Company Culture Is Essential Post-Pandemic for CRE Firms

Before the pandemic, the country was running at near full employment, and attracting and retaining talent had become a major concern for companies. In a post-pandemic world, talent recruitment has only become more challenging, and companies will have to pivot to lure top employees into the fold.

We asked recruiters at RETS Associates how commercial real estate companies should approach recruitment in today’s world. According to Berkeley Davis in the company’s Charlotte office, company culture is key. “Fostering a strong company culture is essential at all times, but especially now when so many teams are still not all together in the workplace – and this may be the case for some time to come. Further, there remain limitations on social activities and events that build connections between employees at the same offices or different locations,” Davis tells GlobeSt.com.

During the pandemic, most employees dropped the veil between personal and professional life, and few want to go back to separating the two. Company culture will have to reflect this new work style. “While some organizations and individuals have tended to set strict boundaries between the personal and professional, that attitude has largely shifted, and we expect that will continue in the post-COVID era. Companies will need to find ways to bring their people together to collaborate and also get to know each other on a personal level,” explains Davis.

At RETS, employees across the country are encouraged to connect virtually to drive a sense of team building and community. “For instance, even though RETS’ executives are located in different offices throughout the country, we still connect virtually for regular internal meetings to discuss what we’re working on, what we might need help accomplishing, and what’s going on with our families,” says Davis. We’ll also reach out to other team members several times a week to bounce ideas off each other or work together on searches. This builds a bond that’s so cohesive it doesn’t matter that we’re thousands of miles apart.”

Diane Blake of the companies San Jose office echoes the need for a strong sense of community in the workplace, especially after the last year. “Building a team of good people who genuinely care about each other and the company is so important. We have a very cohesive team at RETS, and we support each other,” she says. “We often team up on searches and there is no competition because of the way our compensation platform is set up. This is a smart model for other companies to follow.”

Ultimately, employees stay at a company for the people and camaraderie. It’s the key to talent retention, according to Chase Fryhover of RETS’ Dallas office. “Work interactions have to have a human element,” he says. “People want their boss and co-workers to care about them, and if they don’t get this, they are more likely to look elsewhere for it.”