Career Perspectives: A Monthly Newsletter by Christopher Frederick

Category: Articles
Christopher Frederick can offer insight gained from 30-plus years of executive recruitment for the real estate and construction industries. Authored by firm Principal Chris Hingle, the articles below seek to educate and inspire on topics that include hiring, career advancement and finding the leadership that moves companies forward.

Working the Network – How Targeted, Digital Recruiting is Changing the Way Companies Search for Talent

Posted on June 4, 2013July 12, 2017 by peter

Salesmen don’t attend conferences without stacks of business cards. College grads don’t head to job fairs without folders full of resumes. So why do so many employers and job seekers enter the online marketplace for talent without the tools for a proper introduction?

More and more, recruiting takes place in the context of digital networks. These go well beyond online job postings to encompass social networking sites and customized services like the Christopher Frederick digital network for professionals in real estate. Frequently, recruiters will no longer publicly advertise open positions, preferring instead to seek out potential candidates individually based on their online profiles and personal contacts. This makes it increasingly important to stay connected to your profession online, even when not actively seeking work or filling a specific position.

Here are a few ways to make the most of the growing trend toward targeted online recruitment:

For Job Seekers:

Be visible. Don’t let your online accounts languish between job searches, or you may miss opportunities from recruiting companies without even knowing it. Always keep your location information up-to-date, as this is one of the most common parameters that companies use to find talent on social networks. The same goes for your past positions, as hiring managers also narrow searches by years of experience in a given field. On LinkedIn, it’s possible to see the people who view your profile, or at least the industries they come from. Use this information to fine tune the way you present yourself. Specifically, ensuring the presence of key skills and industry terms that recruiters use to search for candidates will help bring the most appropriate people to your page. Finally, make sure you have a presence on all of the online forums and networks frequented by peers in your field. Those in real estate, for example, can receive regular recruitment emails from Christopher Frederick’s digital network or check the firm’s jobs page for executive opportunities in their area.

For Companies:

Today’s recruiters need today’s techniques. In many ways, a hybrid search tool that combines old-fashioned networking with powerful databases is the only effective way to find the absolute best candidates in a broad talent pool. Even in periods between significant hires, managers should cultivate their professional networks and follow potential talent online so that connections are in place when a critical opening needs to be filled. Many avenues for soliciting external candidates have become time-consuming and less effective than they once were, as the ability to share information seamlessly online can result in a high volume of candidates to sort through who may be inappropriate for the job. Instead, it helps to reach out to only the most qualified candidates. That could take place within Google Plus circles, executives’ Twitter accounts or LinkedIn networks. Companies can also take advantage of online services highly tailored to their needs, like Christopher Frederick’s unique email recruitment. It offers the ability to reach leaders in real estate within a given geographic area using an extensive database leveraged by a seasoned executive recruiter who knows how to select the best group of final candidates for your consideration.

Whatever your approach to the growing world of digital networking, do it consistently. The range of opportunities available to you can only grow with the reach and relevancy of your network.

Over more than two decades, Christopher Frederick has used its extensive contacts and digital network to connect top real estate talent with some of the industry’s leading companies. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search using our unique method of digital recruitment, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Going Up? Career Strategy in a Recovering Housing Market

Posted on May 6, 2013July 12, 2017 by peter

By now you’ve heard the good news: February housing prices nationwide increased 9.3 percent year-over-year – their sharpest jump since May of 2006. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department reported the inventory of new homes stands near a record low, and some of the largest publicly traded homebuilding companies have watched their stock prices more than double in the previous two years. At long last, the labor market for highly skilled people in real estate appears poised for a comeback. Here are three career tips to make the most of it:

Keep networking: You’ve heard this advice over and over again, but there’s a good reason for it: Most hiring happens through professional and online networks. At Christopher Frederick, for example, we now have nearly 200,000 highly skilled real estate professionals in our digital network who benefit from targeted job announcements when our clients are searching for talent. Likewise, you can expand your range of potential jobs by maintaining your own professional and personal contacts. Just as the career moves of past colleagues, bosses and clients can open unseen opportunities in a tough job market, staying in touch with the same people advancing during a rebound can put your name top-of-mind as companies prepare to compete for talent.

Don’t live in the past: What we’ve emerged from was not a normal downturn. The lion’s share of real estate professionals in most of the country experienced at least one pay cut, a layoff or the shrinking of the operations they oversaw. With more high-level positions now opening up, it’s tempting to focus heavily on accomplishments from the boom years, when the numbers were more impressive and the salaries were higher. Overemphasizing accomplishments from five years ago, though, can be a mistake. Even if the sales figures are smaller in your current job, employers still want to know what you’ve done lately. Emphasize the steps you took in your career to adapt, to look to the future, and to capture market share in a challenging environment. Remember, the people hiring you experienced the same market. They’ve evolved to work within it, and they’ll want to know how you’ve done the same.

Be patient: In construction, for example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the number of jobs has increased by more than 300,000 in 22 of the last 24 months. Companies are growing and positions are opening up, but as analysts at the National Association of Homebuilders observed, the hiring numbers are still well below where they would normally be given the sector’s robust expansion. Overtime and worker productivity can only go so far, and eventually hiring will have to accelerate to catch up. Therein lies the challenge for ambitious real estate professionals. You might soon have the chance to leave an unsatisfying position or pursue a larger paycheck somewhere else. But don’t jump ship just for the sake of leaving your current job. It’s important to think strategically and consider the new opening’s potential relative to other jobs that might open up in the next year. Optimism and growth are finally seeping back into the job market. More than ever, it’s time to evaluate career goals and take the steps necessary to achieve them during the market’s recovery.

