The busy summer season is nearly upon us which means all of us want to not only do our best on the multiple worksites we’ll be sent to, but also look our best, meaning professional! This week we are re-posting a great blog from last year outlining the type of clothing that is appropriate for all property management positions.

“Why does work attire matter? There are many reasons why you should and need to follow work attire policies. In today’s society first impressions mean a lot more then some would like to think. Just recently I walked into a property that I was interested in moving into. As the leaser greeted me, I couldn’t help but notice that she was wearing open-toed heels, old worn-looking jeans, a low cut t-shirt, and her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. As she gave me the tour of the property I noticed she had a difficult time walking around. It appeared she got tired very quickly (I think this might have to do with the high heels she was wearing) and as we cut across some grass area she almost fell when her heel got stuck in the grass. It was obvious that she didn’t consider her job and duties when she was getting dressed that morning.

I had a difficult time getting passed her appearance and based on her work attire I couldn’t help but question the professionalism of the property and the employee herself.  I know not everyone has an eye for fashion but this is why we have dress code policies. If the employee looks sloppy it makes the property look sloppy too. I thought to myself, “I don’t ever want to give that impression,” so I did some online searching and found some great work attire guidelines that I would love to share that may relate a little more to our industry.

Property Manager/ Leaser: Some properties will have standard attire, such as black, blue, or gray slacks with a black or white top with a collar. Some may prefer a pantsuit. Inappropriate pants would be leggings, spandex, exercise pants or sweatpants. Casual dresses and skirts (split below the knee) are acceptable. Dress/ skirt length should be at a length at which you can sit comfortably in public. Short, tight skirts that ride halfway up the thigh are inappropriate for work. Mini-skirts, skorts, sun dresses, beach dresses, and spaghetti strap dresses are inappropriate for the office too. Dress or casual shirts, sweater tops, and turtlenecks are acceptable. Tank tops, midriff tops, halter tops and tops with bare shoulders are inappropriate. As for shoes; when you know you will be doing a lot of walking (ie: property tours) it’s best to wear flats with a rubber sole. High heels, open-toed shoes, flip flops, and sling-backs are inappropriate. Jewelry, make-up, perfume and hair should be in good taste. Keep in mind that some people are allergic to some chemicals in perfumes and make-up, so wear these substances with restraint.

Building Maintenance/Porter:There are properties that may give you a standard uniform to wear. Some may require you to wear coveralls. If you go to a property that doesn’t require either then the best way to go is with solid color t-shirts and/or sweaters. Inappropriate attire would include tank tops, shirts with potentially offensive words, terms, logos, pictures, cartoons, or slogans.  You don’t want to wear anything that may be new that you won’t want to get dirty or mess up. Keep in mind that, just because you work in building maintenance, it doesn’t mean you can show up to work dirty already. Work boots are best but talk to the property manager to make sure you are wearing the best-fitted boots for the job.

Remember that first impressions can make or break you. Make sure your clothes are pressed, clean, and that your outfit is safe for the type of work you do. Keep professionalism and safety in mind when getting dress for work and ask yourself, “What does my outfit say about me?” ”

Maria Torres, Fashion Expert and General Great Advice-Giver

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There has been a lot of positive movement and strong indicators of growth and opportunity that we have seen recently in that past few months in both the staffing and property management industries.  As the demand for rentals has increased in the housing market, the need for more qualified staff on both a temporary and direct hire basis is becoming even greater.  While this news is exciting, it is also very important to not only keep residents and tenants happy, but also to attract and retain qualified staff    There is a direct correlation between resident retention and  on site management staff.  In order to retain residents and tenants, it is critical to remember that it starts with customer service and the quality of staff members.   Some of the ramifications of not having the right staff on site include loss of productivity, low morale, overworked staff members, and most importantly, unhappy residents.

 Here are some ideas to help improve resident and tenant relations to consider:

Tenant Relations

 The cost of retaining satisfied tenants through a proactive appreciation program is much less than the cost of finding a replacement to fill a vacancy.

