The financial planning profession has changed substantially since I joined almost 20 years ago. While these changes have been mostly for the better, we are still struggling with the hiring and training of new financial planners. I see it every day as CEO of New Planner Recruiting, each semester as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Georgia’s financial planning program, and as a CFP professional with a local RIA.Many of the smaller independent RIAs don't have the infrastructure, ...
Getting Your Offer Accepted- Part 3 of 3
This is the third and final part of our three-part series on how to get your offer accepted. Part 1 spelled out the table stakes, part 2, and this month we describe what some of the major differentiators are, and how firms are utilizing them to win over candidates who are considering multiple job offers. You can still find good people in this tight talent market so consider adding one or several of these if not already to get your candidate to say “yes”!Major Differentiators Head up a new ...
Getting Your Offer Accepted – Part 2 of 3
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 DifferentiatorsTeam-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, you ...
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 minimum ...
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 ...
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 considering ...
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, relationship ...
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 ...
Leading Your Team to Better Results
The firms we work with are busier than ever right now, and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. This is a critical time for financial planning firms to continue the momentum, so you want to ensure you are getting the most out of your team to capitalize on the opportunities that are ahead of you. You have probably had some team members step up over the last year to tackle the new challenges your firm faced, but what about the others in your organization who might not have stepped up the ...
How To Avoid Turnover
Virtually every firm owner has at some point experienced the challenging financial and non-financial impacts of staff turnover. The estimated financial cost, depending on the source, can range anywhere from 1-3 times a departing team member’s compensation. This is not the most detrimental cost though – even worse is the psychological impact of frequent turnover in firms, and how it causes the existing team members to lose confidence in their leader(s), increases the difficulty to recruit ...
Why Resumes Are Overrated
Historically, resumes have been a very large part of the hiring process. After all, what could be better to understand a candidate’s experience and capabilities than a chronological account of a job applicant’s work history right there on one (hopefully) or more pages, for hiring firms to review and use as a guide for developing their interviewing questions to delve even deeper. Yet as much as firms rely on these pieces of paper when hiring a new team member, a resume review is not the most ...