Over more than two decades, Christopher Frederick has helped connect real estate executives with companies seeking talent for some of the industry’s leading roles. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search using our extensive digital network of professionals, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Social Beyond Media: Add value to your network by developing relationships

Posted on April 1, 2013July 12, 2017 by peter

It’s no secret that most managers would rather hire from their networks than sort through strangers who reply to a want ad. Accordingly, candidates today direct much of their job-hunting effort to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to reconnect with any and all contacts who might pass along a promising lead.

Social media can prove remarkably effective for staying in touch with colleagues. But the ease of connecting online is no excuse to neglect the real-life relationships that often have the greatest consequence in shaping a career.

Face time trumps Facebook:

It takes seconds to ask for or accept a social media invite. Inviting someone to coffee or offering to buy lunch, on the other hand, involves a degree of gumption and effort that shows you are really serious about your professional relationship with that person and your industry. The same goes for approaching someone at a conference, mentoring, introducing yourself in a social setting or volunteering to help with leadership tasks within a professional organization. Face-to-face meetings and the conversations that result create associations outside the parameters of what’s usually discussed on social media, and someone’s real-life presence will always stick in a person’s mind more prominently than an online profile.

Don’t just look up:

Colleagues at or below your level of responsibility can sometimes prove just as valuable as the executives whom everyone in the building wants to know on a first-name basis. People at the department level know that department’s needs. They know who’s coming and who’s leaving and what the budget looks like for next year. Forming relationships with coworkers or potential coworkers through shared interests can create insight into the precise personnel needs of a company at a given moment. Such relationships needn’t be strictly professional, either. Join the company bowling league. Have margaritas after work. Look for coworkers at your kids’ sporting events and activities. Recreation and friendship can often lead to lasting, meaningful professional connections.

Don’t just talk about the job:

As former Silicon Valley recruiter and author Nick Corcodilos advises mid-career job seekers: Keep your focus on the needs of the person you’re meeting with. Offer to sit down with a manager at a company you’re interested in and talk about his or her challenges in areas where you have expertise. Offer advice and critical discussion to help that company run better, and do it outside the context of a formal job interview. If you can prove valuable to an organization before you’re even employed there, you’ll likely find yourself on the short list of candidates when a job opens up later.

Regardless of your current place on the career ladder, the value of a professional network comes not only from the number of people within it, but also from the quality of those relationships.

For more than 25 years, Christopher Frederick has helped executives and companies in real estate build relationships and place the best talent in some of the industry’s leading roles. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search using our extensive digital network of professionals, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

On The Subject of Objectives: Summarizing Who You Are and What You Do at the Top of the Resume

Posted on March 7, 2013July 12, 2017 by peter

Think of it as an elevator pitch. The “objective” on your resume likely represents the first 50 words you’ll present to a potential employer. You can use it to succinctly identify the position you want, why you want it and why you’re the best person for the job.

That can be a big challenge for such a small segment of a resume, but it’s worth the time and effort to get it right. Employers’ expectations have changed in the last few years, and they want to know more about you than about the job titles you’ve held. Positions are diverse, and today’s labor market gives companies the leeway to hunt for people they feel have the perfect personalities to fill them. Do your best to share your priorities, your approach to management, your work tempo, your goals and anything else that demonstrates what you are like to work with in person.

Here are a few tips to ensure your objective gets results:

Customize it:

Just like a cover letter, every resume objective should be unique to the position on offer. Broad descriptions like “a position in leasing” or a “management role” could tell a hiring manager you’re sending numerous, boilerplate resumes to companies you don’t particularly care about. Or, worse, your resume could confuse a personnel department and divert your application from the specific position you had in mind.

Mind the computer:

At least within a personnel department, a real human will decide which pile best suits your resume. An unfortunate reality in applying at many large companies is the use of computer programs to sort applications and pick out those most suited to the company’s needs. The objective section can address this by offering a place to mention key words that may be used to sort applications but might not feature prominently elsewhere in the document. An example: If you’re applying for a position involving project management, but your project management experience is obscured by a vague job title with a previous employer, the objective section offers a place to work that specific term into your resume. Effective key words can include degrees, product names, company names, professional organizations, service types, industry issues and phrases from the posted job description.

Make it about them:

This is counterintuitive, but try to see your career objective through the hiring manager’s eyes. What sort of career ambitions, personal traits and knowledge would he or she want in the ideal candidate? Let the position shape what you say about your interest in it. For example: “Objective: To take a position as a leasing executive at a Miami REIT” simply repeats what the employer already knows about the position. “Objective: To continue my nine years in leasing and apply my knowledge of the Miami office market to help a REIT exceed its NOI goals,” on the other hand, offers a better look at why the candidate is qualified and what he or she has to offer.

Don’t be too specific:

While you want to be clear about what position you’re applying for, it’s worth remembering that employers frequently consider candidates for positions beyond the immediate opening they may have applied for. For example, instead of citing a specific “senior financial analyst” position advertised, the subtle change to “senior analyst” signals you’re open to other job possibilities. There are usually several types of analysts, accountants, managers and other professional titles within a large organization. Mention a job title that can apply to more than one position and that also sums up your broad area of expertise. If you feel that even a broad job description would shut down opportunities at a given organization, many people have success omitting the objective entirely.

