Yes if you are wanting to kick your 2012 and get some real momentum going then follow this link to get the information that you may need! The link is: www.completepropertytraining.com.au/blog/?p=581 

Property Managers are a passionate bunch. The nature of their business means they are generally out-going, highly driven individuals, and for the most part they love their industry. But are they happy and fulfilled working for you?

You’ve invested time, energy and money recruiting, hiring and training your staff, but you could be wasting all those resources by not paying attention to staff contentment and satisfaction levels. It’s not rocket science and it doesn’t have to break the bank – it really boils down to being considerate and thoughtful, and proactive enough to recognise problems before they arise and take steps to avoid feelings of discontent developing.

Lack of Recognition –

The Property Management game requires its players to work long, often random hours, and frequently exposes them to stressful situations. Now, we can all remember a time in our lives when we worked our fingers to the bone and received little or no recognition for our efforts! So why would you ask your Property Managers to work early mornings and late nights, weekends and even public holidays, and overlook the simple act of giving them credit where credits due?

Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and it’s an incredibly easy emotion to impart. A pat on the back here, a 5 minute meeting to commend them on their recent efforts there, and you’ll quickly find the loyalty of your staff increasing. Consider an ‘Employee of the Month’ scheme, where each month you recognise the efforts of one valued staff member. A dinner voucher, bottle of wine or bunch of flowers as a reward is a small price to pay for employees that are prepared to go the extra mile for their boss!

Dissatisfaction with remuneration –

In any job there will always be debate about levels of pay, and of course as an employer you will be conscious of budgets and creating a level playing field for all your workers. But make sure you endeavour to get the financial balance right! – If you expect your staff to work long, hard hours, you need to compensate them accordingly. If you want your staff to stay loyal to you and your company, you need to ensure that your rates of pay are in accordance with the rest of the industry, and your competitors who could entice your workers away from you.

You need a long term approach when it comes to considering wages and salaries. Sure, things might be tight financially, and the short term fix might be to scrimp on wages. But long term, if you compensate your staff well you’ll get loyal, enthusiastic employees who are on hand when you need something special from them, and will in turn generate greater earnings and add to the positive reputation of your firm.

Inefficient training, systems and procedures –

Nobody wants their job to be harder than it needs to be. If you are able to invest in systems which will streamline your procedures then you should. Likewise, if you are able to provide training opportunities for you staff which will make them more efficient the rewards will be a working environment which is better organised, more professional, and more dollar-productive.

Transport and Fuel –

The Property Management industry almost invariably involves a significant amount of travel, and with fuel prices as high as they are these days this is a cost you need to factor in when you consider how you compensate your staff. It’s easy to neglect incidental costs like fuel, car maintenance etc, but these are little things that grate on your employees, and slowly eat away at their enthusiasm for their job. Whether it’s a company car, a petrol card, or simply a willingness to compensate them somehow for the miles they travel, your staff will appreciate the consideration, and the extra few dollars it gives them in their back pocket at the end of the week!

Principals who lack practical knowledge –

In any situation where you are required to lead or manage people, the ability to be empathetic is a major asset. Without an in-depth, practical understanding of the actual work you are asking your staff to perform this will be incredibly difficult. Nobody appreciates being given advice and told what to do by someone whose opinions they don’t respect, so it’s vital that as a manager you show your staff that you have a comprehensive understanding of every facet of the industry, and hands-on experience with all the tasks you expect them to perform. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty now and then – rolling you sleeves up and getting stuck in to some of the basic tasks will give you an insight in to the dynamics of your workplace that you could never get sitting behind your desk in a closed office.

Explain yourself –

If you can explain why you are getting staff to perform certain tasks, and what value the outcome holds for the company, they will be able to approach that task with a far clearer overview of what they need to achieve, and will appreciate the fact that you provided them with background information. Simply ordering a staff member to perform a task, particularly one where the end outcome and value is not obviously apparent, will only create frustration and a sense of confusion. It can never be a bad thing to have a team environment where people are encouraged to be ‘up with the play’ and on the same page when it comes to the future direction of the company and the reason behind the companies plans and goals.

