LOCAL AGENCY M
A
R
K
E
T
I
B o o k l e t
N
G
1 1
STAFF
R E C R U I T M E N T
06 LONG 97 L
E IF
TAL CHLORINE EN F M
E RE
ELE
ISO I400I
IS O
Successfully manage the recruitment process to hire the right employee
ECF
This product is printed with the environment in mind. Please visit www.kwdoggett.com.au and look for these logos to find out more.
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
MARKETING D I S T R I B U T I O N P R I N C I P A L ( S )
L I S T
89 Hoddle Street Richmond VIC 3121 Phone : 1800 032 332 Fax : 1800 832 332 marketing@firstnational.com.au
S A L E S
P R O P E R T Y M A N A G E M E N T
O T H E R
www.fngateway.com.au
STAFF
R E C R U I T M E N T
C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S
THE FIRST NATIONAL REAL ESTATE EMPLOYMENT GUIDE Step 1 – Identify the needs of your business
1
Step 2 – Define the job
2
Step 3 – Selection criteria
3
Step 4 – Sourcing applicants
4
Step 5 – The assessment of candidates
8
Step 6 – Selection time
14
Step 7 – Make the job offer
15
Step 8 – Induction
16
Step 9 – Monitor performance and provide feedback
16
Step 10 – Using recruitment agencies - an option
17
Step 11 – Psychological assessment
18
FIRST NATIONAL CASE HISTORIES
19
DIY TOOL KIT
20
REFERENCE CHECKING
27
THE RECRUITMENT CHECKLIST
30
FIRST NATIONAL PERMANENT RECRUITMENT
31
2 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
Employees are crucial to your business. For many service businesses, they are your key investment. For this reason, it is essential that you recruit the right people. The following steps will help you successfully plan and manage the recruitment process to ensure you recruit people with the right capabilities for your business. ST E P 1 – I D EN T IFY T H E NEEDS OF YO U R BU S INES S Consider the needs of the business and how the position fits into your business: •
What needs to be done in the business?
•
Is the need short-term or long-term?
•
How will the position help the business now, and in the future?
This will help you determine if you need someone on a full-time, part-time or casual basis.
3 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 2 – D E FINE T H E JOB In defining the job you need to: •
Identify the purpose of the position and what it does
•
Understand how the job contributes to the business
•
Document elements of the job
A well-prepared job description describes your expectations of the position. It will guide your selection and also help your new employee understand what is expected of them. The length of a job description varies depending on the nature and complexity of the job. A good job description identifies: •
Position title, which clearly reflects the nature of the job
•
Main purpose of the position in a sentence (or two), that is, what the person does and why, for example, will they assist, administer or sell?
•
Business context, that is, the objectives of the business, the operating environment, and the role of the position in the business
•
Major accountabilities and responsibilities, which are the three to six major areas of work performed by the position
•
Outcomes to be achieved for each of the identified accountabilities
•
Key communications with other roles, organisations, or groups, both inside and outside your business
•
Decisions made by the position holder, those made in consultation with the employer/manager and those referred to the employer/manager
•
Challenging aspects of the job including, short or long-term challenges, such as, client demands, use of technology, heavy workload, long hours, or tight deadlines
•
Knowledge, skills and experience, which are essential for the effective or competent performance of the job, including formal qualifications, certification, licence or
•
Equivalent experience required
•
Resources for which the person is responsible, for example, other staff and/or budget
•
Tasks and duties performed by the position holder within those identified responsibilities/accountabilities.
•
The reporting lines of the position
4 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 3 – S EL ECT ION CR IT ER IA Create a profile of the ideal applicant by considering the personal qualities needed to perform the job successfully. This may include personal attributes such as the ability to work under stress, maintain confidentiality, adaptability and flexibility. Decide which attributes are essential and which are desirable. Essential criteria are skills and attributes essential to the ability to perform the job. For example, qualifications, sales experience, driver’s licence, ability to build relationships, organisational skills, computing, a good memory, and a record of ethical conduct. Desirable criteria are those skills or attributes, which make the candidate a more valuable asset to your business. The essential criteria is used as the focus in your job advertisement. Determine Remuneration There are a number of factors to consider when assessing the appropriate remuneration for a role: •
How much your business can afford to pay
•
The salaries of other similar roles in your business
•
How critical to your business’s success and effective performance the role is
•
Salary surveys that provide recent market salary data for similar roles
In addition, for non-managerial roles, you may need to determine if the position is covered by a state or federal award.
5 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 4 – S OUR CIN G A PPL IC A NTS How to source the best staff Often, the best staff are employed elsewhere, so you’ll have to make them want to come and work for you. So where to find them? It might mean advertising in trade journals, using on-line jobs boards, using recruitment agencies or on-line candidate boards. Hiring is not just about finding the right people; it is about getting the best people. In a tight job market, the people businesses want are probably already working elsewhere, so recruiting needs to be as much a selling exercise as a buying exercise. You must use the advertisement to market the business as an attractive place to work instead of merely listing the types of skills you require. A poor recruitment process will cost you time, money and be extremely annoying! Writing a job advertisement To ensure that your job advertisement is effective: •
Write in clear and non-discriminatory language (Refer to ‘What can’t I say?’ below)
•
Quote a salary or a salary range to help filter out unwanted responses
•
Provide information about your organisation and the Real Estate industry to help potential applicants decide whether the job is suitable for them
•
Refer to your job description to highlight required skills, qualifications, experience and desired attributes
•
Ensure benefits are highlighted – in today’s talent-short environment, you need to encourage people to want to apply
•
Don’t use unnecessary words
•
Include special requirements, for example, driver’s licence, qualifications
•
Don’t exaggerate the job as this will attract applicants who are not suited to the position
What can’t I say? Your advertisement cannot discriminate on the grounds of: •
Gender
•
Marital status
•
Pregnancy
•
Race
•
Ethnic or ethno-religious background
•
Disability
•
Age
•
Homosexuality
•
Transgender status
•
Family and carer’s responsibilities
It is against the law to target jobs towards people of one particular group.