That said, for most jobs the objective offers a worthwhile place to pitch yourself as the best candidate for a position. Hiring managers going through a stack of applications may not get through all the employer listings on a resume, but they read what’s at the top. Use it well.

For more than 25 years, Christopher Frederick has helped recruit the most promising talent for leading companies in the real estate industry. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search using our extensive digital network of professionals, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

You Call This Work? – Make a Living Doing What You Love

Posted on February 4, 2013July 12, 2017 by peter

It’s a classic chestnut issued to graduates and young people choosing careers: “Do what you love and the money will follow.” A decade or two later, life and the realities of the job market usually make that advice less realistic. But you don’t have to abandon your job to start a jazz band or sell oil paintings on the streets of Paris to enjoy your working life.

There are often unrealized connections between what we enjoy in our leisure time and what we find fulfilling at work. Take an analyst who plays Texas hold ’em poker on the weekends, follows the NFL religiously and won’t board a plane without a mystery novel in hand. Stepping back and evaluating the traits these activities share reveals a passion for risk evaluation, strategic thinking and problem solving. All represent aptitudes regularly sought by managers. Working those interests into a career could involve a new position in the same industry but in a sales, management or deal-making role slightly outside what might be intuitive for a given degree or career track. The same goes for someone who lives for literature, participates in community theater and volunteers at the local library. That person may never publish a novel or star on Broadway. Regardless, being conscious of the pleasure taken from the creative process can broaden the possibilities when it’s time to make a career move, perhaps to include marketing, design or companies with cultures placing a high value on them. Just because we can’t all make a living from our hobbies doesn’t mean they can’t tell us about the things that will make us happy at work.

Even between large career moves, small changes can inject interests and passions into business to make it more enjoyable. For someone who spends as much time as possible travelling or recreating outdoors, that could be as simple as getting out of the office to make site visits or call on clients in person. For others, that might mean taking advantage of educational opportunities in different areas of the industry they’d like to explore. Don’t just climb the ladder. Volunteer for projects outside your comfort zone. Make a continual effort to discover the types of work you enjoy and find ways to do them. Your career, and your life, will be better for it.

For more than 25 years, Christopher Frederick has helped recruit passionate people for leading companies in the real estate industry. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search using our extensive digital network of professionals, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Age Before Beauty: Why employers and candidates alike should value maturity

Posted on December 22, 2012July 12, 2017 by peter

Traditionally, stakes rise for employees entering the second half of their careers. College expenses and retirement planning can stretch family finances. Health coverage becomes more critical. And there’s less time to make up ground in the event of a job loss or unexpected career change. Employers, too, face tradeoffs. Salaries mount with the experience of employees, and hiring managers weight the enthusiasm and malleability of younger workers against the expertise of seasoned hands.

The last five years, though, have forced companies to adapt their thinking on traditional career patterns as economic upheaval disrupted the career trajectory of potentially valuable hires. Everyone has a story of how they personally weathered the downturn and how that experience has made them more knowledgeable, harder working and more strategic in their fields. These experiences often demonstrate the values that hiring managers seek, and job candidates at all points in their careers should emphasize how their maturity can enhance their value.

For companies seeking talent, a long resume and a wealth of diverse experiences in the industry offer a range of advantages:

Businesses change: It’s impossible to predict the challenges a team will face five years from now. Markets, competition and the work skills to deal with them change constantly. Odds are, an employee with a longer list of past job titles will have a broader skill set and better strategic knowledge in a changing business environment.

Perseverance: So long as an advertised position’s job description is accurate, more experienced applicants are more likely to know what they’re getting into when they apply. That could include candidates who’ve endured the trials of entrepreneurship, new product development or mission-critical project completion many times over. Likewise, an established road warrior with enough frequent flier miles to vacation in Tahiti can offer management more peace of mind than someone new to the workforce who hasn’t experienced that lifestyle.

Training: It’s a myth that only entry-level workers are adept at learning new technology. New software is, after all, new to everyone who encounters it. If a candidate meets the current technical requirements for a position, his or her ability to adopt new technologies in the future will depend on a willingness to learn and to embrace change. Neither is age-dependent.

Candidates, too, should see their maturity as an asset and sell it with confidence to potential employers:

Emphasize experience: The more time people spend in the workforce, the better they understand the nature of their work and their interaction with their coworkers. Approach employment prospects with concrete examples of how your knowledge sets you apart. Your years in the workforce likely give you numerous specific instances that prove you can drive sales, improve efficiency, meet deadlines, motivate a team or otherwise achieve the accomplishments valued by potential employers.

Professional contacts: A long industry career results in decades of personal contacts, former clients and coworkers whose careers have moved in parallel to your own. Networking is always more effective than scouring job postings, and here seasoned workers have an edge. A long resume is unlikely to scare a potential employer if he or she has met you in person and knows you from your past work before they see an application. Furthermore, someone who has been in the industry longer may find it easier to relate to managers and to identify their needs in the interview process.

The disruptive changes in the real estate market have leveled the playing field somewhat. With everyone’s career affected to one degree or another, companies have to look deeper than the list of job titles and dates on a resume to uncover the personal characteristics, skills and values that reveal a candidate’s potential. Job seekers and hiring managers alike are best served by focusing on all that a candidate’s years in the business can offer down the road.

