruiter with a job description (or they can generally help you write this) and brief them on what you are looking for.
Are you thinking of hiring an assistant? Recruit & Consult would love to have a confidential and obligation free chat. Call us on 0450 668 223 to discuss how our services can assist with your next hire.