6 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 4 – S OUR CIN G A PPL IC A NTS ( C O NT’D) Discrimination can be direct or indirect Direct discrimination is where someone is treated differently or unfairly because of their sex, race, age, etc., For example, where an employer decides not to interview a qualified man for a receptionist job because they believe that women make better receptionists. Indirect discrimination is where everyone is treated the same, but the effect of treating everyone the same unreasonably disadvantages people from one group rather than another. For example, if people with disabilities cannot access your business this will be indirect disability discrimination, unless you can show that it is unreasonable given your business circumstances for you to provide the access they need. Online or print? Deciding exactly where to place your job ad can affect the calibre and number of responses. Advertising for recruits is a process that should follow the same principles as any of your business advertising: you must consider your audience and target them appropriately. This process follows the same rules as targeting your listing advertisements to your potential customers/buyers. More than half of Australians find their new job online, rather than in print. Internet advertising offers instant response, often at a lower cost. In the modern job market newspapers and internet job services are reaching similar audiences; active job seekers will be looking at both. Many newspapers will automatically list your job advertisement on an online service when you choose to advertise with them. Sometimes it is worth choosing one over the other. Unfortunately, in a tight job market, the best candidates for your job many not be actively looking for new work. They are working for your competitors. If a better offer appears they might be interested. This is the passive market of job seekers, who can be persuaded to apply for new work if an ad catches their eye. You have to make them notice; they are not going to read the employment pages of the newspaper or browse job websites. Depending upon the seniority of your vacant position and if you are in a metropolitan area, you may wish to purchase a Display Advertisement. For higher level positions, we suggest advertising in the Early General News pages of the weekend papers rather than a Classified Advertisement in the employment pages. This helps you reach potential applicants who may not be actively seeking work. However, Display Advertisements are considerably more expensive than Classifieds and on-line ads. Passive job seekers can also be reached by simply making sure that your current employees know about the job you are offering. Encourage them to spread the word through their network of friends, many of whom probably work in similar roles and industries. In this context, many organisations offer employees/associates/networks a Referral Bonus if they refer an individual who becomes an employee.
7 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 4 – S OUR CIN G A PPL IC A NTS ( C O NT’D) Advertising costs can also be a factor, but remember that when you employ a new staff member you are making a significant investment in the future of your business. Cutting corners here could damage your business future. Having a clear idea of your ideal new employee, and their abilities, will greatly assist you in making sure the right people know that you are offering work. Where will your ideal employees seek employment information? If you are seeking employees with specific industry skills, it is also an option to advertise in journals that cater for the Real Estate industry. If you are seeking local applicants, advertise in a local newspaper. If you require employees to have certain qualifications you can advertise in the places where people are studying and learning those skills. Contact the relevant educational facilities or industry groups such as your state Real Estate Institute and advertise in their bulletins, on their websites and even on their faculty notice boards. Some providers of Internet job advertisements also offer job candidates the opportunity to submit their resumes so that employers can actively seek them out. This function allows you to screen applicants resumes without having to advertise. There is usually a search fee required to be paid. Advantages of internet advertising: •
Displayed and accessible to your potential applicants over a longer period
•
Applicants can search for ads by industry, location, and income, allowing them to find jobs that fit their ambitions
•
Job search sites will often provide templates to assist you to write your advertisement
•
You can request statistics that gauge the interest in the job, telling you how many people have viewed your ad
•
You will have the ability to make adjustments to the ad once it has been issued; this can be a great help if you receive applications that are not meeting your expectations and you want to make an adjustment in the ad in order to stress a particular point
Disadvantages of internet advertising: •
Limited ability to direct ads to particular applicants
•
Ease of application often results in large numbers of unsuitable applications
•
Reaches people beyond your target area
In general, online advertising will produce a larger number of applicants, though these applicants may not serve the interests of your business. It’s extremely simple to respond to an online job advertisement: with just a few clicks a browsing job seeker can forward you their application.
8 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 4 – S OUR CIN G A PPL IC A NTS ( C O NT’D) As a result of this simplicity, people will often apply for jobs for which they are unqualified. They are making the assumption that by applying for many jobs they increase their chances of finding employment. This is not the case because you, as an employer, will only seriously contemplate applications that address your specific requirements. However, you will still have to sort through these applications and that process will be a demand upon your time. Displaying job vacancies on your business’s website can be an effective approach to job advertising. The people visiting your site are likely to be interested in your business or industry, so they are likely to be interested in seeking work with your business. You could even suggest that if people are interested in working for you, you will accept resume applications at any time. You may not have a role for them now but they could be useful in the future. Even if they manage to find work with another business, you will have their contact details and may be able to approach them with a job offer when the time is right.
9 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 5 – T H E A SSESSMENT OF C ANDIDATES Resume analysis Using your job description and selection criteria, analyse resumes against the key requirements of the role. Candidates who demonstrate they meet the desired criteria proceed to the telephone screening stage. Telephone screening Candidates are asked questions relating to the core competencies of the position and, the most suited candidates, are invited to undergo further steps in the process including online assessments where appropriate. By carrying out as much assessment as possible before having the candidate attend for face-to-face assessment, you can reduce the amount of time and inconvenience to the candidates, as well as reducing your own time and costs. Testing Understanding the importance of confirming a candidate’s ability to perform to stated levels, you can commission an outside organisation such as a recruitment firm to undertake detailed skills testing of candidates. These assessments are tailored to the specific requirements of the position and assess the actual skills the candidate will need to perform the role: •
Computer testing
•
Ability testing
•
Assessment centre
•
Psychometric assessment
•
Reference checks
Interviewing job applicants Here’s your chance to get to know a potential employee and to gauge whether they would “fit” into your organisation. Have a plan and have questions prepared. There is little point interviewing everyone who applies; this will only put a strain on your time. Therefore, the previous two steps should have removed some applicants from your consideration leaving a shorter list of your preferred candidates.