For more than 25 years, Christopher Frederick has helped find the talent that drives the growth of leading companies in the real estate industry. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search using our extensive digital network of professionals, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

The Season for Thanks and Hope – A Holiday Greeting from Christopher Frederick

Posted on December 3, 2012December 4, 2012 by peter

One of the great, overlooked pleasures of the holidays is the time they afford us to reflect. As we wrap up the year ‘s work, they also grant us some perspective on where we’ve been and all that we have to be grateful for.

First and foremost are the people. Family and friends bring purpose to our work, while colleagues and business partners also offer relationships that better our lives. I’d like to take this chance to express my gratitude to all of those I’ve had the pleasure to meet and communicate with in the last year. Our work together provides me with immense satisfaction and has kept me passionate about the industry and the people building their careers within it for three decades now.

The stark challenges faced by the real estate market have also given us reason to reflect. Many professionals are working harder for fewer rewards, but the tough economy has also helped us to focus our skills, prove our loyalties and appreciate the nonmaterial things that give shape to our lives. Perseverance also tends to create confidence, compassion and perspective – all things that make us better in business and in life. Now that the market shows genuine signs of turning around, we are prepared to enter a new era with knowledge and values that can only multiply our success.

This is the time to be generous, granting our experience to those we mentor and our gifts to the communities that support us. Each of us has something unique and worthwhile to offer – the sort of strengths that also give us faith in our abilities and in the things we do. They will carry us into a new year with confidence and excitement for the opportunities that lie before us.

Until then, I wish you and your family all the best this holiday season as we take some well-earned time to reflect on the things that matter most.

Happy Holidays,

Chris

Remember Me? Five ways to stand out as a job candidate

Posted on October 31, 2012July 12, 2017 by peter

A strategic approach to job hunting can help savvy applicants stand out from the crowd. Here’s how:

1. Make contact. As in any business transaction, it’s always better to approach a prospective employer through a referral or a personal contact – particularly in an era when many job applications are gathered online and sorted by machines. Hiring managers feel more comfortable and take on less risk when hiring someone they know or have met in person. For job seekers, it pays dividends to prioritize networking over searching through ads or sending unsolicited applications.

2. Be specific. There is no industry board or government agency that certifies people as “visionary leaders,” “team players,” “results-oriented” or any of the other vague superlatives people add to resumes. If it’s a description that anyone can self-apply, then most probably have. Instead, use language in application materials that is unique to you. What’s the largest number of people you’ve supervised? The biggest project budget? What specialized industry knowledge have you developed that is possessed by few others? What are concrete examples that show your leadership and smarts? Perhaps your sales team managed to grow revenues when your overall industry was in a downturn, or you created a process that made your business more efficient. No one remembers the self-anointed “visionary leader” in a stack of resumes. Executives remember the employee whose good idea saved the company 20 percent of a project’s cost.

3. The “Golden Rolodex” Even big business can become a small world over time. Your mentor from a college internship, your repeat client at a previous company, the talent you hired that has since moved on – all of these people are advancing in their careers just as you are in yours. Keeping in touch through a short email when the chance arises, crossing paths at a conference, or even sending a holiday card can lead to unexpected opportunities. Keeping an extensive database of contacts over the years, no matter how seemingly trivial, can serve you throughout your career.

4. Have something to say. Every professional develops a level of expertise at what he or she does, and engaging with like-minded professionals can grow your network and open doors. Keeping a blog that offers real insight into your industry, cultivating an interesting Twitter feed or updates to LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networks can generate an audience of potential employers. You may never get a chance to pitch the top executives of your dream company directly, but if one of them finds value in what you write, you’re doing something very similar.

5. Write a cover letter. A surprising number of people send a generic form letter to accompany their resume. This can indicate to a hiring manager that you’re applying to as many places as possible without consideration for the demands and benefits of the opening at hand. Cover letters are a single page that need not contain Pulitzer-worthy prose. But they can be a highly valuable chance to pitch why you’re interested in a company and why, beyond the impersonal qualifications on a resume, you’re the best person for the job.

For more than two decades, Christopher Frederick has been a trusted recruiting partner to the real estate industry. To learn more about how we can help your company benefit from our extensive network’s fast and affordable new search process, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Which Way to Pay?—Taking a smart approach to rewarding results

Posted on August 6, 2012August 19, 2012 by Chris Hingle

Negotiating an executive pay package is often the crux of the hiring process. It affects not only the expectations of the new talent and the hiring manager, but also the outlook of other employees throughout the organization. To ensure long-term success, there are a number of elements beyond the bottom line that job candidates and their employers should consider when addressing compensation.

The right mix

Leaders gravitate toward opportunities that reflect the way they work. Compensation reflects culture, and the balance of base pay, bonus and benefits should be a reflection of both the position and the company. For example, strategic thinkers looking to make a long-term impact will be attracted to different incentives than leaders driven to close the next deal and be rewarded immediately. An established company will need different ways to attract talent than a start-up with less certain, but potentially larger, growth potential. Someone who thrives in a high-stakes, fast-paced work environment will find the pursuit of bonuses much more rewarding than a fixed salary, even if the total amount of compensation is comparable.