Chase Feedback –

It’s no good burying your head in the sand; you need to know what is happening within your team. Encourage staff members to come to you with comments and feedback. Consider holding sessions where people are invited, in a positive and constructive manner, to comment on the way things run and to suggest ideas and possible improvements to the way things are done.

No business remains successful for any significant period of time without being open to change and being willing to adapt, so it is critical that your staff, who are the people in the best position to provide feedback, know that your door is always open and that you welcome their thoughts and opinions – even if they may differ from you own views!!

In short, there are almost limitless benefits that your business can experience when you have a team of employees who are motivated, driven, educated, loyal and excited about coming to work. Spending a little bit of time and money on creating harmony in the office will reap huge rewards in the future, so get out there and create the best work environment you possibly can!!

Best of Luck

Richard

(Article published in Principal – Real Estate Matters issue 10)

How they can help you find the right candidate, and the advantages of writing a job description.
It pays to use good practices when hiring staff. It will help you build better relationships with employees and avoid potentially costly employment problems later on.It will also help you comply with employment-related laws, such as the Employment Relations Act, Privacy Act and Human Rights Act.
The first step in setting up good hiring practices is to define the needs of the job. This will help you find the right candidate.
These needs fall into different categories:
•    Straightforward matters like the hours you require the work to be performed and where it is to be carried out
•    Costing issues, such as how much you propose to pay the employee, and what other benefits may be offered
•    The range of tasks to be undertaken by the employee and the supervision to be received or exercised
•    Prerequisites that may be appropriate, such as previous work experience, literacy levels, computer skills, drivers’ licences and recognised qualifications
•    Specific needs of your business, such as the way you require people to relate with other employees and customers
•    How the new employee will be expected to work with or complement the skills of existing employees.
A related but separate issue is the training you are able or willing to provide for the successful applicant. Although providing training involves costs for an employer, it can also be an investment that ensures employees can meet the needs of the job and progress over time. Where training or supervision is expected to occur, it is important to ensure these requirements are realistic. An employer’s failure to provide necessary training could later be used to respond to criticisms about an employee’s performance.
The job description, and proposed training and development opportunities should be as clear as possible, and reflect genuine requirements and expectations.
It will also be important to consider whether there are any procedures that must be followed in making a new appointment. Some employers may have agreed to certain hiring obligations in their collective or individual employment agreements. One example would be a preferential re-employment clause applying to any employees who have recently been made redundant. Another would be an agreement with staff that vacancies will be advertised internally as well as externally.
Taking the time to decide these preliminary issues is very important. Apart from ensuring you comply with the Employment Relations Act, getting these first steps right will help you to choose the right employee and to build a successful employment relationship.

Facilitated by Peter Ford, Complete Property Training and Jason Andrew, Australasian Auctioneer of the Year 2010.

Skills Covered will include the Auction Process, the auction call, flow and excitement, reserve meetings, bidding strategies.

Units of Competency – BSBSM406A, CPPDSM4004A, CPPDSM4006A, CPPDMS4014A, CPPDSM4019A

When:  Wednesday 16^th & Thursday 17^th November 2011

Where:  Jason Andrew’s Office – Corner of Park View Street & Heussler Terrace, Milton

Cost:    $995.00

To Book contact Complete Property Training on 1300 281 289 or

info@completepropertytraining.com.au

Complete Property Training offers a full range of nationally accredited real estate certificate and licensing courses as well as advanced sales training courses. These courses are held monthly across Queensland and have been designed to deliver high quality relevant training whilst minimizing time in the classroom.

Not only will you receive the qualification you need, but gain valuable skills and knowledge to help you to achieve your real estate goals.  All assessment is completed in class so there is no extra work in your own time.

Courses available include Full Real Estate Licence, Salesperson & Property Management Certificate, Resident Letting Agent’s Licence and Auctioneer’s Licence (in conjunction with Jason Andrew, Australasian Auctioneer of the Year).

For more information on training or courses, please email info@completepropertytraining.com.au