 Below are some of the ways that Renoir clients have created effective tenant relations programs.

 Activities that build unity and encourage involvement contribute to a successful community.

• Bring your tenants together at events to celebrate holidays or kick-off the summer BBQ season.
• Offer a kid’s movie night once a week during the summer and set aside a place for parents to gather and talk during the film. 
• Put together a team to participate in an event to support a non-profit organization.
• Join your city’s softball league or organize a community tennis, Frisbee or other sports tournament at your complex.
• Invite health professionals to an on-site health fair or plan a career advancement event with colleges and employers.
• Host informal happy hours on your patio or in your lobby with music and snacks.

Loyal tenants feel connected to their community.  Don’t be afraid to get your current staff involved in the creative planning process as well.  You never know what great ideas you might find by reaching out to your staff members!

So, now that you have great ideas for keeping your residents happy, how do you find and keep the right talent at your community and/or office to ensure that your residents and tenants are handled with the care and attention that they deserve?

In order to retain your valued staff members, it is important to remember that they need motivation and encouragement to keep up morale.   Management staff  should try to keep things fun and enjoyable in the workplace as well as  offer activities or incentives that will keep your leasing and maintenance staff engaged and excited.   This will not only keep up morale but also increase performance levels critical to the overall success of the company as well as to ensuring the retention of your valued residents or tenants.

When faced with the task of hiring for an open position, remember that it takes more than just a simple review of the resume.  It is important to effectively screen potential candidates thoroughly with detailed, open ended questions to allow the candidate to expand on their skills and qualifications as well as provide examples of how they  handle workplace situations.   You should also remember to evaluate skills through various assessment programs and verify any credentials that the candidate might have as well.  The cost of making the wrong hire could be enormous if you don’t have a systematic and detailed screening and evaluation process when hiring.   

Here are some things to keep in mind to assist you in making the right hiring decisions:

The Cost of Making the Wrong Hire

Filling an open position appears to be a relatively easy task. The challenge for hiring managers is that they just don’t have the time to effectively screen, interview and hire staff. And, hiring the wrong person can be an expensive waste of time. Follow these guidelines to reduce the risk and even consider using Renoir’s recruiting services.

 ·         Take your time – Interview several people to find the right candidate. Fill in with a temporary employee rather than rushing to hire someone.

• Write a Job Description- Written criteria will help you define your needs, attract appropriate applicants and be consistent in evaluating skills.
• Research Salaries – You’ll gain an advantage in negotiation if you know typical salary ranges.

Here’s a great way to reduce the costs and risks of making the wrong hire

Temporary to hire or direct hire

Have you ever considered hiring through a staffing agency on a direct hire basis?

Trying to recruit on your own is an expensive and time consuming process. Having to read through hundreds of resumes, trying to match skills to job descriptions, and endless interviewing can cause frustration and anxiety. However, there is a solution to the hiring madness. Turning to Renoir for your real estate and property management staffing needs will not only save you time, but it will also save you money.

•  Save Time- By using your human resource professionals at Renoir to screen candidates for your. we do the recruiting for you, then send you only the most qualified candidates to interview

• Depend On- Each candidate you see on having the specific skills you are looking for to fill your open position. We test our candidates.
• Save Money- By reducing the cost of advertising for your open positions. Simply let us know what you’re looking for and we take care of the rest- including the advertising costs.

Save Money Still- When you make a hire that is actually the right fit. We make sure that each candidate we send for you to interview “fits in” from skill set to company culture. We reduce the likelihood of making a “bad hire”; which positively affects your bottom line.

Arisha Williams, Director of Sales

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Industry events are an important part of one’s growth in their line of work. While it can be difficult to schedule in an event with all your other duties, the rewards you can receive (such as meeting industry leaders, acquiring new knowledge that can improve your skills, and/or promoting your company) have the potential to move you higher up the business ladder.