Align expectations

Well before the salary negotiation, it’s helpful for both candidates and their potential employers to lay out what they expect regarding employee performance, business culture, professional development and pay style. No employer wants to offer more than necessary. But it does no good to reach the end of an arduous search and interview process only to find the company and the candidate have incompatible visions of compensation.

Be consistent

It’s tempting to drive a hard deal in salary negotiations in a down economy or a bad business environment, but a longer-term outlook is important. If new hires, their positions and their compensation are thoughtfully matched from the beginning, high-value employees will note the consistency and fairness of executive compensation when they make their own employment decisions. Keeping pay policies consistent in slow times also helps keep people from jumping ship as soon as the economy improves.

I’ll Be Doing What Now? How a Thorough Job Description Can Make or Break a Candidate Search

Posted on July 31, 2012July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

There are a lot of boilerplate documents lurking in the files of personnel departments – disclosures, government forms, workplace policies – but job descriptions shouldn’t be among them.

Updating the wording of a position description may seem an insignificant step when faced with an important hire, but many companies forget that prospective candidates read it closely for clues about the company’s culture and employee prospects. All too often, hiring managers jump into a high-stakes executive search without a second look at the document that actually outlines the company’s expectations of the successful candidate.

A highly specific job description helps align expectations and attract the most suitable candidates. For example, requiring “excellent communication skills” says very little, in contrast to noting that a given position requires weekly presentations to C-level management, development of employee training programs, workplace conflict resolution and the editing of market analyses. Likewise, a “strong management background” could just as easily describe the effective oversight of three people as it could 300. Exactly how many people will the new hire be expected to oversee? Will he or she have profit and loss responsibility?

Candidates never complain of having too much information about the company and the position they are exploring, just as hiring managers rarely complain of receiving too much background on a candidate. For both parties, a detailed and up-to-date job description can greatly smooth the hiring process. Case in point: Christopher Frederick’s carefully written email campaigns have helped discover candidates who meet the exacting requirements of employers. By carefully outlining job responsibilities and opportunities, Christopher Frederick can attract top talent from its extensive network of real estate professionals in weeks rather than months.

For more than 25 years, firm principle Chris Hingle has helped match clients’ needs to the specific talents of mid- to C-level executives. To learn more about our recruiting expertise and affordable services, contact Chris at chingle@chrisfred.com.

Patience is a Virtue: Making Careful Career Decisions in a Recovering Market

Posted on July 9, 2012July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

Since 2007, the mantra of those in the real estate business could have been “Do what you can.” Homebuilders found projects wherever they could. Companies in commercial development, sales, finance and other areas cut back in the interest of self preservation. Likewise, professionals made many hard decisions to keep their careers afloat.

Five years later, growth has finally resumed. For many, “what you can” now means potentially jumping to a better position at a different company or in a different city. Career advancement after a period of emaciated budgets is usually long-awaited and always hard-earned. Nonetheless, it’s important to remember the value of patience and long-term planning when tempted by the chance to change jobs.
After years of putting in extra effort and making tough decisions just to keep their current positions, it’s understandable that highly skilled people may want to jump ship as soon as the economy begins to improve. But a broader perspective reveals important reasons why a hasty job change can be a bad idea.

It’s a mistake to assume the job market will remain consistent during a recovering market. Sought-after leadership positions might be rare at first, but acting on the first advancement opportunity that arises could mean passing up a better position or a better contract if growth speeds up 12 months later. Employees who stuck it out through the recession also have an edge at their current companies when things improve. Executives may reward them for their past sacrifices or make use of their demonstrated loyalty once the company finally has a chance to fill out the ranks of its leadership. In either case, it does a career no good to make a lateral or slightly upward move, only to see a better position arise soon after you’ve made a commitment.

What’s more, companies want managers who’ve shown they can solve problems. Leaving because of conflict at a prior workplace shows potential employers you know how to look after your own interests. Sticking it through, though, by working out personal differences and having the courage to address conflicts until they’re solved demonstrates that a job candidate won’t just leave for greener pastures as soon as conflicts inevitably arise at the new position. Always be sure your job search is motivated more by career goals and the pusuit of the right opportunity rather than by the chance to leave an immediate work situation.

Patience is a virtue, and considering the possibilities five or ten years out is a smart decision with any career move. As evidenced on our jobs page, more and more real estate employers are coming to Christopher Frederick to find the best people for a wide range of sectors and positions. Opportunities are finally emerging, and it’s once again time for leaders in the real estate industry to plan the best course for their professional growth.

For more than two decades, Christopher Frederick has been a trusted executive search partner to the real estate industry. To learn more about how we can help your company benefit from our extensive network’s fast and affordable new search process, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Big Changes at Christopher Frederick – Better Services Will Help Companies and Job Candidates Alike

Posted on June 6, 2012July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

In today’s market, companies have no trouble attracting interest in their top positions. Not only has the economy created a surplus of real estate professionals seeking new jobs, the Web is saturated with places to put employment ads in front of potential candidates. Yet this shift in hiring has made the process less personal, and even less effective, as hiring managers often find themselves with a pool of potential talent that can seem a mile wide and an inch deep.

At Christopher Frederick we’re excited to introduce a cost-effective way to leverage the reach and speed of social networking while offering the screening expertise and customer service of a headhunter. For no upfront cost, firms can reach our network of real estate professionals 150,000 strong and let deeply experienced executive recruiter Chris Hingle find the strongest candidates among the respondents. Unlike impersonal job boards, we consult with each client to create a carefully tailored email announcement distributed only to parts of the country relevant to the employer. Furthermore, we make personal contact with exceptional candidates who might not respond to a job notice. This includes many high-quality people currently employed who are not actively searching for new positions. Potential candidates interact with Christopher Frederick, saving personnel departments the time and trouble of screening responses, then we pick the most qualified people for the client’s consideration.

