As a block management recruitment agency, we have to develop key listening skills for the people seeking our help. Candidates spend time getting to know us and it is imperative that we get to know them. This is also the case for our clients. We want to be making perfect matches that work for both sides; sometimes this can happen easily but not always.
When deciding which candidate to send for an interview, we already feel that they should be a good ‘fit’ but what happens if a client has a preconceived idea of exactly what and who they are looking for? What happens if a candidate ticks 9 out of the 10 boxes? What if there aren’t many candidates that fit the criteria? Does a client hire someone that is 90% correct for the role and work on achieving the missing 10% together? Or does the client decline that candidate and wait for ‘The One’?
Candidates and clients may need to prepare themselves to be more flexible than they think. What things are the easiest to bend; driving 5 more miles daily than you had hoped, supporting someone to gain their IRPM status once hired, taking a lower salary to start but being promised more scope for advancement later on, taking on a larger portfolio than ever before, wanting someone with more experience, looking for someone without childcare constraints, or working in a larger office environment than you are used to? What are you willing to reconsider to make the best decision for you? Are you passing up the best possible Block Manager or Service Charge Accountant available at that time? Could taking that role/candidate be worth it in the long run?
At TemplePM, we have been in the industry for over a decade and we see the same key issues arising all the time. Location can be a huge deciding factor. Relevant qualifications are also becoming a bigger desire for clients. Are the number of contracted hours offered feasible? Salary expectations play a key role in applying for a change. Needing a home-based role versus an office-based position can be a deal-breaker for some. When considering all of these things and more, as well as if there was ‘chemistry’ during the interview, is it any wonder that without a little flexibility, some clients may struggle to find their ‘needle in a haystack’?
Steve Grimsley, Managing Director at TemplePM
