Hiring a dream team: Does heart matter more than hustle?

The following is an excerpt from Domain's article 'Hiring a dream team: Does heart matter more than hustle?'

The power of purpose-driven people

For RT Edgar Boroondara and Manningham director Annabelle Feng, getting the right people on the team is crucial. 

“A great team isn’t just about numbers, it’s about trust,” she says.

“It’s about sharing the same values and standards and people who lift each other up. When you get that right, then the results will follow.”

Feng says she looks to hire team members with a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn.

“Attitude is the most important thing,” she notes. “Skill can be taught and GCI can grow with experience, but attitude, work ethic, and the readiness to learn and work hard are things that you cannot train.”

Despite real estate being known for its competitive nature, Feng says she also looks for team members with high emotional intelligence, who are good communicators and have a team-player mindset. 

“That mindset needs to be between the team member and their colleagues, and team members and their clients,” she says.

What happens if you get it wrong?

There have been instances where Feng admits she’s hired the wrong person, and she says it’s best to handle the situation quickly.

“When that happens, I try to address it early and openly,” she says.

“Sometimes it’s just not the right fit, and it’s better for both sides to part ways respectfully rather than dragging it out.”

All three leaders say mentoring the next generation of agents is important to them, noting that providing career pathways in a business is key to retaining top talent.