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Training needs to change along with our attitude to it. In an ever changing industry, there needs to be a continual balance of both industry specialised and professional self development training.
Blogger: Leah Calnan, director at Metro Property Management
The platforms for training are changing too. We now see more webinars being scheduled for one hour in the comfort of your own office and desk, often during the 12pm to 2pm time slot to allow lunch to be eaten whilst learning. What a great idea and very cost effective for the business.
We also have to consider that everyone learns in different ways. Are they auditory, visual or kinesthetic? Do you understand the differences between them? Do you know the way that your team members learn? If not, why not?
How can you effectively train yourself or any of your team if you don't know this?
I am also of the opinion that training budgets should be forming part of salary packages - that way both employer and employee are making a joint commitment together to better both the individual and the company.
There should be a structured plan on what the training will consist of and what component should be payable by the employee, because don't get me wrong training shouldn't be solely at the employers cost.
There needs to be a learning contribution cost to the employee as well. Furthermore set some terms around the training. After six months employment they receive a budget of $200 and after 12 months it increases to $500. If you offer attendance at an interstate conference, offer to pay for the conference ticket but the team member pay for air fare and accommodation.
The budget could increase with every year of employment? This could make a great employment anniversary thank-you.
In an industry where people are crying out for training why don't we see this happen? Are employers scared to train their staff because "if they train them they will leave?". But what if you don't train them and they stay? Isn't that worse for the employer, the business, the brand and the clients?
Things need to change! If you develop your team, they will develop and grow your business.
I think we also need to see changes to the recruitment industry. Over the past few years, I have seen recruitment agencies continually boost the salary expectations of candidates. Yes, I acknowledge there is and has been a shortage of people coming into the industry, but boosting up the salaries isn’t the answer. It's simply created greater churn to a degree and less client satisfaction.
So let’s fix what's wrong and then people will stay.
In the recruitment process there needs to be a greater focus on culture, training, team consistency and overall happiness within the business. People who love where they work and the people they work with will stay around longer and I guarantee this will be worth far more to the candidate than the extra few thousand dollars they may have been able to receive from another company.
Remember someone will always pay more so you need to make your place of employment better than all the others out there to choose from.
We will always need new talent to come into the world of property management but remember they need to continue to come from all of the different generations, and I promise, if you train, they will come, and the best part, they will stay!
About Leah Calnan
Leah Calnan is one of the industry’s most accomplished property management experts. With 20 years experience in the field of property management, her dedication and passion to the industry is second to none. She is the sole director of Metro Property Management, a business which leases and manages just under 2,000 properties in over 170 suburbs across Melbourne. She has won numerous industry awards, she is a qualified industry trainer, the current chairperson of the Property Management Chapter at the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) and in 2012 released her first book Simple and Successful Property Management.
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