10 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 5 – T H E A SSESSMENT OF C ANDIDATES ( C O NT’D) Prepare for the interview In preparing for an interview you need to: •
Decide if you would like to hold the interview with a second person
•
Decide on dates
•
Organise a quiet and comfortable room to hold the interview
•
Organise a waiting area for applicants to sit comfortably
•
Schedule enough time for each interview so that you are not rushed or interrupted
•
Contact applicants to be interviewed with details of their interview
•
Provide your receptionist with the names of the applicants and interview times
•
Prepare the interview questions
•
Organise equipment, for example, computer or machinery, if testing is required
•
Review each applicant’s résumé or application before their interview
•
Make notes during each interview so that you can refer to them
Give applicants clear instructions when inviting them to an interview. Make sure they know: •
Where you are and how to get there
•
What they should bring with them
•
Who they should ask for
•
How long the interview is likely to last
Give yourself enough time between interviews to consider an applicant’s performance before sitting down with the next one. Make notes during and after the interview. That extra time will also help relax applicants: they won’t be idling together in the waiting room or feel they are being hurried through the interview so you can meet a timetable. If it’s possible, have another employee or a business partner join the interview. If the position requires a particular skill, it will be useful to set the applicant a short skills test.
11 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 5 – T H E A SSESSMENT OF C ANDIDATES ( C O NT’D) Always find a quiet, private room to conduct the interview. Your applicant will most likely be anxious about the interview process and you need to make sure that they are comfortable. Ask your candidate if they’d like water or coffee, it’s a very simple way of putting them at their ease and, hopefully, more honest. •
Thank them for applying and coming in for an interview
•
Briefly describe your business
•
Briefly describe the role they would be playing in your business
Conduct the interview Utilise both competency-based and preferential interviewing techniques to ensure that you understand all aspects of the candidate being interviewed. Preferential interviewing This is designed to obtain a comprehensive picture of the candidate’s cultural background, motivations, as well as career history and salary expectations. Preferential interviewing allows you to gain an overall image of the expectations, desires and needs of the candidate. In this way, you are able to assess the cultural, organisational and environmental suitability of a candidate for employment. Competency based behavioural interviewing Competency based behavioural interviewing asks specific questions that demonstrate behaviours based on prior experience. These questions are designed to be specific to the core competencies of the particular role. One of the advantages of this style of interviewing is the specific nature of the questions, which makes it more difficult for candidates to rehearse a response or to answer the question indirectly. In this way, interviewers are able to gauge how a candidate has performed in the past and from this predict how they will perform in the future. The specific nature of the questions also enables accurate verification of prior experience at the reference checking stage. Situational interviewing In conjunction with the behavioural interviewing outlined above, you can also conduct situational interviewing to determine skills against particular competencies required. This type of interviewing is used when a candidate may not have prior experience with the exact requirements of the position, because they are looking for a more senior position or are moving across from another industry. Rather than asking how a candidate has in the past addressed issues, this technique poses hypothetical questions that assess how a candidate would address an issue or situation.
12 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 5 – T H E A SSESSMENT OF C ANDIDATES ( C O NT’D) Specific characteristics of competency based interviewing include: •
The candidate need not have had prior experience to answer the question
•
Situations are tailored to the level of the target job
•
The quality of a candidate’s response is measured against pre-set benchmarks
Some useful interview tips include: •
Ask one question at a time
•
Use short sentences and speak clearly
•
Use simple and appropriate words to make the questions easy to understand
•
Use open-ended questions which allow applicants to express themselves
•
Avoid leading questions which imply the correct answer
•
Let the applicant do most of the talking and listen carefully to their responses
•
If answers are vague or inconsistent, probe for more specific and accurate information
•
Keep the conversation under control and don’t let answers become long-winded
•
Ask to see any qualifications, certificates, special licences or other essentials required for the position
What to ask your potential employee A job interview should not be considered as “just a chat” with an applicant. Equally, it’s not suitable to run the interview as an interrogation or to play out any “good cop/bad cop” style scenarios. Nor should you talk too much. Your role in the interview is to identify the applicant’s underlying job skills and give them a clear picture of what working for your business would involve. With a crowded job market, the interview process also allows the candidate to review your business. You may offer them work but ultimately the decision whether to accept is theirs. When interviewing, you are looking to learn about the candidate as a rounded individual. Ask about their family and leisure activities: how do their interests and values complement your business? Let the applicant talk: the more you speak the less you’ll learn about your applicant.
13 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 5 – T H E A SSESSMENT OF C ANDIDATES ( C O NT’D) Ask open-ended questions Standard questions will only elicit standard answers. Use open-ended questions that require the applicants to tell the full story of their employment history. It’s easy for an applicant to exaggerate their abilities in a letter; it is more difficult to maintain claims in an interview situation. Ask about specific roles and actions that they have undertaken in previous employment. It’s very important to focus on more than just applicant’s skills during an interview. You’ve short-listed the candidate according to the skills set out in their resume, so the interview should be primarily about determining whether the person would “fit” into your business in terms of how they will apply their knowledge, skills, personality and experience in your environment. Closed questions that limit candidates to yes/no answers also limit your opportunities to learn more about them. Similarly, avoid leading questions that suggest what you want to hear. Expect them to answer: •
Why have they applied?
•
Why did the advertisement sound interesting?
•
Are they genuinely interested in working for your business and industry or are they simply seeking any work?
•
Are they more focused on another aspect of your industry?
