Sourcing and Selection of Staff
Cledor is always on the search for talented staff whether they are concierges, porters, cleaners, estate managers, security personnel or gardeners.
Opportunities to work with Cledor and our clients are plentiful however not everyone makes the cut. So what does Cledor look for in a candidate?
Above all, Cledor seeks out candidates with class-leading soft-skills, the sort of interpersonal skills that are difficult to feign. A strong hospitality and customer service background is important, a cheerful disposition, someone who can demonstrate consistency in their work, is reliable, loyal and looking for longevity.
Where do we find our staff?
From multiple sources. We are very open-minded when it comes to new members of the Cledor team, so we source our staff from all sorts of sectors where good customer service is fundamental. Referrals from existing members of staff are perfect.
What does the selection process look like?
A well-presented CV will tell us a lot about the candidate and naturally, we are looking for the right type of experience and expertise for the role. A good CV will earn a candidate a phone interview to assess his/her level of English and their immediate and longer-term plans and aspirations. A face-to-face interview may follow – which at the very least will establish their time management skills!
At Cledor, we use a unique set of scenario-based questions. This helps us determine how well candidates have been trained in the past. We enjoy putting candidates ‘on the spot’ with these “what if” scenarios – and they enjoy recalling relevant memories and thinking quickly but carefully as to what they would do. Where past training has been questionable, this can be overcome if we can see signs of a common-sense approach to looking after customers.
Nowadays, most members of on-site staff are required to communicate in writing with the residents/occupants, with the managing agent and with contractors. This may be via email or through a cloud portal, so prospective candidates’ English writing ability is verified at the face-to-face interview stage.
Next there is an interview on site, where any current/senior members of on-site can help assess the incoming applicant. They will be asked to fulfil a test shift, perhaps at the front desk, shadowing other members of staff in the process. Use of the IT set-up on site is also checked. What is expected of them – attire wise, how to greet residents, where to look for opportunities to go ‘over and above’.
Ultimately, we need to feel that the candidate is suited to the role and will genuinely enjoy it!
Then what?
Subject to satisfactory references and passing DBS checks, employment is confirmed and training begins. Depending on the role at Cledor and what the customer needs are, newly recruited staff members may be cross-trained on other sites, helping them to see more variety and become more rounded Cledor ambassadors.
A good level of understanding of the landlord and tenant relationship is important, so this forms part of the training. Commercial landlords and tenants require different services to residential long leasehold blocks of flats, and our build-to-rent customers require something different still!
Candidates can expect regular appraisals, with an in-depth evaluation at the three month stage (probation). There is a degree of self-analysis too.