We often hear that it’s ‘Not What You Know, But Who You Know.’ If this is occasionally true (because let’s not discount the fact that a strong skill-set will get you far!) then networking with the community of your industry can prove to be beneficial to you if you are looking to move into a new position, or simply want to make new contacts in order to promote your business. At the very least, you can demonstrate your knowledge and advertise your expertise with the people who can contribute to the growth of profession or business.

And speaking of expertise, what better way to increase all the knowledge you already possess than to attend functions that give you the all the latest, up-to-date information available in your trade? And, not only are many events designed to inform you, topics that includes increasing your business are often presented in a workshop manner in which you’ll not only been given examples of how a particular tool has been proven effective, but also the way in which you can utilize it to your own advantage!

Networking is also a great form of advertising your company. We all know that branding is only effective if our target audience is exposed to it, and therefore meeting with potential consumers is paramount. But use it not only as an opportunity to spread the word about your company but also as a way to build a relationship with your consumers. You may notice familiar faces at these events as you begin to attend them regularly. Use this as your chance to get to know people on a more personal level; it can only increase your chances of being relied upon when they have a need!

Wondering how to get started? The first place you should go is the Associations that are relevant to your industry. In our case, it’s property management and therefore we belong to, and attend events by, the Rental Housing Association (RHA) of Sacramento, California Apartment Association (CAA), and many more, and the events they have held, such as trade shows and luncheons, have proved an invaluable source of information and opportunities to network.

Another great place to get associated with your industry’s community is LinkedIn Groups. Simply by joining a few relevant groups can open the door to expanding your brand and skills tremendously. You’ll receive emails about current topics of discussion, invites to events, as well as the opportunity to reach out individually to these people, great for the follow-up message after meeting them at a luncheon!

If you’re looking for opportunities to strengthen your relevance to your business community, and we all should be, then attending events should be at the top of your list! The knowledge you’ll gain, as well as the people you meet, can only serve to boost your business or marketability!

Happy Event Browsing!

Jessie Williams, Marketing Coordinator

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One of the best ways in which you can succeed as a staffing professional is to attend industry events. They are empowering and give great insight into current industry trends and up-to-date sales strategies. Simple run an internet search on your industry along with ‘associations’ and you’ll see the many options you’ll have to choose from! In regards to property management, California Apartment Association (CAA) and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) are two examples of the excellent associations available to become a member with and grow your skill-set.

As Renoir Staffing’s San Francisco recruiter, I highly recommend California Staffing Professionals (CSP). They offer a wide array of services including an Annual Conference and their upcoming Staffing Owners Retreat. To view their upcoming events calendar, visit their website at www.cspnet.org.

Another great resource for training in staffing sales is Barbara Bruno. She has over 25 years of successful staffing experience and her webinars (another great and affordable resource!) can improve your “game” significantly! Sign up at www.recruitertraining.net.

Whether your work in staffing or many of the other sales industries out there, events, online training, and being a member of an association, can strengthen your sales skills and increase the level of success you enjoy from your career!

Theresa Cannon, Recruiter

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One of the primary reasons for Renoir’s success is that we truly care about our employees and the companies that we serve. We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. Because of our thorough screening process and our recruiting teams’ ability to ask the questions that will help us identify what our employees and clients need, we can take pride in the fact that we have been successful in making great employment matches. Renoir also has a strong value system that we live by both as part of our internal culture and in how we treat those that we assist in the employment market. Our ability to stay true and consistent in our business practices as part of this value system helps us to continually be recognized as one of Northern California’s premier property management and real estate staffing firms. With intrinsic values that we live and operate by such as integrity, teamwork, accountability, professionalism, quality, dedication, and respect, companies can depend on us to be there when they need us.

The success that we have had over the past 25 years has now laid a strong foundation for our expansion into Southern California with offices now in Phoenix, Arizona and Newport Beach, CA.  Since we have built a strong reputation of meeting the staffing needs of our customers and forging solid business relationships, our referral network will make for a very easy and logical transition to these new markets. With the expertise and resources to not only evaluate but effectively respond what our customers and candidates day-to-day challenges are, we can be confident that we will continue the success we have had in Northern California to a client base in Southern California and Arizona as well.