•
What do they expect to be doing?
•
Do they have realistic expectations of what the job entails?
•
What stage of their career do they expect to reach in the next five years?
•
Are they committed to this line of work?
•
Are their longer term career goals compatible with the work you are offering?
•
Why are they leaving their current job?
•
Are they looking for change? Have they advanced as far as they can in their current workplace? - Have there been problems between the applicant and their current employer? Are they just looking for a higher wage?
•
What are their salary expectations?
•
What hours are they prepared to work?
•
Are they willing to work overtime? Are they only seeking work during particular hours, such as nine to five?
•
How would they handle a hypothetical work situation?
•
Can they approach everyday working problems in a suitable and logical way?
14 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 5 – T H E A SSESSMENT OF C ANDIDATES ( C O NT’D) Ask about gaps Question any gaps on an applicant’s resume. Never make any assumptions about an extended gap. An extended gap could also mean the applicant’s skills are out of date. Applicants should be able to answer your questions without sounding scripted. Try to prompt genuine answers to your questions rather than simply listening to what they believe you want to hear. You should expect the candidate to have questions for you. It’s a fairly standard way for them to display their interest in the job and show that they’ve actually thought about it. If you’re concerned that a question may be interpreted as discriminatory, don’t ask it. You cannot ask questions relating to religion, sexuality, age, race, national origin, marital/family status, illnesses or disabilities. Be sure to pose your questions directly relating to the position. For example, you can’t ask about a person’s religion, but you can ask whether applicants are available to work on the weekends. At the end of the interview, it is often helpful to ask the candidate if they remain interested in the role, or if the way you have detailed the job requirements is what they expected. This will help you gauge their level of interest in moving forward. Many employers require two face-to-face interviews, either with the same or different interviewers and if you are having difficulty finalising a preferred shortlist, a second interview can assist. Check all references Conduct as many reference checks as possible. These should be with the candidate’s previous direct managers, not peers. Reference check only those candidates you have or intend to, interview. Speak to referees to help you verify information given at the interview, or gather more information about the applicant’s performance and behaviour at work. Don’t contact the candidate’s current employer unless the candidate has given you permission to do so. You could jeopardise their current working situation because they might not have told their employer they are seeking a new job. You do not simply want to know whether the candidate could perform the duties expected in your business, but how well they related to other employees in previous jobs and the circumstances under which they left. Qualifications verification If the job requires specific qualifications, check these with the relevant industry bodies and organisations. Many educational facilities have strict controls on access to student records, so it could be difficult to verify qualifications. Ask to view school or graduation certificates. Scrutinise the candidate’s entire work history. It can be illuminating to ask how old they were when they got their first job: it can show initiative and early entrepreneurship. However, you know the cliché: the best indicator of future performance is past performance.
15 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 6 – S EL ECT ION T IME Make your decision based on an assessment of the information gathered against each of the selection criteria. Give each selection criterion a weighting based on its importance to the role. Then, rate each candidate against each criterion. This should help you create a short list ranking applicants in order of their suitability for the job. This identifies other possible candidates for the job if the selected candidate declines the job offer. Short listing is developing a summary for each candidate, along with a copy of the following documentation: •
A copy of candidate’s resume (summarised if required)
•
Reference check results
•
Skills testing results
•
Confirmation of qualifications
•
Interviewers comments regarding the fit of the candidate against evaluation criteria such as cultural fit, personality fit and ethical congruity with your company
•
Confirmation of fitness for employment in the real estate industry - based upon individual state-based legislation
This information not only provides a background of the candidate’s prior experience, but also shows the processes you have undergone to select this candidate for future reference. At this point, it is appropriate to advise your preferred candidates you are nearing a decision and they are on the shortlist. This also provides an opportunity to clarify and confirm salary expectations with the preferred candidates.
16 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 7 – M A K E T H E JOB OFFER While an offer of employment should initially be made verbally, after the candidate has accepted, it should be confirmed in writing. This confirms that an employment relationship exists. The successful applicant should accept your offer by signing a copy of the letter of offer and returning it to you before commencing employment. What should a letter of offer contain? The successful applicant should be informed of their Terms of Employment, including: •
Job title
•
Whether they are engaged on a full-time, part-time or casual basis
•
Wages or salary and any other benefits
•
Award coverage, if applicable, and their classification in the award and a summary of the award conditions
•
Employment conditions
•
Commencement date and, if the job is for a fixed term, the finishing date
•
If the employee will be employed on probation, and the duration of the probation period
•
Job description and duties
•
Their working hours, including meal breaks and rest breaks
•
The name and contact details of the person’s supervisor
•
Training the employee will receive
•
The career path the employee may expect
•
Special terms or conditions of employment, such as dress requirements
•
The person to contact when reporting to work
Laws and awards override employment contracts. An award sets out the minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment, which apply to employees in a particular industry or occupation. An employer and employee cannot agree to ‘contract out’ of an award, that is, offer pay or conditions lower than those in an award. Probationary and trial employment Employees may be employed on probation. A probationary period allows you to assess the employee’s performance and personality on the job. You must advise them that they will be on probation and the duration of that probationary period before they commence employment. Set out the details of the probation period in the written employment contract or letter of job offer. Review the employee’s performance during, and just prior to the end of, the probationary period. Discuss any issues with work performance and behaviour with the employee as they arise. This ensures that they are addressed before they become a problem. Note: Apprenticeship or Traineeships Special requirements apply to the engagement of apprentices and trainees.
