I have heard comments along the lines of, “They’re so lucky, they’ve got a great team”.

Luck has nothing to do with building a winning team.

It requires belief, hard work, perseverance, and commitment over several years before you develop a team of high performers.

After commitment comes systems. Your recruitment program must be systemised, methodical, and rigid.

It’s crucial you get this right. Your recruitment process must help you identify likely winners and reduce the risk of hiring those who won’t make it.

If you want to build a winning team, don’t think hiring, think RECRUITMENT.

The Business Dictionary defines hiring as:

The act of giving someone a job; an employer taking on a new employee.

Building a team of competent winners requires more than that.

Now, here’s the definition of Recruitment:

The process of finding and hiring the best-qualified candidate (from within or outside of an organisation) for a job opening, in a timely and cost-effective manner. The recruitment process includes analysing the requirements of a job, attracting employees to that job, screening and selecting applicants, hiring, and integrating the new employee to the organisation.

Recruitment is a systemised process that weeds out unsuitable applicants and assists in selecting those who are most likely to make it.

Here are the elements of a successful recruitment system for real estate salespeople:

• Attraction – you need to fill your recruitment pipeline with candidates looking for a career in Real Estate Sales. This is far more than just advertising on Seek.

• Sorting systems – you need systems to help you sort those who won’t succeed from those who possibly could. Nothing is definite, but sorting systems will help you identify the best candidates.

• Testing – don’t leave it to ‘gut instinct’ – test candidates to see if they have the temperament and aptitude for Sales.

• Selection systems – you must be decisive and offer employment once your systems identify a potential winner. Winners won’t wait for procrastinating leaders.

• Launching – bringing recruits onboard with clear guidelines on what you expect from them in actions, study, and responsibilities.

• Leading and Managing – after launching your recruit properly, leading and managing are ongoing responsibilities for all leaders. Neglect this, and your promising recruit will most likely become a mediocre experienced salesperson. And our industry has too many of those!

If you are too busy selling real estate, your focus could lead away from recruiting and leading the team you have. This is a sure way to build a mediocre team.

Would you take on a seller and not nurture that relationship, consciously moving the listing toward a sale?

Then why would you take on a recruit and not nurture that person, working him or her toward greatness?

Leaders with winning teams persevere and systemise their recruitment process. They stick at it with an intense focus and desire until they end up with the team that gives them freedom of choice.