How can you create an effective onboarding program for new team members in Property Management?

In 2018, we transitioned to fully virtual onboarding, emphasizing concise education for a streamlined process in developing our virtual workforce. We cut the initial application process from 15 to 2 minutes, identified efficiencies, and implemented automation. Optimizing education, we revamped with videos and quizzes for compliance without unnecessary duration. Initially, fair housing training was 90 minutes; now, intentional editing brings it to 45 minutes with an 80% pass rate. Our next goal: a 20-minute training session with an 80% or higher pass rate.

This stage of defining goals and expectations needs significant thought and collaboration with various departments. There is much that we want to communicate with the new team member. However, if we give too much at once, the information absorption rate will be low and it won't be a good experience. Carefully determine the timeline for each component of onboarding. Generally, a good starting point is company information including culture and values. The new team member needs to view all processes and expectations through the lens of the culture.

Connect clear pathways between job descriptions, job profiles, and tasks to create a vision for what the new associate should expect to accomplish. Provide time for your new associate to orient and assimilate in the new environment so they can be prepared to learn and perform.

Here's a comprehensive guide to help you design a successful onboarding program: 1. Send new hires a welcome package before their first day, including essential documents, company policies, and a brief overview of what to expect. 2. Arrange introductions with team members and key stakeholders. Provide an organizational chart to help them understand the reporting structure. 3. Communicate the company's mission, values, and long-term goals to align the new hires with the organizational culture. 4. Provide detailed training on property management processes 5. Ensure that new hires understand the legal and regulatory aspects of property management. 6. Conduct tours of the properties they will be managing.

In my experience, whether using an agency to help recruit staff or are directly hiring yourself. Going back to basics, it’s useful to set simple tasks before you invest time and money in training new team members. The old adage slow to hire quick to fire still holds credence. With the ability to work anywhere in the world with technology today it’s easier for staff to move so time well spent. Set up a simple training programme, think McDonald’s and separate all duties and don’t overwhelm your staff, be specific. S M A R T Still works I’ll let you fill in this If you don’t know it worth looking up.

A game changer for Smart was when we were able to move our core classes on demand for new and existing Smart Staffers. Before 2018, we would hold a monthly mandatory training, and month after month attendance was abysmal. When we expanded outside of Michigan it became even worse, and we knew we needed to change how we were doing on boarding education and built an on demand library. Now our new Smart Staffers can consume their core classes (Fair Housing, Customer Service, ABC's of Leasing, Harassment for Smarties) self paced, when it's convenient for them. We added assessments to ensure they retained the knowledge, and continually work to make the video content and assessment process timely and efficient for the end user.

Much of what we do is on a calendar like clockwork, such as rent, renewals, legal, closeout, etc. Creating a calendar that starts when the new team member starts and works through the month, I find is easier as it allows them to learn actively and with relevant hands-on data without being overwhelmed with a new hire data dump they likely won't remember when the task comes up in the day to day.

This is so important for any new starter, both to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed for the role, but to also build that trust in the employee that they have made the right decision in accepting the role. I've seen so many times how a business can lose good people all through lack of a decent, structured induction. By building a structure, setting clear parameters for when each element of training should be completed and monitoring this with continuous feedback, you build a strong foundation of knowledge, confidence and in a lot of cases, loyalty, within your team.

For teaching skills and competencies, determine the priorities by the tasks they could be most effective quickly. Learning and performing initial tasks will build their confidence for future learning and help integrate them into the team.

Move with the technology, be creative in your deliverance, think outside the box. My latest idea is to try and create a script. Populate this script with a relevant CVS data file. environment. Put it a Wayne’s World jingle replacing Wayne with name if the person. I always referred to myself as Jamie’s Land or Jamie’s world……LOL

As we transitioned properties from 3rd party to in-house management - 30-days after transition we had a "good bad and ugly" call. Inviting the entire team to join us and share what went well during the transitions, and what didn't or where we could improve. All throughout onboarding we messaged that we were employee-centric and that we WANT to hear from them - that their voices matter and their opinions are valuable. With what we learned, we made specific changes - based on the feedback we were given. Often times, giving credit to the team member who shared and helped us to change or improve part of our process. This created an environment where team members DID feel heard and valued - and was paramount to our success.

I worked with an organization to implement a check-in survey for associates with two months tenure. At that time, they have completed onboarding and have seen how well their onboarding prepared them for their role. The individual and collective feedback was shared with the Community Manager, Regional Manager, Training, Recruiting, and HR. With the feedback, we made modifications to our processes and improved the experiences for future team members.

