Hiring and Training the Best ISAs in the Business

Recruiting, hiring, and training an effective team may be one of the largest challenges impacting small business owners, and for good reason. It’s no small task to hire and train a new employee, and recruiting doesn’t necessarily come naturally to business owners, despite the fact that the stakes are high to get it right. Factoring in the costs of having to advertise, recruit, interview, onboard and train new team members, the wrong employee can cost you and your business big.

Enter Megan McManus, General Manager of Appointments Inc. by CINC, and resident ISA hiring expert. Earlier this year at Inman Connect NY 2017, Megan shared her 7 tips for hiring and training the best ISAs in the business, also revealing how her own team of 30 ISAs set a record 18,604 appointments in one year! Read on to discover Megan’s 7 proven steps to hiring the best ISAs in the business.

1. Clearly Outline ISA Role Requirements

Begin your recruiting efforts by being very specific about exactly what you’re looking for in an ISA and what will be expected of the individual you bring into the role. You should be able to clearly articulate key responsibilities, role requirements, and qualifications prior to beginning your candidate search.

Do your best to avoid pigeonholing your expectations of the role and the individual into solely that of someone making prospecting calls. Don’t be afraid to give that individual additional responsibilities such as making listing and buyers appointments, and following up to re-engage past clients. If you can create a culture and vision for the role that the candidate can get excited about, more qualified candidates are more likely to pursue the position.

2. Create a Compelling ISA Job Advertisement

Once you’ve clearly defined your vision for the role, be sure to create a dynamic and compelling advertisement to attract prospective candidates. Using the clearly defined role description developed in step one, paint a compelling picture of what a day in the life would look like for your future team member. Be a storyteller - describe what they can do for your company and really articulate the vision. In turn, you should also tell them what your company will do for them and their career. You’re seeking a candidate who will be invested in you and in turn you should describe how you’re investing in them.

Also, don’t be afraid to test them a little bit. Don’t make it too easy for them to apply. When you make candidates jump through a few hoops to get to you, it’s a strong indication that they are serious about wanting the role.

3. Interview in Groups First

Though it may be considered unconventional by some, group interview settings are incredibly insightful for the employer. Here are a few key things to keep in mind when conducting group interviews:

• Do not tell the candidate in advance that it will be a group interview. The goal is to gauge a natural reaction to how they handle interviewing amidst a group of potential team members and fellow interviewees.
• Don’t assign seating. Instead observe as the candidates choose their own seats.
• Pay close attention to body language like eye rolls, crossing of the arms etc., as body language can be a powerfully indicator of whether or not someone is going to be a team player or not.
• Ask each existing member of your team for their individual stamp of approval. When the rest of your team is invested in the candidate from the get go, they’ll be continually invested in the individual as a team member.

4. Conduct a One on One Interview

The group interview process should be a very clear indicator as to which candidates will be moving forward in the interview process. Set those individuals up with a one on one interview, keeping in mind that because you have clearly outlined what is expected in the role and of the new hire, you should frame your questions accordingly. Don’t forget to Include questions about the candidate’s personality to determine whether or not they would be a good culture fit for the team.

5. Simulate a Hands-On ISA Experience

See if the interviewee can do the job for an hour. When hiring for ISA roles, put the candidate on the queue to make dials. There’s no better way to vet an individual’s existing skill set quickly, and what you’ll find is that giving the right answers in an interview session doesn’t always translate into an ability to actually do the job.

6. Extend the Offer to Your New Hire

Once the candidate has proven they’re the right person for the job, extend your offer, making sure you are enthusiastic about whoever you bring on board! The benefit of this hiring process is that both you and your team will be fully invested in this individual right out of the gate. 

7. TRAIN your ISA Properly

Training is the most critical piece of the puzzle. The biggest failure you can make throughout this process is to hire an ISA but fail to train him/her properly. Be clear and organized in training your ISA, starting by sharing who you are as a business. Outline the level of service you expect as well as your standards for addressing leads. Walk them through the stages of the buying & selling process.

MOST IMPORTANTLY understand that ISAs are people and that they have personal goals. Keep in mind what motivates them and makes them tick. ISAs are the real MVPs of your business, so you should avoid treating them as a means to an end. What you’ll find is that when you truly invest in your people they will do the same for you.

Want to hear Megan’s tips directly from Megan herself? You can watch Megan’s full presentation via webinar here.