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An 'outside the box' recruitment strategy has not only given one brokerage a great employee, but has also netted several referral partners in the process.
Jane Slack-Smith, director of Investors Choice Mortgages, knew demand for talented young brokers was rising, so she implemented an unconventional screening process to find the right employee.
“I’d been talking to other business owners about how difficult it’s been to find good brokers with relevant experience and who can fit into our business,” she told The Adviser.
“We do things a bit differently here because we look after clients all across the country, so most of our communication is either via email or phone.”
Because her brokers don’t often speak to clients face-to-face, Ms Slack-Smith said it was important they have clear written and phone skills.
“We need people who can engage with people quite easily over the phone,” she said.
Using a job ad on Seek, Ms Slack-Smith asked brokers to not submit a resume but instead to call a number and leave a voicemail.
“I asked them to go to the website, look at exactly what I’m after, my expectations of someone who has a good balance of strategy and bank knowledge and who has client engagement skills.
“I had them call a number, to a Skype voicemail box, and they left a three-minute message about why they thought they fit in with the business and what they had to offer.”
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Despite the clear instructions, Ms Slack-Smith said she still received resumes, some of which ironically listed “attention to detail” as a skill.
“I had about 20 people leave messages, and from there we worked our way down to our new recruit,” she said.
But the innovative strategy caught the attention of businesses and people who weren’t necessarily looking for a job.
“A few of the messages were from accountants and financial planners who thought the idea was so interesting that they wanted to become referral partners,” she said.
After what Ms Slack-Smith believes to be a successful campaign, she is looking to repeat the process next year.
“I’m looking to do it again early next year when we look for a mortgage assistant; using this method is an excellent screening process to find the right fit for our business,” she said.
