Changing Jobs is a lot like Selling a House
It’s not just a transaction
Earlier this year I had to help a family member sell their house in the United States. Interestingly everyone I met knew the best real estate agent (but I never got the same name twice), and passionately supported their choice. After meeting the first agent and being underwhelmed (and seeing their fee), I looked into FSBO but quickly abandoned that as too time consuming and risky.
The next several agents I met were also disappointing. Fees and the sales process are very similar from one company to another. All the agents provided me with the same information (recent sales in the neighborhood, comparable house value, etc.) and pointed out the same positives and negatives on the property… essentially Zillow power users. There was very little to differentiate from one agent to the next.
They also shared some of the same bad habits. Most of the real estate agents made assumptions about my situation, and gave advice based on those assumptions. They often tried to steer me towards options that gave them the quickest possible sale (and commission for them). They rarely explained their process, probably guessing I already knew from experience or didn't need to know because it's too complicated.
It was discouraging to meet with someone for an hour and feel uninformed.
The process was very transactional - they showed up, walked through the house, and then told me what they could sell it for. They tried to tell me what I wanted to hear. The first three agents I met were all like this, and I was honestly ready to pick the least bad of them and move on.
Personalize the experience
Finally, after those failed meetings, I met someone different. When she showed up, she asked me questions about my family’s situation and my involvement in the process. When she walked through the house, she provided much more detail, not just the good & bad that she saw.
When it came time to talk about the value of the property, she focused instead on the housing market, what's working and not working in sales, and what she will do to help maximize the sales price. She also informed me about potential problems I would encounter during closing that I hadn't heard from any of the other agents.
She personalized the experience for me. She explained every step and answered every question with a level of depth that other agents skimmed over. She was consultative, made suggestions, and offered advice. When she left, she made it a point to say that she really wanted to help me sell the house.
Always do what is in the best interest of your customer
Sound familiar? Selling a house isn't just a transaction, and neither is hiring someone or changing jobs. Recruitment in competitive markets can quickly become a race to the bottom and the main point of competition becomes price.
Like me, most companies probably attempt to do it themselves - either with an internal recruitment team or by listing their opening on job sites. Like me, they are probably disappointed with a majority of the agents they meet. Like me, they probably get frustrated by the assumptions, nod and just move on.
At Wahl+Case there is a reason that 87% of our clients and 94% of our candidates rate us as better than other recruitment firms.
Why?
Because we do our best to avoid transactional relationships that are only about price, and instead always do what is in the best interest of our clients and candidates. We take the time to focus on building meaningful relationships that add value outside of hiring. And while anyone can say these things, we believe strongly in backing our words with actions, which is why we offer a 6 month, 100% warranty with our Anshin contract.
What we do is important to people, and when we do it well, it changes people's perception of what that experience can be. When we do it like everyone else, we might just be the least bad option.
