By: Carroll VanHook-Weaver
Executive Director-The Kenect Nashville
A Project Developed by Akara Partners

Let’s Help. Not Direct and Delegate.

Developing onsite managers to move into upper management.

Finding talent in the multifamily and student housing industry is always a challenge because let’s face it……this field is not for everyone or the thin skinned.  When you find those diamonds in the rough you want to develop, train, and hold onto them for dear life because we cannot operate without the vital support of on-site managers.   

Below are three tips I have used over the past 10 years in student housing to actively develop managers and onsite team members. Utilizing these simple guidelines will help your team members enjoy coming to work every day and know they are supported by executive leadership. When successfully implemented, these tips will plant seeds of good habits when your employees move into an upper leadership role.

Tip #1: Empowerment and Involvement: Managers are the experts of their properties. They know what goes on every day. They see the struggles and needs for their properties. The quickest way for a manager to lose trust or motivation is to keep them out of the loop of anything changing at their property. While some things are required to keep confidential, it is so important to involve managers on leasing calls, budget reviews, capital improvements, LIF’s, and simple communication of what the needs are at their property on a regular basis. I have worked with managers that haven’t heard from their leadership team in months, or find out a special was approved they didn’t request, or that leadership ordered a lot of swag that ate up their promo budget when they didn’t need more marketing collateral. They lose trust and don’t feel empowered to do their jobs; thus, they will go where they are appreciated and trusted.

Tip #2: Knowing that leadership is there to help; not to make more work for the property. As a traveling RLS my job is to support and help the properties. I admit, in the past I would find things that need to be changed and put it on a list to revisit or delegate to the team. WRONG. Once I realized this was causing more stress to the team and people were nervous when I came to their property, I completely changed my approach. Student housing is stressful and hard enough just trying to get our tasks done during the day while serving residents, pre-leasing, planning events, marketing on campus, guiding parents for FTIC’s (you get the idea….).

My approach NOW is that I am there to help streamline and take things OFF of their plate versus finding more work for them to do. Afterall, I am visiting the property for a reason, to figure out what needs to be done to improve leasing or more training. I now focus on what is important to the team versus what I think is important to accomplish as priority.  My approach includes asking questions to figure out where they need help. I also observe my first day and come up with a plan of action (with the managers) and then assign myself a list of tasks to help the property. This has been a game changer because, now the teams know all tasks will get done when leadership is there, I keep my word and go above and beyond to complete and after my visit is complete I continue to follow up with progress so they know they are supported if leadership is onsite or helping remotely. Managers appreciate the extra help versus adding more to their plate. Guess what? Teams ask me when I am coming back to their properties and send me thank you notes for the help.  When a manager moves on to upper management, having developed this habit that they are there to help will improve team morale and company culture wherever they travel.

#3-Public Recognition for small milestones/accomplishments- One of the many awesome things our leadership team does for the on-site managers is weekly recognitions on our marketing call. Barrie Nichols initiated this many years ago and it’s SO simple yet offers a huge motivation factor! Once a week we conduct a Google Hangout call with the managers to go over ideas, leasing goals, social media tips etc. At the end of every call we announce the top leaser in the country and the property that closed the most leases. The property then gets a prize for instant gratification through Amazon gift cards. You won’t believe how motivating this is to the teams! The managers are involved, they love seeing their property get publicly recognized on a national call. Managers will reach out and ask if they are in the lead for the week, it has created friendly competition between properties. The fact is, they feel invested to see their property win, which trickles to their on-site team members which turns into more leases!!

Anyone going into an upper management role can take these simple ideas to motivate and help any property they visit. When you work in student housing you always have a lot of pressure to lease up, have the coolest amenities, please your investors, improve pro-forma and stay within budget (Whew….. right?). If we can promote good habits with the mind set to “help” versus “direct and delegate,” managers will move onto upper management roles with helpful habits, and create loyal on-site staff teams that will ensure the positive future growth of student housing.

Happy Leasing!

Carroll VanHook-Weaver

Regional Leasing Specialist-Student Housing

Editorial Note: Carroll came into the industry as a Leasing Manager after transitioning from hospitality the world. Her passion has always been customer service and providing experiences for people.  While many skills overlapped from hospitality, there were tools she needed to feel comfortable and grow in her position within student housing. Having strong mentors and support from leadership at two student management companies, she was afforded growth opportunities in various positions. Since 2013 Carroll was employed as a Regional Leasing Specialist reporting directly to the VP of Leasing and Marketing. July of 2019 she is now an Executive Director with Akara Partners who is developing and managing an extensive lease up in Nashville, TN.