We are considered the ultimate resource for employment matchmaking as we take the time to really understand the needs of the candidates that we represent and the client companies that we serve.  It is with our commitment to strive to be the best of the best and to execute on the delivery of our service offerings that Renoir Staffing will continue to uphold its’ long-time reputation of being the most reliable option for responding to the demands of employment challenges in the property management and real estate industry.

Arisha Williams, Manager of Staffing Services

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This week check out the newly released Renoir Staffing newsletter! We’ve had a busy summer this year: new office and recruiter, amazing events, and great new clients who love our rock star employees!

Check it out here: Renoir Newsletter

The team at Renoir Staffing would like to thank all the clients and candidates that make this company the leader in the real estate staffing industry-we appreciate you!

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Does it really make a difference what you wear to an interview?  In many cases it does. According to Kim Zoller at Image Dynamics, 55% of another person’s perception of you is based on how you look. It is best to dress for success and if you are not sure what the dress code is for the organization you are interviewing with, it is best to dress on the conservative side. Another rule to observe: It is also much better to be overdressed than underdressed!

All jobs may not require the same type of attire for an interview. Here are a few pointers that have worked for me and other people I know: You should wear a solid color suit or slacks, with a coordinated blouse or shirt, coordinated tie (men), moderate shoes, light jewelry (women), light perfume/cologne, and your hair should be neatly groomed. However, depending on the position it may be appropriate for you to dress more casual. In that case, I think it is acceptable to wear jeans that are clean, neatly pressed without holes, with a coordinated shirt (not a t-shirt), moderate shoes, light jewelry (women), light perfume/cologne, and again, your hair neatly groomed. Last but not least, you should ALWAYS look in the mirror before heading to the interview!

La Terra Francis, Accounting Manager

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The inspiration behind this blog provided by:

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewsnetworking/a/dressforsuccess.htm

As a staffing professional for almost 15 years, I have noticed many changes in the staffing industry over the years.  What hasn’t changed is the fact that companies have always come to rely on utilizing staffing services to fulfill many short-term and even long-term staffing needs.  While the staffing industry has had to respond to the various economic changes over the years, there has always been a need for companies to rely on flexible staffing solutions to respond to their ever-changing employment requirements. For example, there were over 2.2 million temporary jobs created in July 2011. And for over 25 years, Renoir Staffing has been the premier staffing resource for property management companies in finding employment opportunities for many of the industry’s top talent.

The most common needs for staffing help are to cover for vacation, employment leave, and/or when there is a vacant position.  During a recession, it is not uncommon for many companies to reach out to staffing agencies to look for qualified candidates to fill full-time positions on a temporary-to-hire basis.  With an increase demand for work productivity but less staffing resources, the need for temporary help becomes much more popular.  This option allows both the employer and the employee to evaluate if there is a mutual fit.  Staffing firms like Renoir Staffing can prove to be a good resource to provide this type of solution.  This is even more common with specialized staffing firms such as Renoir as it is more challenging for companies to find the top industry talent due to such a competitive market.   So remember that a temporary assignment could lead to greater chances for a longer term opportunity and always put your best foot forward.

So what has changed?

With the advantages in technology and the social media buzz, it is becoming much more common for staffing firms to utilize social media sites as Facebook and LinkedIn to network, promote and advertise open positions and, most importantly, RECRUIT!!  While the use of job boards and company websites prove to still be one of the most traditional ways that companies look for qualified candidates, social media has proven to be an easier and more effective ways to reach out to the candidate marketplace.  LinkedIn is the most widely used as a professionally-based method to get and stay connected.   We at Renoir recommend that our candidates create and update their LinkedIn profiles in order to be more attractive to potential employers.  Remember this is the best way to advertise and summarize skills, experience, accomplishments, and allow potential employers to assess an individuals’ qualifications if they are looking to fill an open position. It can also be a better method to highlight some of your other professional achievements, showcase your talent, show what industry associations you are involved in, and review employment recommendations.  Referrals are always the best way to get your foot in the door so make sure to always  ask for colleagues to add recommendations on your profile.

