Finding Good Talent Today

Our customer-facing business model deals with sensitive financial and legal transactions in our day-to-day operations, which requires many of our positions to be in-person to ensure client satisfaction, security, and efficiency. These things don’t always translate digitally—but we are a digitally-inclined society, so there is a growing preference for digital flexibility, especially when it comes to jobs and working from home.  

While many companies are able to offer remote working benefits, the real estate industry cannot always offer this incentive due to the nature of our work, but Fidelity has come a very long way in the last few years to meet the needs of good talent.

The title insurance industry is stuck somewhere in the middle. We can offer some flexibility, but not as much as other companies. This has made the hiring process difficult, because the talent pool decreases significantly when we are honest with the position of its in-office requirements. Much of the nature of our work requires in-person, high-touch customer service and security. Take, for example, a closer. Someone who is physically signing you at the closing table. This position requires you to be in-person for a set number of hours each day to help assist clients and customers, so we simply can’t offer a work-from-home option.

Personally, I think that when flexibility can be offered, it should—but it is also earned by being accountable and trustworthy and going above and beyond to deliver results.  

When I’m looking for new talent, I always try to be upfront with expectations and requirements. I like to identify the clear intentions from the job demands and match candidates’ personalities to the correct position—for example, we would never hire an extrovert for a position with no human interaction. Candidates also need to understand the position and its requirements and have the skills needed, or in some cases, just the willingness to learn a new skill. 

All this to say, to succeed as an employee and employer, we both need to adapt. The true mark of success is within those who view themselves as accountable partners and problem-solvers with the drive to deliver client success and growth. They will emerge as the long-term contributors to an organization or individual. Hiring is not about filling vacancies, it’s about creating synergy and partnerships in the name of transparency, empowering individuals to be best-in-class. This industry thrives on connections, collaborations and shared growth, and sometimes you just have to be a little flexible to see these benefits and more.