Your vendors can help you recruit

Vendors tend to know a lot of loan officers -- and they might be able to point you toward some quality candidates

Your vendors can help you recruit
Part II: I am a manager that has been trying to recruit. I have limited time because I am also the top producer in the office. I have been running ads on job sites and a few other places, but the results have been terrible. What am I doing wrong?
--Beth from California

Last week I spoke about recruiting using your sphere. Where would I start? I would start with my vendors. There are three reasons to start here. First, they know a lot of loan officers, as well as who might be unhappy. Second, if you have been a loyal client of theirs, you have been helping them succeed. Shouldn't they be helping you? Finally, the vendor should know if this person is a quality candidate. For example, if the vendor is a wholesale rep, how well are their files put together? Or if they are a settlement company, do they give great customer service at the end of the process? How do they react when something goes wrong?

Don't get me wrong, I am not expecting an MI or wholesale rep to walk into a competitor's office and say, "Anyone want to come work at __________?" On the other hand, if someone is looking, they are likely to know. The candidate is probably using the vendor to find out more information about companies, just as you use vendors to find information about candidates. The key here is that you need to make sure the vendor knows you are hiring and they need your help. Again, they are not going to turn into a recruiter--but you want to be high on the list when the candidate is looking for recommendations. Next week we will focus on another part of your sphere for recruiting purposes.  
--Dave Hershman

Dave Hershman has been the leading author and a top speaker for the industry for decades with six books authored and hundreds of articles published. His website is www.originationpro.com. If you have a reaction to this commentary or another question you would like answered in this column? Email Dave directly at [email protected].