Conversely, LinkedIn is a wonderful way to find out more about companies and allow individuals the opportunity to evaluate the company profile that lists executive management, vision and mission statements, employee profiles, and even a link to the company website for further discovery. Remember, job seekers need to research the companies that they might be interested in working for as well so LinkedIn becomes one of the best ways to find out more than what a typical website might offer.

In addition, joining groups on LinkedIn provides a wonderful way for individuals to network, learn more about trends of a company or industry, and even participate in group discussions and blogs.   It’s all about NETWORKING!!!

While Facebook is most commonly used for personal connections, it has recently introduced a platform called BeKnown in partnership with Monster to allow Facebook users to distinguish between personal and professional contacts.  While still relatively new, it seems to allow the over 500 million active users on Facebook to have a professional exchange that is separate from the personal outlet that most users look to this site to provide them.   Most companies, including Renoir Staffing, utilize their company profile on Facebook  as a way to share fun stories, industry highlights, and news and information for its’ clients and employees.

Staffing firms like Renoir are in the business of finding people jobs, and good jobs at that. The bridge between the old and new ways of recruiting has been very exciting for the staffing industry as a whole. We are in a very unique position to leverage our expertise with the old and new ways of finding talent.  Here at Renoir Staffing, we take pride in utilizing many various resources to reach out to candidates in the property management field to connect them with great companies in the industry that are hiring. Companies come to Renoir because they trust that we can find them the employees that they need.  Through the use of creative and innovative methods to seek out these individuals, it’s one of the reasons Renoir has been the most successful property management staffing firm in the Bay Area.

The following resources were used in the research for this blog:

http://www.staffingindustry.com/Research-Publications/Daily-News/BLS-U.S.-Temp-Employment-Flat-in-July

http://www.staffingindustry.com/site/Research-Publications/Publications/SI-Review/August-2011/Social-Media

Arisha Williams, Manager of Staffing Services

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The Job Forum of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce is a free and very valuable resource for San Francisco Job Seekers. They provide information on internet job sites, interviewing, negotiating,  and assistance with resume writing. They hold an Employment Forum once a week every Wednesday @ the Chamber from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, providing attendees with job search ideas, counsel, and encouragement! Please review their website, www.thejobfourm.com and join the forum; you’ll be glad you did!  Happy Job Hunting!

Theresa Cannon, Recruiter

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When I first started working in the Property Management industry I had no idea just how far I would go and that I would always end up in the industry in one shape or another, even when I was trying to make a change to a different industry.

I started in the residential property division of a management company not too long after I got out of high school. It was a basic administrative position. The bread and butter of the company that I worked for was their Homeowner’s Association Management division. However, we were creeping up on them quickly and growing our division immensely. I was quickly learning the ins and outs of the business from my supervisor, who had been with the company for ten years and had started as an administrative assistant as well. Within six months I too was a Residential Property Manager, and I loved it. Since then I have been successful in Property Management, Real Estate, and now the placement of professionals in rolls just like the ones I’ve been in myself.

With the economic downturn over the past several years, Property Management has actually been on the upswing. More people are being forced to give up the homes they own and the rental market is large and thriving. I don’t believe that this is going to change for quite some time. It has been far more difficult to obtain a home loan and many people are too reluctant to purchase in this market. Hence, rentals will continue to thrive. With that comes the need for more qualified individuals in a variety of roles: Administrative, Leasing, Maintenance, etc. Many realtors that have been struggling with the poor Real Estate market have made the switch to Property Management.

I believe if you are customer service-oriented and have a true love of talking to people, this is a great industry for you. Also, if you enjoy variety, it suits that as well. Things change in the industry on an almost constant basis and there are always going to be new laws, or changes in laws, to keep you on your toes. Plus, nine times out of ten you are helping people and that, for me, is the best part. Property management is the perfect blend of giving back to your community as well as supporting your livelihood!

Erin Gilligan, Staffing Associate

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