17 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 8 – I NDUCT ION Have the employee complete necessary forms and documentation before starting work, including: •
Tax declaration form
•
Salary banking form
•
Superannuation contribution form
•
Approved deductions
•
Issue of uniforms
What should induction cover? Your induction should cover: •
A description of the business, its goals and strategies and how the employee fits into the overall picture
•
A review of the job description to clarify duties and responsibilities of the job
•
Terms of employment including award coverage
•
Basic work rules and work conditions
•
Method of payment
•
A tour of the workplace and amenities
•
An introduction to key personnel, particularly the new employee’s supervisor and immediate work colleagues
•
Who to contact with any questions or problems relating to the job
•
Grievance procedures, including who to contact and what to do
•
Leave provisions, including annual, sick and other leave
•
Car parking or travel arrangements
•
After-hours access and security requirements
•
Information on company policies and procedures
•
Occupational health and safety policies and procedures
18 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 9 – M ON ITOR PER FOR M A NC E AND PROVIDE FEEDB AC K Monitor and assess the new employee’s performance during the first few months of their employment. Provide them with feedback about how they’re performing against set performance targets. This ensures that you address any performance deficiencies early and facilitate the employee’s integration into the workplace. On an on-going basis, regular performance monitoring and feedback ensures that performance is sustained.
ST E P 1 0 – U SIN G R ECRUIT M EN T AGENC IES - AN O PTIO N Many businesses rely on their networks to fill jobs and do so with mixed success. Some companies offer staff a small commission if they introduce a worker who turns out to be a success. Staff, who know the organisation’s culture, can often introduce people who fit in quickly. On the other hand, employees may bring in people who will boost their own position or reinforce a culture that they do not want changed. Recruitment agencies can be useful if you need to spread the net wider or to bring in specialist. “If you want a tap fixed, you go to a plumber; if you want a job filled, go to a recruitment agency,” While there are costs associated with hiring a recruitment organisation, they can be a positive solution to your businesses recruitment issues, by applying their expertise to reduce the chance of hiring errors. The cost of a failure to fill a position promptly, or well, can quickly escalate and this increasing financial pressure can lead to poor decision-making. Forced into making a decision you will often be tempted to hire a candidate you are not sure about. Often a business will approach a recruitment agency with this problem, only seeking professional advice when their recruitment process has failed. A recruiter is focused on placing people within a certain field and will have the industry knowledge to find the perfect fit between employee and employer. If you’re looking for new accountant, you can seek the advice of a recruiter who specialises in matching accountancy and personal skills with particular businesses. Although the main advantage of commissioning a recruitment organisation is the ability to focus on other business issues and trust problems of hiring to specialists, you must engage an agency that understands the specific needs of your business. The agency should prepare a detailed report on your business needs, asking questions so that they can find applicants who suit your idea of the ideal candidate. Reputable recruitment organisations should be a member of the Recruitment Industry body, the RCSA and should offer you a Satisfaction Guarantee as well as a Placement Follow Up Service with both you and your new employee.
19 T H E
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
R E A L
EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
E S T A T E
ST E P 1 1 – P SY CH OL OG IC A L A SS ES S MENT Psychological assessment assists in many situations. A battery of well-researched psychological tests, specifically selected to measure the competencies of a job should correlate highly with actual performance in the role. Testing supplements other methods of assessment, but does so in an objective, consistent and fair manner. Although psychometric testing is used mainly to improve recruitment and selection decisions, there are other important areas in which the test results are useful. •
Performance management
The results can be used for performance management by identifying a new employee’s strengths, weaknesses and work preferences. Particular shortcomings can be developed through coaching, training or by giving the employee experience on a job that is likely to develop their skills. For example, a personality profile may indicate that the employee is more comfortable working autonomously than in a team environment. This may be something that is raised with the employee as an area of future development.
•
Formation of effective teams
Testing is also a good way of creating high performing teams. There are usually various roles to be adopted within each team and to function at an optimum level; the team needs to be comprised of a number of different ‘types’. As such, a vital aspect of creating a strong team is understanding how one team member likes to work and how it differs from other team members. For example, one particular team member may perform a sales function within their team whereas another team member may perform a more organisational role.
Ability and personality tests assist in establishing preferences of each employee and the type of role they are more likely to perform successfully within a particular team.
20 F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
CASE HISTORIES
Some experiences from the First National network… D E A N N E L A MPR EY – BUR N IE, TAS MANIA •
Unemployment is very low in Tasmania. Five years ago they would have received 50 applicants for each job, now they are lucky to get one. Candidates are choosier and can be less reliable or interested in putting in the hard yards.
•
Most new candidates are attracted via word of mouth rather than typical job advertisements.
•
Deanne prefers candidates not to come from the industry so as not to bring bad habits with them.
•
From Deanne’s experience successful hires come from people who make the lifestyle choice to join the industry and understand that it requires a lot of out of hours work. They are also well networked and naturally interested in building and developing successful relationships.
•
Deanne has found that offering information sessions can attract those interested in joining the industry.
•
Deanne has utilised the real estate simulator personality profiler to assess the suitability of new comers to the industry. This is an online web based recruitment system that Deanne has found to be very successful.
•
Those who do well have a strong interest in the property industry and in being successful – and are prepared to work hard.
LY N E M M E R SON – W ER R IBEE, V ICTO RIA. •
Lyn utilises Best Practice procedures for employment.
•
The outside of the office building is utilised to advertise vacancies and direct enquiries to their web site. These ads are run on an on-going basis in the hope to attract talent.
•
Recruitment agencies, internet job sites and newspapers are also used to attract staff.
•
A direct mail campaign is sent to all clients on the database advertising current vacancies and the benefits of working in real estate. This is sent to all current and previous First National clients. Lyn believes that this process actually builds deeper relationships with clients as it allows them to recommend family members and friends for jobs.
•
Lyn will only initially interview candidates with state real estate qualifications, and then those who show a commitment to attending training.
•
The interview process is very detailed and is generally run over three sessions. Initially, things such as expectations, suitability and even gut feel are covered off before moving to the next stage.
