1st in a series on the "New Working Environment"
By Julie Adamen

We are in the midst of an employment storm. It's not just the high-flying dot--commers that can't find employees, it's everyone, and the community management industry is no exception. If we had 30 experienced managers "in the hopper" right now, in Southern California alone, we could place them all - at a guaranteed increase in salary. Not to mention Northern California, Arizona, Nevada and Washington – all equally starving for experienced community management staff.

As an industry we need a far more sophisticated work force than in previous years. This staff must be computer literate. They must be able to think and communicate well. We need to look for these candidates everywhere and anywhere - and we must acknowledge that as the employee market changes and becomes more competitive, we must change along with it. And changing does not mean we will compromise our standards.

The lack of what we as an industry perceive as "appropriate (read: experienced, full time) personnel" is causing management companies to turn down accounts they would normally accept, terminate contracts they would normally keep, and/or overload their existing staff with "just one more account." Those in positions of authority - owners, executives or middle management - are stressed out just thinking about how they are going to manage for the next 30 days, 90 days, or longer without the employees they desperately need. They are in a crisis mode and they see no light at the end of the tunnel. There IS Light

We know what the challenges are in community management (night meetings, long hours, abusive clients, ad nauseam) - Let's set those aside. In terms of desirable employment conditions, we have the most wonderful asset that other industries can only dream about: Our ability to be flexible. Standard portfolio management is probably one of the most flexible positions available to the employment pool. Other than those imposed by the Management Company, it really has no "set" hours. In fact, it can be a part time position; it can be done from a home office or other remote location or "satellite office." It can be job shared. Exploiting that flexibility would open our industry up to an entirely new (for us) pool of potential employees - those who desire a "white collar" professional position yet are unable or no longer wish to work full time or commute to the office on a daily basis. It would also open up our industry to a more mature work force: Those with previous corporate experience or those re-entering the job market after raising children. This market would give us those candidates with the depth and patience of experience. It would also give us options in retaining our current employees who are burning out, or wish to cut back on their work load.

This ability to be flexible is our greatest selling tool for the industry, yet it goes virtually unexploited. Why? How do we begin? How do we manage it?

Begin at the Beginning

Let's change our thinking. No doubt about it, we all resist change to something with which we are familiar, even if it no longer works, or fits our needs. Currently we (for the most part) continue to operate on the premise that if we place a "want ad" with the same parameters as in previous years, candidates will come. This approach is no longer as successful as it once was. We need to look at our industry and ourselves in a new light, the light of competition in the general marketplace, not just against each other. In addition to asking ourselves "How do we retain our current employees?" start asking "How do we attract new, qualified employees from other industries to our industry?"

Take baby steps. We may have to change our contracts, we may have to change our methods of supervision, and we may have to re-structure our companies to accommodate a new working environment. But let's take it one step at a time, and not get caught up in the "we mays" and the "what ifs?" If Thomas Edison spent time worrying about how to wire a house, he wouldn't have invented the light bulb. 1%

Yes, we will have to train new people (and do it well). It's not as quick as plug 'n' play employees, but if we are to succeed in attracting and keeping new staff, especially new staff that will work outside of our "normal" working environment, we are going to have to make a commitment to real training. This training must come complete with information, support and supervision. Some management companies provide this type of training and many on site associations do, too; however, we find that for the most part new employees receive relatively little training and are on the "earn while you learn" program. This method will no longer be effective in the new working environment. It all comes back to effective middle management and business management: Obtaining and retaining employees is the most important duty executives and General Managers can do to ensure their firm's viability and a strong bottom line.

We must acknowledge that we are competing with all other industries for available employees, not just ourselves. And many of those industries have a higher (hourly) wage scale and better benefits packages: From supermarkets to certain retail positions, from marketing and sales to data entry, from the insurance industry to high tech. What are we doing to compete in the employment market? How are we selling our industry to outsiders?

The community management industry is born to take advantage of the current job market - because we have what most other industries do not: Flexibility. And those management firms and associations with in-house employees who ride with the employment market using that flexibility to their advantage will be two steps ahead of the rest. Don't be left behind.