At Your Service: How SelectLeaders Merges Technology And Relationship Building In CRE Hiring

When employers are occupied with the day-to-day responsibilities of their job, it’s not uncommon for hiring to fall by the wayside. However, employers who don’t prioritize hiring or post open roles and interview strategically can risk bringing on the wrong candidates or losing their new hires — both of which can be detrimental to your business.

Commercial real estate industry employers can make more intentional hiring decisions by partnering with executive recruiting firm SelectLeaders. Employers can consult with an executive recruiter on hiring strategies and reach prospective candidates through multiple channels, including SelectLeaders’ network of CRE-specific companies.

SelectLeaders provides a “white-glove service” to its clients, said SelectLeaders Associate Director of Recruiting Katie Hart. This involves setting up interviews with candidates on the employer’s behalf, drafting offer letters and providing detailed assessments detailing why particular candidates might be a strong fit.

“We bring the human side to CRE recruiting,” she said. “Being our clients’ partners means understanding their company culture and the ins and outs of the job they’re looking to hire for. We are a one-stop shop for all of their recruiting needs.”

SelectLeaders Senior Associate Kaitlyn Pacillo said that some employers may need help navigating the hiring process, especially if there’s a time crunch.

“Companies hire us to find someone in a timely manner,” she said. We’re also on the lookout for passive candidates who may not be actively applying but who might be interested in a job or company.”

In addition to posting clients’ job openings on platforms such as ZipRecruiter and LinkedIn, SelectLeaders is also integrated with its CRE sister companies, Bisnow and Biscred. The firm posts region-specific jobs on Bisnow’s regional pages using geotagson Biscred’s dashboard.

“Our advantage is that we are CRE-specific,” said SelectLeaders Managing Director Ryan Neale. “We grew up in the industry and are part of it. Through our partnerships, we develop insight into what’s going on in the industry in every major market.”

Employers can also utilize SelectLeaders’ job board, where they can fill out a profile with relevant company information including their asset class, primary job functions — such as leasing, and a frequently asked questions page. Companies can post their open roles, from entry-level and mid-size to upper management and C-suite and use the dashboard to track applications received and views on their post.

SelectLeaders Client and Data Solutions Associate Jermaine Frazier-Collins added that the job board enables employers to showcase themselves and allows candidates to learn more about the company. Candidates can also use the search function to look for open roles.

He advises employers to fill out all of the sections on their profile page and to include information to differentiate themselves from competitors.

“Our clients find that applicants using the SelectLeaders job board fit in much better with the asset experiences and skillsets they’re looking for as opposed to the applicants using a platform that casts a wide net,” Frazier-Collins said. “Our job board has people that have been in the industry for a long time and are looking for CRE-specific roles.”

On the candidate side, SelectLeaders leverages its partnership with The JobHelpers, which uses artificial intelligence capabilities to create resumes with job-specific keywords, Neale said.

A properly worded job title and description can make a major difference in attracting the right candidate. As a job title can vary across different organizations, SelectLeaders will provide feedback to ensure the title makes sense for the roles and responsibilities listed in the job description, he said.

SelectLeaders Marketing Manager Lily Rusthoven said that the team also helps on the back-end, optimizing the job postings for SEO.

“We've seen job posts on SelectLeaders’ employer profiles rank as high or on the same level on Google as when jobs are posted on the company’s site,” she said. “Working with SelectLeaders provides a great opportunity for companies to advertise their open roles.”

Neale said that clients — especially those who use the job board — appreciate being able to contact someone from SelectLeaders if they need help, whether it be promoting their open roles or managing applications.

‘We’re not a large, ambiguous tech company; we’re humans who want to see our clients succeed,” he said. “We have a team of people who really care about helping employers get their next role and helping clients get their next job opportunity.”

If you’re curious about how you can improve your CRE hiring practices, check out the Bisnow webinar recording hosted by SelectLeaders here.