The people a property is staffed with directly impacts the life, values, and experience of the residents. From the security guard to the janitor to the front desk, each individual has the opportunity to positively or negatively affect the tenants and its overall feeling of community.
Effective staffing means consistently having the right employees in the right positions. Those who service a property should be well-managed and well-trained, better equipping them to perform and serve, which can lead to better profits, happier tenants, and increased retention.
The secret to a property's success is its people. To increase tenants, it is imperative that a condo complex, apartment building, etc., is not only properly staffed, but also properly managed, which is why many companies are outsourcing to fulfill their hiring needs. A qualified real estate service provider can ensure that a building has the right team to help the business grow.
The Hiring Process
A property needs personnel that it can be proud of. Outsourced experts can provide top-of-the-line recruiters who screen only qualified professionals with experience in the desired field of hire—whether that be janitorial, maintenance, and customer service.
Since a property manager has a plethora of other responsibilities, he or she may consider tapping an outside expert to support staffing needs and avoid any labor shortages. An experienced customer service organization constantly recruits potential employees and has access to a large pool of candidates that can be sourced as needed around the clock.
Candidates who come through a recruiter are typically curated to find the correct skill sets and interpersonal skills required for the industry. Recruiters also focus on finding prospective employees with integrity, passion, and a positive attitude. In addition, background checks and drug screening are typically done.
Training
Knowing that a property is receiving exceptional quality of service from all parties involved should be a priority. This goes beyond a thorough pre-employment screening and comes down to training to make certain that they possess the knowledge and experience necessary to provide a superior level of service. Many recruiters use a combination of in-house training combined with additional on-site training.
Supervision
Property owners need to consider the continued oversight and supervision of those who are trained and eventually hired. Once on board, staff should be monitored and reviewed periodically to keep all site conditions in check. Whether working with an outside expert or overseeing staffing in-house, employees will either make or break a building.
From the moment a tenant walks through the front door, the tone is based upon the performance of the personnel, with each position playing an integral role. For instance, statistics show that people prefer to live in clean and friendly buildings. These types of properties typically observe an uptick in leasing, and these two factors are dependent upon the roles played by the workforce.
Did the janitor clean the common area or lobby as required? Was he or she properly trained to ensure that the job at hand is done faultlessly? Was the tenant greeted by someone at the front desk who sported not only a neat uniform, but also a welcoming smile?
It is vital for guests to feel welcomed as they are a building’s greatest mouthpiece—if a tenant feels at home, this will only increase the value and improve the capacity of a complex through word of mouth, online reviews, social media, and more.
