Pub. 3 2018 Issue 4

12 www.ctaahq.org W hen it is time to bring in new people to work with or for you, it is up to you to hire people that fit well into your team. Often times, it is easy to hire people who "fit in" and "mesh well" with the current staff. After all, you want your staff to get along. However, it is also important to consider what your staff does not have and what it needs. What traits, qualities, and experiences can someone else bring in to your organization that could help you to improve it? Even the most experienced, well-rounded manager cannot have all of the skills necessary to do the job perfectly. What is lacking at your location that a new hire can help you with? Hire people that benefit the team. How can you fill the gaps? Hire people that are different from those you have right now. Having a team that's diverse in their skill, experience, and even work ethics can help you to boost the success of your organization. Here are some tips to get a better understanding of your options. • Do you have a team of people that are very friendly? It may pay to hire someone that is very different from this. This person can help you to keep everyone accountable. • Perhaps you have an employee that's hard working and does an excellent job. Yet, this person has trouble with following through on staff. You may find that this is one of your areas of weakness as a property manager. Hiring someone that is very thorough and able to interact with in conflict situations is the ideal candidate for this type of position. • Do you need staff that's more experienced? Perhaps you need someone from a different industry that can give you a different view on the way you can handle things like preventative maintenance, employee turnover, or property value. Look at your staff today. What do you wish you had? Why do you need more people? Often times, it helps to pinpoint the exact type of person that is right for your business by looking at what other employees may be lacking. • Does your maintenance staff do a thorough job but takes a long time? Would it be nice to have someone that was full of energy and able to finish faster? • Do you have employees that do a great job providing phone answer- ing services, but you need someone that is better capable of handling resident retention? • Does your crew need someone that will hold them more accountable for their responsibilities? It takes just a few minutes of thinking about your current crew to find out what's lacking. Do not just consider what types of positions you have open, but what types of skills and work ethics you have openings for. Who will com- pliment your team? Who can provide you with the tools and resources you need to take your good team to the next level? Our knowledgeable staff can assist you with human resource issues and other property management best practices. We have a track record of success with satisfied clients who use our services daily, so let us help you. Contact the training and marketing experts at Oc- cupancy Solutions. Visit www.occupan- cysolutions.com today. Elaine Simpson has been em- ployed in the housing industry since 1986. Starting on site as a leasing agent, she moved up, working as assistant manager, site manager, executive director and finally senior regional manager with communities in several states and portfolios containing more than 1400 units. Ms. Simpson has worked for local and national industry leading companies and throughout her career, has trained new managers across the country, assisted in creating “Best Practices” and procedure manuals, participated in numerous task forces during national mergers, ac- quisitions and dispositions and headed “turn around” teams assigned to troubled communities, successfully increasing income while decreasing expenses and allowing the property to recover economic viability. With almost 30 years of experience in the multifam- ily industry, Elaine Simpson founded Occupancy Solutions, LLC to provide on-site operations, human resources, housing program compliance, mainte- nance, marketing, leasing, training and consulting services for multifamily professionals of market rate, senior and affordable housing communities throughout the United States. Occupancy Solutions assists communities by providing proven, cost-effec- tive techniques and strategies that achieve increased occupancy, improve resident retention, minimize expenses and increase net operating income. Ms. Simpson is a licensed real estate broker in Michigan and Arizona, a Certified Senior Real Estate Specialist, a National Apartment Association Education Institute Faculty Member, an Accredited Resident Manager and a Certified Assisted Housing Manager. Occupancy Solutions is proud to be a Women Business Enterprise Network certified busi- ness. Let Occupancy Solutions create solutions for your community. To learn more about the vast range of services and trainings Occupancy Solutions can provide, please visit www.occupancysolutions.com for more information. or call 1-800-865-0948 today for your free consultation. Hiring the Right People: Fill In Your Gaps By Elaine Simpson