Last month, we looked at what constitutes table stakes in an offer letter. This month, we explore what minor differentiators look like and how some firms are using these to get candidates to say “yes” to their offer. Minor Differentiators Team-member-first culture - Every firm says they offer this, but there is a clear difference between the firms who have more of the mentality of “if it weren't for the clients, you wouldn't have a job.” When the truth is that if you didn’t have your team, ...
Getting Your Offer Accepted – Part 1 of 3
Hiring the right people for your firm can be a challenging time-consuming endeavor, especially in today’s talent market when job seekers have most of the leverage and multiple job offers to choose from. Hopefully you have not had a job offer rejected, but if you have - you aren’t alone. One recent research study by CareerPlug found that 58% of job seekers had declined an offer of employment. In this three-part series, we want to describe what we see each day as table stakes or the ...
Utilizing Finders, Minders, Grinders Effectively
Happy New Year! To continue to capitalize on the momentum you gained last year, start this year off right by making sure you have your teammates in the correct roles within your firm. Having the right person in the wrong fit role (the “wrong seat”) substantially detracts from any efficiencies and scale you have achieved. In our work with firms across the country, we see top candidates not be able to deliver top-tier results because, sometimes, they are in the wrong spot. In this month’s ...
Compensation Structures for Your Team Members
Even though the Great Resignation has typically had its greatest effect on lower wage earners in the restaurant and hospitality industries, financial planning firms are not immune. In turbulent times such as these, firms need to ensure they are on target/closely monitoring the compensation structures to decide if a revamp/adjustment is necessary. In this month’s article, we will review the most common compensation models for new financial planning professionals just starting out. The ...
Interview Questions You Need to Be Prepared For
The mistakes job seekers make in interviews have been well documented, but the firm owner interviewer is prone to blunders as well. In this month’s article, we are going to review the most common questions job seekers report to us that hiring firms are flubbing in interviews causing job seekers to rethink their interest in the firm and remove themselves from consideration. So here are the questions firm owners need to be most prepared to answer, and some tips for succeeding in your ...
Hiring Multiple People At Once: Silly or Smart?
We had a recruiting client recently ask us what the pros and cons were for hiring, onboarding, and training multiple people at once, since they had only planned on hiring one person, but were considering hiring up to three at one time based on the candidates we brought to them. Since this firm had never hired more than one person at a time before, we thought in this month’s article we would point out some of the advantages and disadvantages of bringing on multiple people ...
Vaccination Status Best Practices
Many financial planning firm owners we talk to are all wondering the same thing, “How do I ensure all of my employees become vaccinated?” Amid another huge wave of COVID-19 cases and the spread of different virus variants, vaccination efforts are becoming more urgent. Many questions are arising for employers regarding if or how to support vaccination efforts and what risks they take with mandating vaccination for their employees. It is important to employ a solid vaccination program that carries ...
Timing your Second and Third Hires
In this month’s article, we pick up where we left off last month and examine when to make your 2nd and 3rd hires for your firm. 2nd hire Hiring firms have multiple options at this level similar as well. If you are seeking immediate relief with planning based tasks, but not necessarily looking to substantially grow your firm by adding clients and staff, the paraplanner option can be an effective solution. Keep in mind, though, that you will be capped by the number of relationships you can ...
Timing Your First Hire
Much of our time in hiring engagements with financial planning firms involves discussing team structure, role development, and overall hiring strategy. In particular, we spend a lot of time discussing with business owners about when they should hire, and for what role at various points in their business. Obviously, every firm is different and there are some variances, but many successful firms have followed this path. Nonetheless, below is a chart to help ensure you are ...
Realigning Expectations in the Current Talent Market
Recruiting top talent is especially challenging right now. The last three consecutive quarters are as tough a talent market as I have seen in my 20 years in the profession. As an already tight, pre-Covid, talent pool is being squeezed even further by firms who put their hires on hold last year are now scrambling to make their 2020 and 2021 hires this year. Due to this surge of hiring, demand for talent has doubled, and talent supply has mostly stayed the same, further driving up prices, ...
Transitioning Clients to the Next Generation Planner Effectively Part 2
Last month we shared with you the reasons to hire a new planner and transition clients and in this month’s post we conclude our two part series with tips on when to transition clients, how to transition clients, and how to overcome pushback you may receive. When to Transition Clients Timing will differ - Every firm is different and not everyone will be ready to take on client relationships at the same time. It will largely depend on your service model, client type, ...
Transitioning Clients to the Next Generation Planner Effectively Part 1
Recruiting new talent for your firm right now is very difficult. Those seeking to attract talent in this highly competitive environment must have a detailed plan for showing their new planner how the firm will help them get to where they want to go professionally. One of the best ways to do this is for firms to involve new planners in client meetings from the very beginning, so they can start learning the craft! Then once they have developed the confidence, maturity, and skills that you ...