This service’s cost also sets it apart from traditional executive recruiting. Our extensive and efficient network allows us to charge affordable fees that fit most real estate firms’ budgets, paid only if we find the perfect candidate. For more than 25 years, Christopher Frederick has conducted national executive searches for leading real estate companies. In recent years, times have changed for headhunters just as they have for everyone else. And Christopher Frederick is pleased to offer this completely new approach to recruitment that meets the needs of cost-conscious managers without sacrificing quality service.

To this end, we’ve also redesigned CFrederick.com and our monthly newsletter. Give our new site a visit to learn more about the benefits of becoming part of our professional network, or read about how we can tailor a custom campaign for your next executive search. New offerings on the site include: regularly updated job listings, network information, newsletters and other tips on hiring and being hired in today’s economy.

To learn more about how we can help your company benefit from our unique new approach to executive search, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Cake or Candles? Emphasizing What Matters in Your Career

Posted on May 1, 2012July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

It’s hard to play down the importance of first impressions. That initial handshake, a colleague’s recommendation, the first glance at a resume—these things are all critical to capturing the face time that can lead to a career change. But when the time comes for a company to entrust a new person with a part of its future, that decision is based on traits found at a much deeper level.

Think of a birthday cake. The sight of one at the office generally raises excitement, even among those who would rather slam their heads under the lid of the copier than listen to their colleagues sing. For most, a tastily decorated dessert in the middle of the day is something to look forward to. After it’s gone, though, no one thinks much of how it looked. While the taste may linger on the drive home, few will remember the color of the candles it once held (or, hopefully, their number.) In a sense, the hiring process is the same way.

Leaders remember the traits of job candidates that extend inside the outer layer of presentation and courtesy. Degrees, past positions and professional accomplishments will attract a company’s attention, but a successful hiring manager will want to know more about the person who achieved them. It’s important for those seeking new positions to keep themselves from becoming distracted by the minutia of resume formatting and networking strategies. That’s just icing. Once the interview begins, they’ll need to show the strengths and values within them that can lend trust and confidence to their potential employers. They’ll need to be ready to demonstrate their character and their attitude. They’ll be challenged to outline their knowledge and unique experience in their field. And throughout the process, candidates will be given the chance to demonstrate their judgment, drive and perseverance.

Like the candles on a cake, people soon forget the superficial parts of a job application. But it’s the good stuff inside that executives remember and that candidates should make the focus of their careers.

For more than 25 years, Christopher Frederick has helped companies find executives with the inward traits that demonstrate leadership and potential. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Re-Think Recruitment – How technology and market forces change the game

Posted on April 1, 2012July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

As readers of this newsletter have likely noticed, Christopher Frederick kicked off 2012 with an exciting new approach to executive recruitment—personalized email campaigns that connect our extensive network of real estate professionals with companies seeking leaders.

In just three years, Christopher Frederick has grown its network to include 150,000 ambitious and highly motivated people. That number is expected to rise to 200,000 by the end of the year, making it one of the fastest growing networks of real-estate professionals in the country. These are leaders in all sectors of real estate, including homebuilding, multi-family, office, retail, industrial, land and hospitality. Some are actively looking for new positions, while others are simply keeping an eye out for emerging opportunities. In either case, hundreds of individuals join the network daily and enjoy the value of Christopher Frederick’s newsletters, recruitment emails and self-assessment tools. Over the coming months, a complete redesign will make the newsletter and the chrisfred.com website even more useful to clients and prospective candidates.

Through our personalized email campaigns, Christopher Frederick is now able to leverage our network to help hiring managers fill their top positions faster, easier and more affordably. Ours is the only executive search firm that can combine decades of success in traditional headhunting with the speed and affordability enabled by today’s technology. All clients need to provide is a detailed job description. Christopher Frederick will then send a professionally crafted email campaign to thousands of high-quality potential candidates and select the most qualified respondents for the client’s review. The result is leadership positions filled in weeks, rather than months, and at significant savings compared to traditional recruitment services.

Emails are targeted based on location and expertise. We can reach a wide range of professionals in property management, construction, leasing, sales, acquisitions, development, asset management, finance, accounting and many other areas. Subscribers can stay abreast of career opportunities in the industry, while employers can advertise positions with a more refined approach than is offered by traditional job boards. Above all, clients can still bank on the sterling reputation of Christopher Frederick and its founder, Chris Hingle, whose experience allows him to find, screen and assess the talent and capabilities of professionals like no other recruiter.

To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Guts and Glory – Trusting your instincts in an evolving market

Posted on March 1, 2012July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

With the real estate market finally showing hints of recovery, now is the time to start thinking bold. For a company, that could mean exploring new markets or making visionary executive hires. For an individual, it could mean seeking out a more challenging position with a new company or finding ways to earn new responsibilities from a present employer. That’s not to say the markets for jobs and property are guaranteed to flourish in the short term. But eventually they will, and executives must begin to take stock of how their recent years in business will shape their analysis of emerging opportunities.

