Rules of attraction: getting the best management team in place requires a marketing strategy.(marketfresh)

Imagine a perfect management world: It's Monday morning and you're extremely satisfied. Your new property management team is self motivated, you're happy with everyone's performance and they all fit right in with your company's culture. Even better, well-qualified candidates are knocking down your door.

Now imagine reality: You're pulling your hair out and it's only Monday. You have absolutely no prospects for your vacant property manager position. The assistant property manager doesn't seem to get along with anybody and you're going to have to begin disciplinary action. Even worse, the engineer can't be found.

It doesn't take a crystal ball to see that your company's future is unclear without the right management team in place. Not only do you need to be able to find the best team, you have to be able to keep them there. Here are some ways in which you can successfully market your company, and its leadership, to attract and retain the best talent:

Benefits: These days, prospective employees expect the basics. Know the market: salary increases, leasing incentives, education reimbursement and opportunity for advancement. If your company isn't offering market benefits in a competitive hiring environment, you'll miss out on the best talent.

Reputation: Your company may be a fantastic place to work but if potential employees aren't aware of it, it doesn't much matter. This is where having a CPM on board (you or someone on your team) comes in handy. When I was in charge of hiring management teams for a nationwide company, it was initially a challenge because the company was not well known. Having a network of CPMs afforded me near-instant contact for employee referrals. Because they knew me, I was able to bring other CPMs on board, thus boosting the company's reputation in the property management arena and enhancing our chances of retaining employees.

Walk the walk: Just because you've hired someone doesn't mean your work is done. Smart employees know lip service when they see it. Mentoring a new employee, providing consistent, annual performance reviews, and offering both in-house and outside educational options will all serve to increase employees' overall satisfaction with their jobs and motivate them to stay with your company.

It comes from the top: It truly is up to company leadership to send the right cues and reinforce the desired message. Visibility and contact are key factors in creating loyalty--and retention among employees. I have long remembered an executive I worked for in the hotel industry some time ago. She knew and greeted every one of the hotel's 400 employees by name, each and every time. Whether she studied up before going out to greet the teams I will never know, but this executive was able to create and keep loyalty.

Taking the time to develop strategies to better attract, hire and retain quality employees: Priceless.

Shannon Alter (Shannon.alter1@gmail.com), CPM, is a real estate consultant in Santa Ana, Calif.

by Shannon Alter, CPM[R]

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