•
Lyn covers off skills such as handwriting and communication, the value adds that the candidate can bring to the team, and long term career goals that the candidate can articulate.
•
Lyn also likes to investigate what the candidate has researched about the company and the industry in general.
•
The company sponsors staff to attend real estate courses and offers internal training and career opportunities.
•
Opportunities are offered in Sales, Property Management, Administration and Marketing.
21 DIY
TOOL KIT
W R I TI N G J O B A DV ERT ISEMENT S How to design and write effective job advertisements Tips and techniques The best techniques for writing effective job advertisements are the same as for other forms of advertising. The job is your product; the readers of the job ad are your potential customers. The aim of the job ad is to attract interest, communicate quickly and, clearly, the essential (appealing and relevant) points, and to provide a clear response process and mechanism. Design should concentrate on clarity or text, layout, and on conveying a professional image. Branding should be present but not overbearing, and must not dominate the job ad itself. This session relates mainly to designing and writing job ads to appear in printed newspapers and magazines, although the principles apply to other media and methods. The information must be communicated effectively one way or another to the target audience. Job ads and recruitment processes should follow the classical AIDA selling format: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action This means that good job advertisements must first attract attention (from appropriate job-seekers); attract relevant interest (by establishing relevance in the minds of the ideal candidates); create desire (to pursue what looks like a great opportunity), and, finally, provide a clear instruction for the next action or response. Job ads written by people who fail to follow these vital principles will fail to attract job applicants of quality in quantity.
22 DIY
TOOL KIT
The mistakes people make.... •
Over-designed graphics (distracts and slows reading)
•
Extravagantly presented layouts and words (distracts and slows reading)
•
Difficult to read quickly or, at all, for any reason
•
Font (type-style) too small or too large
•
Capital-letters (upper-case)
•
Lots of words in italics – they are a lot more difficult to read quickly
•
Strange-looking or fancy fonts
•
Printed in daft colours or tints against a coloured, patterned or picture background
•
Clever or obscure headlines
•
Coded and idiosyncratic communications
•
Too much technical detail about the job or the company
•
Too many words – they are a real turn-off – keep it simple
•
Uninspiring, boring descriptions of roles and ideal candidates
•
Too much emphasis on the job and not enough on the person
•
Ads in reverse (mirror) or upside-down (not permitted anyway by most media)
•
Weird ad box shapes, for example wide and flat or tall and thin
•
Huge half-page or whole-page or double-page spreads – a waste of money
•
If you use a designer to create and produce artwork for your job ad, control their creative instincts – a job ad is advertising a job, it is not a CD cover or a bottle of shampoo.
23 DIY
TOOL KIT
Here’s a reminder of the essential writing tips for advertising and, for clarity, of business communications in the context of writing and designing effective job or recruitment advertisements: Job advertisements - the writing tips •
Use one simple headline, and make the job headline relevant and clear. Normally, the logical headline is the job title itself – this is, after all, what people will be looking for.
•
If the job title does not implicitly describe the job function, then use a strapline to do so. Better still, if you find yourself writing a job ad for a truly obscure job title, which in no way conveys what the job function is, then consider changing the job title.
•
An effective alternative main headline – especially for strategic roles with a lot of freedom – is to describe (very succinctly – and in an inspirational manner) the main purpose of the role which can then be used with the job title and organisation’s name serving as secondary headings.
•
If the organisation is known, and has a good reputation among the targeted readers, then show the organisation or brand name prominently, as a strapline or main heading with the job title, or incorporated in the job ad frame design, or in one of the corners of the space, in proper logo-style format.
•
N.B. Some organisations prefer not to tell the whole world that they are recruiting, in which case, if this is your policy, obviously do not feature your organisation’s name in the job ad. On which point - if you use a recruitment consultancy, examine the extent to which your job ad is promoting the recruitment agency’s name, and if you think they are over-egging things perhaps suggest they contribute to the cost of the ad, or reduce the size of their corporate branding on your ad.
•
Make the ad easy to read. Use simple language, avoid complicated words unless absolutely necessary, and keep enough space around the text to attract attention. Less is more. Giving text some space is a very powerful way of attracting the eye, and also a way of ensuring you write efficiently.
•
Efficient writing enables efficient reading.
•
Use language that your reader uses. If you want clues as to what this might be imagine the newspaper they read, and limit your vocabulary to that found in the newspaper.
•
Use short sentences. More than fifteen words in a sentence reduces the clarity of the meaning.
•
After drafting your communication, seek out commas and ‘and’s, and replace with full-stops.
•
Use bullet points and short bite-sized paragraphs. A lot of words in one big paragraph is very off-putting to the reader and will probably not be read.
•
Use simple type-styles: Arial, Tahoma, Times, etc, or your house-style equivalents or variations. Serif fonts (like Times) are more traditional and more readable. Sans serif (like Arial and Tahoma) are more modern-looking, but are less easy to read especially for a lot of text.
•
Use 12-20 point-size for headings and subheadings. Try to avoid upper-case (capitals) even in headings – it’s very much slower to read.
•
Increase prominence by use of a larger point-size, and to an extent emboldening, not by using capitals. CAPITALS HAVE NO WORDSHAPES
24 DIY
TOOL KIT
Job advertisements - the writing tips (Cont’d) •
Use ten, eleven or twelve point-size for the main text; smaller or larger is actually more difficult to read and, therefore, less likely to be read. Definitely avoid upper-case (capitals) in the ‘body copy’ (main text).
•
For the same reason avoid italics, shadows, light colours reversed out of dark, weird and wonderful colours. Use simple black (or dark coloured) text on a white (or light coloured) background for maximum readability.
•
Get the reader involved. Refer to the reader as ‘you’ and use the second person (‘you’, ‘your’ and ‘yours’ etc) in the description of the requirements and expectations of the candidate and the job role. This helps people to visualise themselves in the role. It involves them.