As the Great Recession wore on, those who kept the faith in their careers, ambitions and businesses emerged from the experience wiser and with a broadened perspective. Adapting constantly to worsening market conditions forced many to learn new skills and endure turns in their professional lives they didn’t anticipate. But the experience of the last four years was also cause for people to gain confidence after overcoming challenges they might not have realized were within their abilities. Leaders in real estate should feel assured of their judgment and their ability to make business decisions going forward. The same intuition that saw them through the difficult times will also help them spot market improvements and weigh new investments against their potential risks.

“No guts, no glory” will come to define the first business opportunities as the real estate market turns around. Fortunately, instincts and confidence rooted in experience will help decision makers know when it’s time to trust their guts and move forward.

For more than 20 years, Christopher Frederick has helped clients find executives with the judgment, experience and drive to grow their businesses. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Born to Run: Identifying the talents that make leaders stand out

Posted on February 1, 2012July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

As the clouds continue to lift from the U.S. economy, we in real estate face the opportunity to grow and contribute like never before. As the market changed, so did our skills and our strengths as we created innovative ways to weather the downturn. A new economy calls for new goals and personal reflection on what each of us really wants to accomplish in the long term. This transition point in the market will open new doors and create opportunities to pursue leadership avenues that might not have seemed possible before.

It starts with attitude and belief. To seize on the new directions the real estate business is going to take, we must hearken back to when we had no limits placed on what we could accomplish. When kids are asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” they never answer that question based on fear or on what they can’t do. It is always based on aspiration. True leaders and successful entrepreneurs approach the question the same way, allowing their dedication and confidence to override any fears of failure. Once they find a business they believe in, they feel as though they were born to run it.

Today’s executives need that youthful lack of limits. Coupled with the perseverance that carried them through the Great Recession, a company’s leaders should have the confidence to dismiss any doubts about their ability to achieve objectives they are passionate about. Likewise, the knowledge earned by doing business in the worst of times makes us all prepared like never before to approach a real estate market that will evolve and grow in new directions. Most of all, we have the chance to realign our efforts with those goals central to our lives and our careers—those traits that make us born to run!

For more than 20 years, Christopher Frederick has helped clients find forward-thinking men and women to lead their businesses. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

New Services for a New Year: Using Networking and Technology to Deepen Your Search

Posted on January 1, 2012July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

Whether searching for a new position or the perfect person to lead your company, few tools are as empowering as the Web technologies that now connect thousands of colleagues, job seekers and managers to one another. Job seekers now effectively create opportunities by passing along tips and connections that would remain undiscovered 10 years ago. The New Year calls for new innovation and a fresh approach to the job search.

To that end, Christopher Frederick offers a range of Web-based tools that go beyond the standard job boards and social networks. Our DiSC assessment service – a technology used by 135 Fortune 500 companies – provides employers and applicants alike with a quantitative inventory of their top work traits and leadership-relevant personality characteristics. We offer a widely read e-newsletter with insightful recruitment tips each month. And Christopher Frederick is proud to announce its new service that allows companies to promote their executive positions within our carefully curated network of 125,000-plus real estate professionals, entrepreneurs and driven individuals we communicate with on a regular basis. For 25 years, we’ve prided ourselves on producing world-class executives, and now Christopher Frederick takes business social networking to another level by creating highly personalized e-mail campaigns targeting the most qualified candidates by region and expertise. Consistent with the quality of our successful newsletter, this service integrates our network of professionals with technology that creates a streamlined process without sacrificing our sterling service.

“Our last two searches produced amazing results using our new, personalized e-mail campaigns. One client specifically called for executive candidates in a certain location, and the other targeted a specific type of industry experience. We put together a first-class promotion with rich content that was very well received by our network of professionals. Both searches concluded successfully, with our clients finding their targeted candidates within a week.”

— Christopher Frederick founder Chris Hingle

Regardless of the approach, the services offered by Christopher Frederick are rooted in decades of traditional executive recruitment expertise. Firm principal Chris Hingle knows how to find, screen and assess the talent and potential of professionals like no other recruiter. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search, contact us at chingle@chrisfred.com or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Home Is Where Your Mother Is: A Holiday Letter From Chris Hingle

Posted on December 1, 2011June 21, 2012 by Chris Hingle

No one could inspire quite like my mother. Her kindness was so broad and her love was so deep, she seemed to treat everyone as she would a member of her family. It didn’t matter who you were, what you looked like, or where you came from. To her, everyone was worthy of the warmth and concern I treasured so dearly as her son.

Joan Marie Bernissant Hingle
1935-2011

As the holidays approach – including our first Christmas since she passed on this year – it reminds me of just how formative mothers are in our development as business leaders and as people. Her passion for life inspired me to pursue the things I care most deeply about at home and in my career. I credit the direction my life has taken, in large part, to the integrity and respect my mother showed me throughout my life. That influence was also fundamental to developing my confidence as an individual and my desire to enrich the lives of my own family, the YMCA youth I volunteer to help and the professionals who turn to me for advancement in their careers.

With the year drawing to a close, I find it’s enlightening to reflect on the way we treat those around us and the ways our parents have shaped our character. Just about everyone can relate a poignant story about a parent’s sacrifice or guidance. Some of the greatest lessons in leadership come from family pushing us to discover our best and go the extra mile to achieve it. In my life, my mother was a constant source of encouragement and emotional support as I founded my business and strived to treat others as well as she treated me.

