A few years ago, the Gallup Organization published some interesting research on the importance of the first-level manager. The researcher found…
Employees are more likely to be engaged in their work when their basic needs are met — for example, they know what is expected of them at work, have the materials and equipment to do their job right and have opportunities to do what they do best every day.
So, how do they get these basic needs met?
Surprisingly, the first-level manager accounts for 70% of what causes an employee to feel strongly connected to their company or team.
From a recruiting perspective, this is valuable information.
The recruiting prospects most likely to make a change are those who have disengaged managers.
For experienced agent recruiting, focus your effort on competitors that are known to have poor first level managers. Agents are most likely to change companies when the agent-manager relationship is lacking, disrupted, or strained.
For new-to-real-estate agents, make sure your interviews include several open-ended questions about the candidate’s experience with their current and previous managers.
Often this is where the pain and frustration exist.