•
Try to incorporate something new, innovative, exciting, challenging - people are attracted to new things – either in the company or the role.
•
Stress what is unique. You must try to emphasise what makes your job and organisation special. People want to work for special employers and are generally not motivated to seek work with boring, run-of-the-mill, ordinary, unadventurous organisations.
•
Job ad statements and descriptions must be credible. Employers or jobs that sound too good to be true will only attract the gullible and the dreamers.
•
Remember AIDA: The Attention part is the banner or headline that makes an impressive benefit promise. Interest builds information in an interesting way, usually meaning that this must relate closely to the way that the reader thinks about the issues concerned. Since job advertisements aim to produce a response, you must then create Desire, which relates job appeal and rewards to the reader so that they will aspire to them and want them. Finally, you must prompt an Action which may be to call a telephone number or to send CV, or to download an application form from a website address. Your job ad should follow this step by step format to be effective.
•
Your main heading, strapline and main message must be prominent. Do not be tempted to devote 75% of the space to a photograph of your new office.
•
Headlines do not have to be at the top of the frame – your eye is naturally drawn to a point between two-thirds and three-quarters up in the framed area, which means you have room above the headline for some subtle branding, or for some blank space.
•
The best position for ads on a job page is ‘right thumbnail’. That is, top right corner. Right-side sheet is better than the left because your eye is naturally drawn right on turning over the page revealing the left-side sheet last. Top of page is better than bottom, not the other way around.
•
Resist the temptation to buy a half-page or a full page (unless the page size is very small) – you do not need it. A quarter of a page is adequate and optimal in most publications; indeed, arguably, even unnecessarily large in broadsheet newspapers.
•
People assume that big ads produce a big response – they don’t unless they are good. A good moderately sized ad will produce just as good a response as a good massive ad. Added to which, you can run more insertions of sensibly sized ads than big ones.
25 DIY
TOOL KIT
Job advertising - the checklist Having seen the layout and design rules above, here are the items to include in an effective job ad. The list is loosely in order but this is in no way prescriptive – use a sequence that works best. •
Job title
•
Employer or recruitment agency/consultancy
•
Job base location
•
Succinct description of business/organisation/division activity and market position and aims
•
To whom the position reports – or other indication of where the role is in the structure
•
Outline of job role and purpose – expressed in the ‘second-person’ (you, your, etc)
•
Indication of scale, size, responsibility, timescale, and territory of role
•
Outline of ideal candidate profile – expressed in ‘second-person’
•
Indicate qualifications and experience required (which could be incorporated within candidate profile)
•
Salary or salary guide
•
Whether the role is full-time or permanent or a short-term contract (if not implicitly clear from elsewhere in the ad)
•
Other package details or guide (pension, car etc)
•
Explanation of recruitment process
•
Response and application instructions
•
Contact details as necessary, for example, address, phone, fax, email, etc.
•
Job and or ad reference (ad references help you analyse results from different ads for the same job)
•
Website address
•
Corporate branding
•
Quality accreditations, for example in the UK, Investor in People
•
Equal opportunities statement
Alternative job advertising and recruitment methods An alternative approach is to place the ad with application form, instructions, job description, candidate profile, etc., as downloadable PDF or similar files on the internet, and use a smaller ad in your chosen media, containing far less detail, which acts as a signpost to direct people to the website URL. This enables a high-impact relatively low-cost small printed media ad.
26 DIY
TOOL KIT T H E TOP T IPS FOR W R IT ING A GREAT JO B DES C RIPTIO N
We expect candidate resumes to be impeccable examples of personal marketing tools, easy to understand, and without any grammatical errors or typos. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the same high standards when it comes to one of our most important employment branding tools; our job descriptions. Are you getting the most from your job descriptions? If not, here are a few tips that might help you attract more candidates. •
Proofread, proofread, and proofread some more: Just as we expect resumes to be a good first impression of candidates, your job description is also your one chance to make a good first impression with job seekers. If you have rampant spelling errors, typos, grammatically incorrect language (and the list goes on), job seekers will pass up your opportunity in favour of companies with a more polished presentation. If you know you are prone to making these errors, have someone else review your description prior to posting.
•
Develop a big bold “WIIFM”: Job seekers want to know “what’s in it for me?” Use your job description as a way to introduce what your company has to offer outside the traditional compensation and benefits. What is your work place environment like? What is your company’s culture?
•
How can you highlight key aspects of your corporation and the job that would appeal to job seekers?
•
Here are two awesome examples of great ways to hook your audience:
•
“How big can you think? At Yahoo!, we’re not looking to hire people who think like us…we’re looking to hire people who think like you.”
•
“The sky’s the limit: You know the story you’ve read in newspapers and magazines – the one about somebody who’s a runaway success at their job and says, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do something I enjoy so much!” Now close your eyes. Put yourself in that picture. Be a part of IBM.”
•
Creating statements like this helps to establish a personal connection with your potential employees. It shows that you care not just about hiring them for the job, but you support their career. Think about your company’s current marketing message or product and how you might play off that for your employment message.
•
Get Creative: Sick of job descriptions that start with a snappy question? So are most job seekers.There are other ways to get the attention of the job seeker and appeal to what they are looking for in their next career move.
•
Can you add graphics to your job posting? Again, how can you tie in your employment messaging with your marketing message?
•
You should market your open positions in the same way you would market your property listings to potential customers.
•
Keep it short and sweet: What reaction do you have to a candidate who sends you a 10+ page resume? You’ll likely skim through the first page and, if you don’t find what you are looking for, move on to the candidates with 1-3 page resumes that concisely describes what they have to offer your company. Same with candidates.
