Short Staffed

How to hire and retain talent during a labor shortage.

By MORGAN TAYLOR, HAA Staff

The apartment industry isn’t excluded from the long list of industries impacted by what seems to be a staffing shortage. It’s a struggle to find quality employees right now. On top of that, people are leaving companies left and right, oftentimes without notice.

Texas A&M University professor Anthony Klotz said it first. He called the current climate “the great resignation” and it has been repeated all over social media. Employees recognize we are in a job seeker’s market and they are using it to their advantage.

The COO of Hire Priority, Robert Cote, has 20 years of experience in staffing. Since the pandemic started, he has gathered interesting data around the big questions: Why are people leaving without notice? Why can’t we hire quality people right now? And of course, how can we find the right candidates who will stick around?

Cote was the guest speaker for HAA’s July 2021 Expert Exchange: A Mirco Webinar Series. The topic was on this very subject, and I’m here to share with you what he brought to the table.

First off, it’s important to add some perspective to this topic. Throughout his career, Cote has experienced a few economic downturns. He said nothing compares to the job market we are in right now. Cote believes that during previous economic downturns, people were overall grateful to keep their jobs. There was a sense of pride and enthusiasm in people who were able to reenter the workforce and contribute to a greater purpose after being laid off or displaced. They were committed to recovery. Today, that is not the experience, in Cote’s opinion.

Why is this the case? There seems to be a different type of emotional trauma in this economic downturn that is different than anything we have experienced before, Cote explained. Other economic upheavals were caused by specific, finite events. The current economic downturn was caused by an ongoing atmosphere, Cote said.

Another point he brings up is how, essentially overnight, employers were forced to decide how to proceed. Some people were furloughed or laid off, either immediately or sometime later. Others, who were labeled “essential,” had to continue to come to work during what felt like a scary time. Then, there were those who able to work from the safety of their homes. The apartment industry was divided in this regard. Many corporate workers were required to work from home while onsite teams were required to work onsite.

According to Cote’s data, the employees who have had to enforce mask mandates and social distancing policies have been more likely to leave organizations. Overtime, these types of interactions have created a heightened tension. In short, the customerfacing positions have had the highest turnover. Entry level service positions, such as porters, are also experiencing high turnover rates.

This article explores two parts: hiring and retaining. First, let’s learn what Cote suggested about attracting employees.

Hiring

According to Cote, sign-on bonuses aren’t working in the ways this tactic has in the past. People are no longer driven by money only, Cote said. While employers must remain competitive with salaries and signon bonuses, people today need emotional currency in addition to monetary currency.

If you’re looking for differentiation where you can attract and retain at a higher rate, you

are going to have to add to the money side of recruiting. Employers must dig deep into the why of each role because job seekers today are more driven by their meaning and purpose to the company and its customers.

Cote suggests preparing the “what and why” for job seekers in the format of an elevator speech. It should only take you a few minutes to explain to job candidates how their role will bring value to the company.

Here are some strategies in recruiting top talent provided by Cote:

• Cast a Wide Net: Don’t be rigid in experience and education. Look for transferable skills. Unfortunately for these industries, hospitality and retail are two industries that are losing workers at a high rate. People with backgrounds in either of these industries make for a great foundation for a career in the apartment industry.

• The Check In: This strategy is great to use during the interview process. Actually, it should start the interview process. Check in with the candidate you are interviewing by asking them: How the pandemic has been for you? What has your experience been? And, finally, how has the pandemic shaped what you want in your career? These questions will open the dialogue to create a clear and enthusiastic connection between what they want and what you can offer them. It clarifies what they were doing before the pandemic and what they want as a result of the pandemic.

• Be Clear About How to Win Within the Role: In addition to checking in with your candidates, Cote recommends explaining what excelling would look like within this role. This is a great strategy to ensure you are hiring the right candidate. Other than the skills required to do the job, be clear with them about the challenges they may face within their role, what it looks like to overcome those challenges and what the result of being successful in that role looks like. You can then show your candidate how their success impacts the company locally and even nationally.

• Staggering Hours: With onsite teams, providing flexible hours or flexible schedules can be really challenging when properties require onsite work. This is why Cote recommends staggering hours. Talk to your team members about what hours they would prefer and go from there. You may have an employee who prefers to a 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. work schedule, while another may want a 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. schedule. Allowing for this type of flexibility would work well in the apartment industry. If you have enough manpower, Cote also suggests a 9/80 work schedule or something similar that would result in employees working 80 hours every two weeks, while also getting an extra day off. As long as you’re offering some type of flexibility, that could be a huge relief to employees.

Retention It’s important to focus on your retention strategies, too, because hiring is only half the battle in today’s climate. Before we get into strategies, let’s investigate the “why” behind employees leaving organizations without notice.

Why Are People Walking Out?

When the pandemic hit, employees across all industries were emotionally impacted by layoffs. They were either part of the layoff or they watched their coworkers experience it, completely upending job security.

Retaining employees today means showing your employees how their work, who they are as contributing members to the organization, is meaningful to either the product or service you offer or the residents you serve. Explain to your employees how their work can either have a positive or harmful impact on the organization. Remember the Burger King sign that went viral when all its employees walked out? This is the result of employees who don’t feel meaningfully connected to a company, Cote said.

When you can show how each person who works for you has a meaningful purpose to the organization, your retention will be much more effective. Then, if they do leave, it will be in the traditional way where notice is provided.

• Create Meaningful Connections: For retention purposes, it is important to apply the purpose-driven elevator pitch to your current employees. Remind your current employees how impactful their work is to the company and your clients. The apartment industry is a unique industry in the way that every role positively impacts an entire community of people. Remind your employees of their role in contributing to something bigger than them.

• Be Fair: As for sign-on bonuses, keep in mind that your current employees didn’t get to benefit from this hiring strategy, which could cause them to feel undervalued ultimately leave your organization. “So, remember, as you’re bringing in people through the front door, you’re losing people out the back door if you’re not careful,” Cote put it. Make sure you are giving your current employees the same benefits and treatment as your new employees.

• Check In with Current Employees: In that same regard, make sure you are checking in with your current employees like Cote suggested employers do during the hiring process. This is an opportunity to create an emotional connection with your employees. Remember that while we are collectively experiencing pandemic-specific challenges, each individual has their own story and their own set of challenges. Checking in with each individual within your company can allow people to heal from any sort of trauma by sharing their stories.

Hiring and retention strategies may look different for different properties or companies. You may know what will work best and what won’t, but don’t be afraid to experiment with strategies. When experimenting with retention strategies, be open with your teams. Tell them what is going on and why. If they understand these new changes are fluid in order to best serve them, they will understand.

The goal right now is to create an environment for employees where they feel heard, respected and valued, Cote said. If you can accomplish that within your organization, your chances of hiring and keeping employees will increase.

While this article was written by the editor of ABODE, Morgan Taylor, it was written using the data and insight provided by Hire Priority’s COO Robert Cote. If you want more information on hiring and retention strategies, please email Robert at rcote@hirepriority.com.