Front office recruitment is important to helping a business survive, because front office workers are the ones consumers and clients see most often. If the recruitment does not go well, then customers may not trust the company and sales may drop. When selecting a candidate, recruiters should look for people who already have client relationships, because this shows the candidate can get and maintain clients and may be able to bring those clients over when he or she moves to a new job. Front office recruitment staff should select one or two dominant traits — such as being good with customers, being able to sell a product or being able to quickly gain new clients — and stick to them when checking out people to recruit. While most recruiters will look at outside sources, some back office workers can make the jump from back to front office.
A major trait that front office recruitment staff should look into is whether the candidate can make and maintain client relationships. Businesses thrive on client relationships and, as a front office employee who will be working face-to-face with clients, he or she should be able to turn new clients into long-term clients. Not only does this help the business get more customers but, if the candidate already has a client following, then those clients may be willing to shop at the new business because they like the candidate.
Front office recruitment often looks for many different traits squeezed into one person, but few people have all the skills or traits to fit this mold. The recruitment staff often looks for candidates who are personable, can convert customers, have communication skills, can upsell a client without feeling like he or she is asking for too much, and are knowledgeable, among other traits. While having all these skills would be great, most candidates do not have everything. This means front office recruitment should first focus on traits that are important for the job and then find a candidate who exhibits those traits; other traits beyond these are bonuses.
The search for new workers often keeps front office recruitment staff so busy that they forget there are other workers already in the business who can convert from back office to front office. Not all employees can handle this change, but having an employee who can migrate has several advantages. The business already knows whether he or she is dependable, the worker knows the business’s policies, and the employee will know how the back office works, which can help in answering front-office client questions.
