What Your Team Really Wants From You
The multifamily industry is all about people , and most often the people who get the most attention are the residents and prospects . The success of the industry , however , doesn ’ t start with the residents , however . It begins with the Team .
Two of the top 5 factors in resident satisfaction are “ Sense of Community between the residents and staff ,” and “ Responsiveness and dependability of the team .” Residents and employers have high expectations of our team members , but how often do we evaluate what expectations team members have of their employers or each other ?
“ More money ” is commonly presumed to be the factor that motivates the most , however , according to the results of the 2014 Associate Surveys SatisFacts Index , the top factors that motivate onsite team members are :
• Opportunities to learn new things
• Authority to make decisions
• Management shows faith in their judgment
• Working on a team
• Recognition
• Helping others be successful
On the flip side , the top factors that keep onsite team members from getting their job done are :
• Issues not addressed promptly
• Budgeting constraints
• Inconsistent direction
• Paperwork requirements
Notice that compensation doesn ’ t rank anywhere on these lists . Sure , it is a factor , just as rent increases are a factor when residents are evaluating renewing their lease . But the key factors are overwhelmingly focused on opportunity , trust , and teamwork .
Research across a variety of industries show that employee satisfaction directly impacts customer
satisfaction , which directly impacts revenue . If team members don ’ t feel they are getting the opportunity to grow , that their supervisors don ’ t trust them , or they don ’ t feel connected to their co-workers , they won ’ t feel motivated to put much effort into their work . It starts with the culture that is created by top management and cultivated down the chain of command . So , what impacts this culture ?
1 . Education . At the top of the list is the desire to learn new things , so one of the most impactful investments a company can make is in the education of their staff . Whether it is building an in-house training department or utilizing online learning or tapping into the programs provided by the local apartment association , there is a learning solution for every budget .
2 . Trust Your Team . There ’ s a reason you hired the staff you have . Whether it was finding that can-do attitude or discovering someone who had the perfect mix of experience , you had a specific need and you filled it . You did your part , so now let them do theirs . Parameters and guidelines are important , but if you don ’ t trust your team to make decision there are really only two choices you can make : a ) Educate them on the skills they need , or b ) Hire a better fit .
3 . Provide the Tools Needed . Most often this comes in the form of answering questions promptly . Just as property teams are expected to respond to resident questions and concerns same day , supervisors should live by the same expectation . It ’ s nearly impossible to do your job well if the tools or information you need are not available . And if it ’ s a matter of not having the answers to the questions that are coming in , it may be time to establish some basic governing policies .
The success of any community relies directly on the property team , and it ’ s critical to understand what matters most to team members . If you haven ’ t taken the time lately to ask what is most important to them in their work , don ’ t assume you know . Ask . You may be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to gain even more loyalty from your employees and , ultimately , your residents .
Jen Piccotti SVP of Education and Consulting SatisFacts ResearchTM