Tag Archives: Career Blog Categories

Creating a Successful Staffing Plan

Posted on September 16, 2013 by James G. Lenhardt, CPC, CTS

3 Steps to Creating a Successful Staffing Plan

The best time to have a staffing plan is not when you run into problems, but ahead of time—now. While each company is different, these 3 steps cover how to create a plan that can be successfully adapted to your company:

1.)   Analyze Your Past & Present Situation

Begin creating your plan by thinking about what changes your company has undergone in the past year or so and how it plans to change in the near future. By determining what has and has not worked you can eliminate ineffective hiring methods and improve your current one. The apartment industry and market is constantly changing as well, and industry trends that may affect your company should be taken into consideration.

2.)   Know Who is Applying

Being aware of who is looking for apartment jobs in your area and how qualified they are will make your staffing process smoother. Holding interviews weekly and talking to a variety of candidates can determine your applicant pool’s strengths and weaknesses. Will most applicants need further training? Is there an overabundance of a certain skill? These and many other questions should become clear as you explore your applicant pool. Especially in large cities such as Houston and Austin where applicants are plentiful, knowing your applicant pool is crucial. Once you have established who is looking for jobs you can better know who to hire.

3.)   Use Your Resources

When it comes time to hire new employees do not limit your approach to one outlet. Finding candidates online may be one means to finding hires, but employee referrals or networking through industry associations could also lead to recruits. A staffing company can also provide an efficient means of staffing your company without added stress. A multi-faceted approach that combines company’s existing network with additional help will maximize the influence of your staffing plan.

The staffing process is integral to a company’s well-being and as such should not be left to chance or under-preparation. By analyzing your staffing needs, knowing who your applicants are, and using your resources you will be able to construct a staffing plan that is full-proof.

Posted in Career Blog Categories, Hiring Tips, Management Advice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , |

Simple Rules to Being a Great Leasing Consultant

Posted on April 10, 2013 by James G. Lenhardt, CPC, CTS

Since most employees in the apartment industry get their start as leasing consultants and move their way up, here are some very simple rules on how to be a great leasing consultant that will help you reach your goals in your current position and also make you noticed when it’s time to move into the next!

First and foremost, know your product. I like to call this selling by the numbers. Know how many square feet are in each floor plan, how many cabinets are in each kitchen, what school district your residents’ kids will be attending and all of the great features of your community. In addition to that, you also need to know what you’re up against and how you are better. If there’s a new community right across the street, how is yours superior?

Next, smile on the phone! Your prospect can hear it in your voice and it will reflect on the friendliness of your community. A smile on your face is inviting to your prospective resident and will be the first step in getting them through the door.

Once your prospect comes in to view the apartment homes, make sure their visit is personal. Did you pay attention to their needs on the telephone and can you incorporate those into your tour? Make sure to know their names and ask about pets. Discuss how their lifestyle fits into your community.

Watch where you step! Make sure you are not having your prospects follow you but that you are walking with them. Take your time and point out all of the great things along the way to their future apartment. Point out specific amenities of your community that fit what your prospect is looking for without making them feel rushed to get inside of the apartment.

And lastly, create a sense of urgency. Be careful not to lie but point out that their apartment will only be available on a first come first serve basis unless they take steps to reserve it. Have your paperwork ready and make sure you close with confidence!

Posted in Career Advice, Career Blog Categories, Hiring Tips, News | Tagged , , , , , , |

MY STORY: Rayven Romero

Posted on April 8, 2013 by James G. Lenhardt, CPC, CTS

Rayven is a bright and friendly ray of sunshine who was trying to find her way into the apartment industry. She started out by shadowing a leasing consultant but was not able to stay where she was because her husband was given military orders to relocate. Rayven soon found herself in Austin and heard about Hire Priority through a friend.

Rayven started out as a temp and went through Hire Priority’s training program. She knew very little about the apartment industry and worked in the Hire Priority Austin office for a couple of weeks. Loa and the staff there trained her in how to be a leasing consultant and provided her with all of the information that she would need to be successful. They answered all of her questions and helped her become completely prepared for the interview and future job as a leasing consultant.

She received real hands on experience dealing with fair housing, objections to the sale, and helping prospects. Rayven says Loa and Natalie from Hire Priority gave her the confidence she needed. They believed in her and were so encouraging that she left there feeling completely prepared to take on her new position with Riverstone.

Rayven says she loves being able to be personable with people and meeting new people by building relationships to help them find the apartment home they are looking for. She loves her new job and that there is something new every day.

Rayven is just one of the many examples of success stories from people who have used Hire Priority to help in their job search!

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5 Mistakes Candidates Make on their Resume

Posted on March 28, 2013 by James G. Lenhardt, CPC, CTS
  1. Spelling, grammar, and formatting errors are absolutely the quickest way to turn a resume into the top piece of paper in the garbage pile. I recently saw a resume which said “I am very detail oriental”; this says two things, the person is not detail oriented and it is quite possible they cannot spell oriented. Cautiously use spell check, oriental is a word, it is spelled correctly; however, it is not the correct word for this sentence. Also, take a general look at your document, did the formatting change somewhere along the way? Mismatched font half way down the page is a red flag that you may not have taken a few extra minutes to look at your resume before sending it out. Have several people look over it and check your spelling, grammar, and formatting before sending it out to your future property manager.
  2. Make sure you highlight your accomplishments as opposed to your job duties. Most property managers are not looking very concerned about your day to day duties with your previous employer, instead, they want to know what made you successful in that position. So, when you were a leasing consultant, did you just show people your property and fill out paperwork or were you part of a team that increased occupancy from 75% to 96% within your first year? Which one of those job descriptions sounds more appealing?
  3. Use active verb age when describing your accomplishments. Everything on your resume should be written with an active verb. This way, you are not telling a prospective employer that you are a good employee, you are instead telling them what actions you took. For example, say something similar to “Researched and compiled active social media plan which we implemented resulting in greater engagement from residents and higher resident retention” instead of “social media plan for resident retention”.
  4. Leave off your personal details. Once you are hired it is acceptable to discuss the funny things that your 8 year old says, but listing that you are married with three kids does not highlight anything about you in regards to employment history or accomplishments.
  5. If you already have some work experience in the field in which you are applying for a new position, then “relevant coursework” is no longer relevant. It is just a filler and takes up valuable space on your resume that you could use to talk more about your accomplishments and work history.

 

Posted in Career Advice, Career Blog Categories, Hiring Tips, News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , |

MY STORY: Alberto Pico

Posted on March 26, 2013 by James G. Lenhardt, CPC, CTS

Alberto found out about Hire Priority through a friend who personally knew our wonderful staffing manager, Loa McManus and he decided to contact her for help with looking for a new job position. Alberto had some experience with leasing and was able to take on temporary positions around Austin in order to take the time he needed to find the right fit for his personality as well as finding a community close to his home.

Alberto says he loves leasing and enjoyed his opportunity to try on different apartment communities while looking for a permanent job placement. One of his top priorities while looking for a job was to find somewhere close to where he lives.  Alberto was called in to fill in for a Leasing Agent who was out for the day sick. The very next day, that same Leasing Agent put in their two weeks’ notice.

After only working with the community for a day, they already loved Alberto so they immediately offered him the position. It was exactly what he was looking for, a leasing position close to home. It was an extra added bonus that Alberto is tri-lingual and perfect for the community.

Alberto now enjoys working very close to home at an apartment community that he loves. He said he is very grateful for the doors that were opened to him through Hire Priority and that they were always extremely friendly, helpful, and courteous.

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