The Cure for Growing Pains

Dan Stewart is a happy man. His brainchild, Happy Grasshopper, has more than tripled in size over the last 5 months. For most companies, this would result in pretty significant growing pains. Not so for Happy Grasshopper. They practice what they preach in the collateral for their new recruiting service, "HG Recruits," so they're growing better, not just bigger.

"We focus on culture," Stewart explains. "That's about getting the right people in the right seats." These words of wisdom don't just refer to Happy Grasshopper's hiring policies – they're also indicative of the philosophy behind HG Recruits.

"In speaking with real estate brokers, we usually hear that they're taking one of two approaches to growing their team," Stewart continues. "The first is to focus solely on headcount; they hire strictly by the numbers. Unfortunately, it isn't very successful. The second is a more strategic approach, hiring people who will fit into the team and be high performers. It's this second approach that resonates with our philosophy."

HG Recruits begins with an assessment, the intent of which is to really get a feel for the personality of the broker and the company culture. The broker then collaborates with one of Happy Grasshopper's copywriters to ensure that the email messages created with HG Recruits match the broker's "voice."

I was able to take a peek at some of the messages created with HG Recruits. They're light, approachable in tone. They certainly avoid the hard sell. And they're created specifically for each brokerage, so they'll hit just the right tone and capture what makes you unique. Let's look at an example to demonstrate this. If you're a virtual brokerage, they'll write messages that start conversations for you on the subject of working virtually. This will give you a chance to evaluate if a potential recruit can be successful working virtually.

There are also messages designed to set appointments. For example, leads may be sent an email with the subject line, "I'm Hungry," and an inquiry about the recipient's favorite restaurant. Sent right around lunchtime, it's a great way to reach out for a meeting.

Stewart acknowledges that getting a great agent to jump ship from their current brokerage is no easy task. However, it is possible. "Imagine that you walk past a bakery everyday. It smells delicious," he says. "And you might go in, but there's another bakery that you're loyal to ... until you're not. When that loyalty begins to falter, you may consider another bakery. HG Recruits is the great smell coming from that other bakery. We draw them through your doors. You do the rest."

Are you interested in growing better, not just bigger? It's worth taking a closer look at HG Recruits. You can visit them at HappyGrasshopper.com or in our product directory. You can also read articles about recruiting.