Soon my family will prepare for a much-loved Christmas party back in New Orleans that’s become a 60-year tradition. As I think about the elegant, loving woman who helped start it and who brought joy into the lives of those around her in so many ways, it gives me pause. Family and love are the essence of the holidays, and I can’t think of a better way to mark the season than by sharing my appreciation for my mother. In remembering her, I’m reminded just how much strength and purpose a mother can bring to our lives. By sharing a small piece of her story, I hope it inspires you to take comfort in the people around you and the inspiration they’ve imparted during this time of celebration.

I sincerely wish you and your family a happy, joy-filled holiday and a prosperous New Year.

—Chris

Headhunting the Headhunter: How to Make the Most of Your Executive Recruiter

Posted on November 1, 2011July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

Corporate leaders are not walking job descriptions. The traits that allow them to excel – knowledge, intuition, drive, talent, personality – are almost impossible to see between the lines of a resume. That’s why it is critical to conduct an executive search with the holistic approach of a professional recruiter.

Much has changed in real estate and in the broader economy in the last few years, as firms became leaner and connecting with candidates online became more dynamic. Even as Linkedin streamlines old-fashioned recommendations and sites like SelectLeaders bring a raft of talent to your computer screen, those tools are only useful if they enhance an informed search. Filling high-stakes positions successfully takes experience, industry expertise and detailed knowledge of the demands of a given position. It also takes an ability to detect talent beyond the trappings of application materials. How a company approaches its search can mean the difference between finding candidates who are merely qualified and those with the true potential to take the position to new heights.

How, then, to find the best recruiter – to headhunt the headhunter? Results trump pedigree. Look for a firm with a long track record in your industry, keeping in mind that recent market conditions mean many firms take on a broader client base within real estate than they used to. Likewise, at a time when few are hiring, a recruiter’s pool of potential candidates can be much more important than recent placements. A skillful recruiter builds upon his or her network of potential candidates in good times and bad, including many qualified people not explicitly looking for work through other avenues.

Christopher Frederick, for example, has been building relationships with executives across the broad spectrum of the real estate industry for more than two decades. On the digital side, we’ve also built a database of professionals tens of thousands strong to help locate specific talent across a wide cross-section of the industry. We’re engaged with our professional network, keeping more than 125,000 informed, educated and inspired by our monthly e-newsletter. As a result, our recruiting process is streamlined and discovers world-class executive candidates quickly and with sterling service.

The bottom line: Executive leadership builds business, and finding that talent demands the consideration and expertise of a professional. Hiring the right executive recruiter means finding a partner who does more than sift through online profiles and screen candidates for interviews. An executive recruiter should be a trusted adviser, using unique expertise and connections to help your company make a sound investment in its future.

At Christopher Frederick, we help our clients invest in the leadership that drives business forward. To learn more about how we can bring our resources and extensive experience to work for your firm, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.

Tired to Inspired – Taking stock of what motivates the workforce

Posted on October 1, 2011July 12, 2017 by Chris Hingle

Demanding more from employees may seem easy when the company’s future and their jobs are on the line. But inevitably another vexing question arises for hiring managers and executives: How can companies keep employees inspired in an environment of economic uncertainty, added stress and fewer raises?

Responsibility Motivates:
During the country’s last recession in the early 2000s, two studies explored what people value in the workplace. One, of 500 workers surveyed by Right Management Consultants, found that 83 percent responded they were “motivated by challenges at work.” Another study by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center found the chance to do important work that provides a feeling of accomplishment was the most significant factor in job satisfaction, with salary ranking only third. Giving employees responsibility and a sense of investment in their efforts can have a profound effect on how hard they work.

Invested Interest:
Today more than ever, managers need to be more engaged with their employees and key executives. That often means finding ways aside from compensation to invest in people and thank them for their loyalty. If you don’t reward employees for the additional skills and responsibilities they’ve acquired during the challenging last few years, someone else from another company will as soon as the economy turns around.

Walk over to an employee’s desk and talk face-to-face about a question or a project update once in awhile, rather than doing everything by e-mail. Take time to ask people about their goals and ways they think your business can operate better. Take individual staff members to lunch on your dime. Small investments in time and chicken salad can pay dividends, as employees will care more about an assignment if they sense that you care about them.

Knowledge is Power:
Managers can help relieve overworked employees by encouraging collaboration among those whose skills complement each other. A hiring freeze can even become an opportunity, if it motivates a team to find efficiencies through working together. A smaller staff also provides managers an opportunity to learn more about employees’ personalities and the unique ways they each communicate, work and solve problems. People perform best when their assignments match their skills.

Leadership Inspires:
If micromanagement is a curse, then careful delegation is a blessing. Employees with particular aptitudes and ambitions should be given responsibilities accordingly. Allowing some leeway on decision making and demonstrating that you’re willing to take a risk on employees’ ideas empowers them. Few things inspire more than a sense of ownership in a given project and a true stake in its outcome.

The challenges of the recession have made all of us stronger, smarter and more productive. Survival in recent years has required us to become even more committed to our businesses, and in the long run that experience will help us excel. A new economy calls for new leaders, and those who inspire their organizations now will reap success in the future.

At Christopher Frederick, we help firms in the real estate sector find the executives who know how to motivate in a challenging business climate. To learn more about how we can apply our 20-plus years of experience to your next executive search, contact us at chingle@chrisfred.com or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.