You know, it’s tough out there right now to recruit people who are willing, able and talented enough to run a franchise. Never mind record low unemployment and a booming economy, think back to a decade ago when the economy was crashing and everyone was looking for a safe haven of employment just to get by. Whether it’s a bust economy or a boom economy, franchisors can take strategic steps to position themselves as well as to represent themselves as attractive, viable and yes, equivalent opportunities to traditional employment. Here are just a few ideas on how to recruit franchise professionals in the present day.
Profile your all-star candidate.
If you know how your franchise operates, and if you’re to the point of franchising you have probably worked out the kinks by now, but you should also know what kind of person would have the skills, inclinations and talent to handle the gig. It’s worth noting that we didn’t use the term, “experience,” because while experience is a big deal in traditional employment, the individual who might be great at running a franchise operation might not have had the opportunity yet to demonstrate what they can do. Building a profile of your ideal candidate that includes skills, talents and abilities — as well as any strength that are specific to the type of franchise you’re trying to launch, whether it’s people skills or someone with logistical know-how — can be an essential benefit to finding the right people.
Recruit the right people where they are.
No matter what business you’re in, whether it’s a hip barber shop or a fashionable boutique, it’s important to target the people who are authentically interested in your business, how it operates, and what you sell. Finding people who have been managers within your product or service set is a great place to start, because they have industry knowledge and relevant experience. More importantly, they’re likely to be emotionally invested in your business and are advanced enough in their careers to have the resources or network to get what they need to invest in your particular franchise.
Remember that both the concept and opportunity are important.
Here’s the thing about franchises: for the right sort of entrepreneurial mind, they represent a truly unique opportunity. First, it’s important to match the concept to the type of person you want to recruit, which is why profiles are so important to identify the kind of entrepreneur you want to recruit. But secondly, it’s important to recognize that franchise ownership represents a truly unique opportunity in American life. Where the corporate world can be stifling to an entrepreneurial personality and launching a startup can be both stressful and risky, a franchise offers a unique blend of the opportunity to run one’s own show with a model that has been run through the ringer to work out the kinks. Finding the person who has the chops to start their own business combined with someone who recognizes that a model that has been tested and fine-tuned to produce success is an invaluable find, so identifying those rare individuals can be invaluable to a franchisor.
