Do It For Me Recruiting "DIFM"

Hello Fellow Recruiting Enthusiast…I know that what I’m about to say here may be sensitive for some readers. This is written to help and to shine a light on a stubborn problem that many shares and one that I am eager and able to help solve.

So let’s begin with a couple of serious questions….

How are so many under-performers still able to get hired??

Do you know of any sales managers who intentionally hire under-performers because they want to reform them?

Probably not! These are usually sales managers desperate to fill seats who have unwittingly hired too many underperforming MLOs.

As we know, the market has way too many underperforming loan officers who have learned how to survive...by perfecting the art of interviewing.

Sure, some under-performers deserve another chance. In general, there are many sales managers who should be setting their sights higher and better qualifying their candidates. After all, how else can they really expect to get the number of qualified loan officers that they want?

Of my many mortgage industry connections, there are always a few that need help after they’ve tried everything they know and, in frustration, eventually turn to me….a professional headhunter, for help.

So, here’s how a typical initial conversation usually goes…ding-a-ling-a-ling!

“Hello, it's Jim…Hi Jim, this is (Name: Sales Manager), I came across your information online (or we’re connected on LinkedIn), and I wanted to reach out. I am currently recruiting MLOs, and need to hire 5 in the next 90 days.”

….Oh really? (I’m thinking)

I say… Hi (Name), thanks for calling…. OK….How can I help you?”?

(Name) replies: “Well, Jim, I need a recruiter to find qualified MLOs for me.”

So, we go on to define and discover what they are searching for and what is expected from a candidate, and then I ask,?

(Name)….“What does your company offer that would attract a top-performing MLO?”

Most of those calls typically come from respected lenders that just happen to have another standard menu of products and services to offer customers and nothing particularly special to offer MLOs.

And, then I ask…

(Name), How many MLOs are you currently talking with that you can say are honestly enthusiastic about what they’re hearing from you?”

The sales manager replies… “Not that many…and I’ve really tried hard to get in front of more MLOs, but they just don’t take my calls; and when they do, it’s still very difficult to get them to open up and talk to me. They just tell me they’re “happy and not looking”... I don’t know what else to do, Jim… If you could just recruit for me…. I can close them. Can’t you just do it for me?” ?

….Oh really, I'm thinking!?

This is what we call: “The D. I. F. M. (Do It For Me) Syndrome’.?

Upon further discussion, I quickly discover that they have never hired or even inherited any MLOs on their team that fully met their loan officer expectations!

.…Now, I’m practically speechless!

From what I’m hearing at this point, I am certain that the likelihood of getting my Top Producer candidates actually hired by this sales manager is little to none.

Even if the company were willing to write a BIG sign-on bonus for a great candidate, this manager’s lack of experience in courting and closing candidates of this caliber, the probability of success will be below average.?

What?…. even with a BIG check? No hire?

Yes, because Top Producers generally know that signing bonuses have strings attached. They may be confident in their own abilities, but until they get behind the wheel and test drive this new track, they won’t know if this sales manager and company can even deliver on their promises.

So what happens? They STAY-PUT...or they take another deal!

I speak from experience. My professor was Dr. Trial Anderror, PhD…at the University of Lost Deals. After 30 years as a Headhunter, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “If you can get ‘em, I can close ‘em.”?

Trust me when I say that only 3% of the hiring managers I’ve come across over the years could actually get it done. Thankfully, I’ve learned to avoid that pitfall and have helped many, many sales managers successfully hire better talent.?

Here’s another truth lesson from The University of Lost Deals: Even with a skilled hiring manager, the hiring success ratio is about 20:1.?

For every prince or princess hired that stays with them for three years or more, they should be willing to interview twenty.

This means twenty candidates entering your pipeline to get one keeper! So, do the math…if you want to hire ten, you’ll have to identify, qualify, contact, and interview two hundred! That's a lot of interviews!

According to what many hiring managers have told me, a high percentage of their prospects who took an initial call or meeting withdrew from the courtship after the first encounter.

With those results, no skilled headhunter I know would want to get involved.

Don’t despair! There is a prescription for this condition. It’s a good dose of T. M. H. C. (Teach Me How Coach).

Any mortgage sales manager who really wants to succeed in hiring multiple qualified MLOs needs to get the T. M. H. C. to attract and court in a candidate-centric manner to ensure they get more candidates to the Altar.?

In just a few short hours, with this very potent recruiting treatment, the average sales manager can get more pre-qualified candidates into their courtship, with a much higher percentage agreeing to go to the OFFER stage.????

Here are the top three key principles to successfully attract and hire more Top Producers:

1. Building relationships by attracting the attention of the best-fit candidates.
2. Developing rapport with a Warm Call & Talking points. Plus, have a compelling Initial presentation that leaves them wanting to know more.
3. Crafting and adhering to a truly candidate-centric approach that keeps candidates fully engaged throughout the courtship.

These three Art of Courtship principles set Top Sales Leaders apart from the pack of their competitors.?

Social media platforms like LinkedIn have made the relationship side of networking/recruiting much more straightforward...and with a little bit of scripting, we could get just about anyone to take our calls.

Sure, recruiting has never been easy, but if you can change your approach and learn a few new tactics, it becomes a whole lot less challenging.

I am hosting an exclusive T.M.H.C. | Teach Me How Coach event on how to attract more talent to you.

The goal is to help sales leaders better connect and network with Top Producers.

Want to join me? Comment below TMHC and get your ticket.

To your success!

#mortgage?#recruitingtips?#loanofficer