Hiring people (in Real Estate):Does it remain a “Mission Impossible”?
This article was published on 14.04.2010
Things have not changed a lot
I can not claim that I noticed things changing a lot in the field of hiring personnel during the first quarter of 2010. I see so many people who don't know (sometimes not even the basics) and they want to be hired asking so much, as if they knew. Some others know but they don't seem determined to work, they would rather prefer to find a peaceful job, behind a laptop, with a good salary ("and we see what the future brings us"). I also saw several candidates who simply don't respect their word. Either they did not appear at all, or they did not reply as they promised. I "loved" the behavior of 3 different guys, who present themselves as being top and very wealthy but when they discussed about the terms of collaboration, they {C}focused only on a… CEO's salary "just because they are the best".
15% were serious
Between the ones I interviewed since the beginning of the year, there was also a 15% who was serious, determined, matching with my principles (more or less). With these people we negotiated the terms of a collaboration package and we did not agree (for various reasons). No problem, it happens, they have my respect.
Should I be happy because in 2008 this % was 3 – 5%? I am not.
HR companies: All of them "have lots of clients", but many do all possible tricks in order to grab one
If you speak with any HR company, they will tell you that they are busy, full of work, having lots of clients. I guess they will tell you the truth only if you are their friend and not their potential client. To be honest with you, I collaborate with one. I don't know if they are the best, but at least they are honest with me and they don't try to trick me in any way. I am sure there are more companies like them, but not really too many.
"Inventive" HR companies, but are they really so desperate?
I posted an add at Linkedin and I received plenty of proposals by HR companies (thank God, not more than cvs of people). One of them was the… best: Even when I told them that I collaborate with others, they kept sending me feedback and "advices how to hire personnel". I emailed them to stop, but they continued. In the end they sent me the bill "for consulting me how to approach the HR market". They decided by themselves that I needed their services, they also charged me how they wished (I guess asking how much they needed). Guess what, they were not paid…
Another HR company, "major multinational", did something more inventive: Its director asked to meet me. I told her how I work and she agreed. Then she lied to me about all the rest. When she realized that she can not trick me (having agreed on something, but signing "something else"), she simply abandoned me in her own office and ran to the next meeting. I know that I am difficult myself. But what is wrong with all these people?
I want to hire, but…
This year has started in a good way for my company. Too much work, too many projects, new entrance in Energy business, many new clients and several others who come back after a previous successful collaboration. We are all working hard here, so as to catch up with this situation, but it is obvious that sooner or later we need to add one or two colleagues in our team. I want to hire (suitable people), but will I be able to?
Pool of talented people, staying out of the market. For how long?
In the same time, I hear that there are many interesting people (ex employees of serious companies) who refuse to return to work, unless they will receive the benefits they used to live with, or "a major challenge to motivate them again". But unfortunately Real Estate market has changed. I hope that they will realize this soon enough. If not, I will be curious to notice how long they will manage to stay out of the market, waiting. Or which will be their new domain of activity, after they will leave Real Estate.
"Mission Impossible" in the past
It seems that I am not the only one, at least in the Real Estate segment. Either companies want to fire, or they avoid hiring (exceptions always confirm the rule). When the market was in an upwards stream, it was "normal" people to be out of mind, asking for crazy salaries, being unserious at work etc. You could identify hundreds of companies almost begging someone to go and work for them. We were accepting people with very loose criteria. Finding good people was "Mission Impossible" back then. Ok, let us assume that this could be justified. Why does this trend continue nowadays?
Is it going to change this year?
Please, don't start telling me again about the bad bosses, the problems an employee faces and the low salaries. Yes, I agree, we all know this side of the coin too. This is a never ending discussion. Let us assume that there are plenty of bad companies and unserious entrepreneurs out there. Still there are some serious ones too. Is it an excuse so as people to behave like this?
Are we going to see things changing this year? As the crisis will continue, especially in the Real Estate market, are we going to see people changing? Or is it a lost bet in the end of the day, a matter of mentality?
PS. Please, don't send me emails telling me that "how to work for someone for just THIS or THAT salary" etc. Be sure that when someone really works and produces results, noone fires him / her and soon he / she gets promoted, or finds a better job.