It's Become An Employees' Market Again Says Philadelphia Realtor
Jay Lehman is Vice President of Talent Acquisition for Toll Brothers, Inc. Jay manages the national recruiting functions at the company. His job requirements include suggesting strategies to senior executives, designing and executing original recruitment strategies. Jay received his Bachelor of Business Administration in human resources from Temple University.
When hiring for your company, what do you look for in an employee?
"Of course, I first look for experience in the home building industry, as a connection to the industry is preferred. We look for core values and commitment, passion for knowledge, curiosity, strong work ethics and flexibility."
What advice would you give to someone entering into your field?
"It doesn't matter what position you hold (eg Marketing, Human Resources, Accounting, Operations, etc.), learn everything about your company and the industry. Show interest, get informed, participate in projects outside of your department, don't get "lost in the weeds" and build relationships with employees outside of your department."
What changes have you observed in the past year as far as business growth and hiring practices are concerned?
"With an accelerated growth in the home building industry, the demand for qualified candidates has quickly outpaced the supply. It has become an "Employees' Market" again, and the effect on hiring practices is forcing companies to improve the overall 'candidate experience.' Every part of the process from recruiting, interviewing, hiring (or not hiring), through to starting in the position and 6 months into their new job with things needing to be fine-tuned. The company must be committed to this.
Prior to the downturn, women and other diverse groups were finding that careers in home building were becoming more common, which in turn influenced colleges to offer construction management programs to more students. It was an exciting time for our industry. Unfortunately, the recession hit, and with it came the elimination of so many jobs. The focus on attracting women, men, diversity groups and just about anyone, was turned to retaining our current scaled down team of employees. This was a big setback for the diversity initiative within our industry. Now, with the improving economy and accelerated growth of our business, we are already starting to see an increased interest in a real estate/home building career from women and other diversity groups during our on-campus college recruitment events, applications through social media, military job fairs and employee referrals. It is an exciting time to be at Toll Brothers!"
What is the median salary for a position in your field?
"The median salary for…
- HR/Recruiting Professionals = $75K
- Project Managers = $85K
- Superintendents = $70K Base Comp only"
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She reports on various topics such as: Social Media, Local Events, Entertainment, Food and Drink and more. Her work can be found at http://firstsendmedia.com/