La evaluación de resultados y el "feedback" con los partícipes es mejor hacerla desde la propia experiencia de cada uno de ellos, viendo aquellos aspectos en los que han destacado y en los que pueden mejorar. De tal manera que se cree un entorno colaborativo en el que aquellos que desataquen en un ámbito sirvan de apoyo al resto. Además de eso, la continua actualización del equipo se realiza por parte de los más expertos en cada aspecto de la gestión.

Start off on the right foot with a new employee. On Boarding should be in place either written by the company that you recruit for, or they can use our tried and true On Boarding techniques that have worked for us over 25 years with our accounts. The warm messages we put out there help to make the process seemless.

The critical element of success is to have a channel that takes feedback as a means to improve on existing processes and resolve issues as they arise. Every member of the team must be accountable of their actions and ensure deliverables are at best turned in.

One of the things I like about our LMS is that there is a function for the student to ask the teacher. This allows students to ask questions or give feedback while they are consuming the content, and we love that they feel comfortable doing so. The feedback has been that the classes are too long so we are currently creating shorter more succinct videos to keep up with the feedback. In addition, we added a new on-boarding specialist that helps the new staffer with technical support, filling out forms, even skill enhancements like EPA Section 608 training for our maintenance techs that are ready to level up.

Keep in mind that training does not happen in a vacuum. Develop a new hire mentor program that allows the associate to gain insight and build relationships. This also helps senior associates grow in their skills of coaching to build your bench strength.

For on-site team members, it is important for them to feel connected with the company and corporate team, in addition to their property team. This can be a challenge for national organizations with properties spread out. If a region has a larger presence in a geographic area, one option is a monthly in-person welcome event for new team members and local leadership. More dispersed teams could do a monthly virtual welcome event with local leadership. I have led both types and found that the best structure is introductions, a casual presentation of company information on a deeper level than they have heard before (history and future, culture, etc.), open forum for questions, and time for casual conversation.

This is a critical function of a successful onboarding program in property management. There have been people before, and there will be people after! Connecting with someone in your role, above your role, adjacent to your role, and unrelated to your role within your PM organization is a quick way to learn several facets within property management. Each person can contribute a feather in the multi-feathered cap we wear!

An effective onboarding program in property management goes beyond mere orientation; it's a strategic investment in the success and cohesion of the team. By having a system where new hires are paired with seasoned associates we've found this is a great way of facilitating knowledge transfer and industry insights. We create avenues for relationship-building through this mentor-mentee practice which has not only strengthened team dynamics but has also fostered a sense of belonging within the organization. As a result, we create a culture of continuous improvement which serves to benefit both the new additions and the entire team.

Utilizing a short quiz or assessment has really helped us make sure the education sticks. Our website is hosted in Wordpress, so we utilize Sensei LMS to host our session and quizzes, and help us make sure everyone is getting the education they are supposed to.

Develop an onboarding plan that is tied to the primary tasks they need to complete to define success (which includes how to obtain bonuses). Give 30 Day surveys on the company and the onboarding to get details from new associates of what works and what didn't. Remember how long it took to find them and hire them -- so keep the focus strong to keep them and grow them.

Another smart solution to consider is creating Loom screen recordings of specific duties or tasks in your software or how specific items should be executed. We have created several PM software libraries for clients and these tools are utilized several times a day by their teams and are helpful in the trenches.

Onboarding is more than the first week or month, it is ongoing, and a common mistake is an effort shown in the first month and then the support stops assuming they have or will figure things out. The only thing worse than no onboarding plan is one that welcomes you warmly and drops you later. Schedule follow-ups, put them on the calendar, add touch bases, and encourage peer-to-peer check-ins. Many new hires are lost because of this between month one and their 90 days.

Let your reputation proceed you, put in all the work the work will come to you. I’m finally seeing all my dots connect full circle. Remember what you do today will follow you tomorrow.

Supervisors set the tone for an employees experience. Are they welcoming and do they train? Regular feedback is needed from the new hire. They are a stake holder in the process.

Para criar um programa de integra??o eficaz em gest?o de propriedades, comece definindo um cronograma claro com atividades práticas e teóricas. Inclua treinamentos sobre processos específicos da empresa, apresenta??es da equipe e documentos informativos. Certifique-se de promover intera??es sociais para fortalecer os vínculos entre os novos membros e a equipe existente. Adapte o programa conforme necessário e solicite feedback para melhorias contínuas.