27 DIY
TOOL KIT
T H E TOP T I P S FOR W R IT IN G A GREAT JO B DES C RIPTIO N ( C O NT’D) •
Instead of trying to make your job description all things to all people with lengthy lists of technical and experiential requirements, boil your description down to the key elements you are looking for in a candidate. Once you get them hooked, you can provide them with access to other resources that might explain your company or position better such as blogs, podcasts or your career site.
•
Stay away from internal language and esoteric jargon: Sometimes job descriptions only meant for internal consumption get posted externally. It happens. At the same time, it might be a good idea to stay away from internal acronyms altogether. If job seekers can’t understand the requirements for the position they won’t apply even if they are internal candidates.
•
Try to keep your descriptions focused using universal technical terms and requirements. You’ll have much better luck attracting people to your postings.
•
The key here is that you don’t have to be a big fancy corporation with lots of marketing power to attract the candidates you want. Spend time thinking about the key values of your company and how you can install that message into your job descriptions. If you put good effort into polishing your image and using a few traditional and new marketing techniques to promote your openings, you’ll have better luck finding the perfect match for your open opportunities.
28 R E F E R E N C E
CHECKING
SA M PL E S A L ES POSIT ION R EFER ENC E C H E C K F O R M BEL OW
CANDIDATE: ADDRESS: NAME OF REFEREE: PHONE: POSITION HELD BY CANDIDATE: DUTIES:
TITLE OF REFEREE: SALARY: $
What is your relationship to (Candidate’s name)? (Must be a direct supervisor)
1. How would you best describe their overall work performance? 2. How would you describe their attitude?
3. How would you describe their customer service focus on a scale of 1 –10? 4. Would you say they are a sales person?
5. How would you describe their communication skills?
6. How did they keep themselves motivated?
29 R E F E R E N C E
CHECKING 7. How would you describe their problem solving ability? Can you provide an example? 8. Relationships with colleagues/peers?
9. Would you describe them as a team player?
10. How suited do you think they are to a Sales position?
11. Ability to work under pressure?
12. Ability to learn new tasks?
13. Organisational Skills?
14. Computer literacy?
30 R E F E R E N C E
CHECKING 15. Punctuality? 16. Attendance? 17. Attention to detail? 18. Are there any particular strengths relating to this person’s performance? 19. Are there any particular weaknesses relating to this person’s work performance? 20. Reason for leaving? 21. Would you re-employ this person? Why 22. Other relevant comments:
Yes
No
31 T H E
R E C R U I T M E N T
CHECKLIST Define the job
Getting the right person for the job
STEP 1
STEP 6
STEP 10
Identify the needs of your business
Write a job advertisement
Make the job offer
Full-time employee
Checked for non-discriminatory
Phone call offer made followed by
Part-time employee Casual employee
language Applications acknowledged
Fixed-term contract
STEP 2 Define the job
STEP 3 Write a job description Job description contains: Position title Purpose of the position Business context Major accountabilities Job outcomes Key communications Decision-making responsibilities Challenges Required knowledge, skills
and experience Resources Tasks/duties
STEP 4
written offer outlining:
STEP 7
Award coverage Employment conditions
be interviewed Organised interview panel Identified date Organised interview room Organised waiting area
(start and finish) Working hours
Receptionist has list of applicants
Supervisor contact details
Interview questions prepared
Training
Applicants’ applications reviewed
Career path
Notes made of applicants’
Special requirements Who to contact on first day
responses STEP 8
Starting work STEP 11
Conduct the interview Post interview checklist Applicants ranked
Employment/background
Other
Probationary period
Interviewees contacted
Desirable criteria identified
Award free
(finish date for fixed-term contract employees)
Time scheduled for each applicant
Referees contacted
Federal award
Start date
Job description
Essential criteria identified
Check award coverage
Wages or salary
Identified applicants to
Written reference checked
Determine remuneration
Employment status (full-time etc)
Prepare for the interview
Determine your selection criteria
STEP 5
Position offered
check completed Letter written to
unsuccessful applicants STEP 9 Make your decision Create a short list
Induction Tax declaration Salary banking details Superannuation forms Approval for salary deductions Uniforms
On going STEP 12 Monitor performance and
provide feedback
32 F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
PERMANENT RECRUITMENT Design detailed Job description Define & Design
Job analysis and competency profiling Assignment specification preparation Recruitment method chosen
Awareness Campaign
Prepare advertisements and advertising schedule Internal Advertising
RECRUIT
Print Media Advertising
Internet Advertising
Database Search
Other Source
Receive candidate responses Acknowledge all applications Screening Process Screen resumes and comprehensive telephone screen Prepare long list
1st Interview of Candidates
SELECT
1st Interview of Candidates Prepare Candidate Reports
Shortlisting
Decide on short list
2nd Interview of Candidates
2nd Interview of Candidates
Assessment
Perform psychological/skills testing if required
Reference Checks
Reference checking Offer Negotiation with preferred candidate
Offer/ Communicating decision
Confirmation of start date Unsuccessful candidates notified and thanked. Induction and welcome
INDUCT
Induct Monitor performance and provide feedback
F I R S T
N A T I O N A L
MARKETING D I S T R I B U T I O N P R I N C I P A L ( S )
L I S T
89 Hoddle Street Richmond VIC 3121 Phone : 1800 032 332 Fax : 1800 832 332 marketing@firstnational.com.au
S A L E S
P R O P E R T Y M A N A G E M E N T
O T H E R
www.fngateway.com.au
LOCAL AGENCY M
A
R
K
E
T
I
B o o k l e t
N
G
1 1
STAFF
R E C R U I T M E N T
06 LONG 97 L
E IF
TAL CHLORINE EN F M
E RE
ELE
ISO I400I
IS O
Successfully manage the recruitment process to hire the right employee
ECF
This product is printed with the environment in mind. Please visit www.kwdoggett.com.au and look for these logos to find out more.