The success of any higher-end, multifamily property depends greatly on the caliber of the property management team, from the very top-level executives to the on-site staff who interacts with residents on a daily basis. While some companies might limit their hiring and training practices to very basic procedures, the properties they’re responsible for could suffer as an outcome. These companies might have a more generalist approach, adopting a “one-size-fits-all” attitude and believing that the members of a team can be interchangeable.
When Kairoi Residential was established in December 2017, the company wanted to establish a platform for discovering, hiring, and fielding the best team of professionals possible. Needless to say, there were some challenges along the way, but the team was willing to identify shortcomings and find the best ways to make improvements. At the outset, Kairoi’s leadership team understood the importance of eliminating any communication gaps between the corporate office and field offices and properties. The line of communication had to be maintained in order to ensure that there was a high level of collaboration between all the team members and so that no individual was ever working in a “silo.” Unless this path of communication was established, Kairoi understood that its overall operations would decline and the properties it is responsible for wouldn’t be receiving the best service possible.
After careful consideration and review, the leadership team decided to implement a sophisticated model for hiring, training, and retaining the best members for a team: the DISC Model of Human Behavior. The DISC model dates back more than 100 years when a gentleman named Dr. William Mouton developed it as a foundation for understanding the patterns of human behavior. Today, it has provided Kairoi with an important tool for building better and stronger teams that communicate more powerfully with one another and provide the ultimate level of service to clients.
The DISC model provided Kairoi with a way to understand what motivates the different individuals on their team, and how to place them in the best roles and positions possible. It also provided employees with the opportunity to better understand their teammates and how to most effectively communicate and work with others. This was accomplished with the DISC profile test, which helps to
identify the main characteristic trait for each behavioral type: Dominant. Inspiring. Supportive. Cautious.
The Dominant behavioral type of person is somebody who likes to make decisions quickly and move on to the next question or challenge confronting them. When communicating with them, they want to know the facts and options that are available to them with looking for a solution. Dominant behavioral types often fill the role of leaders within a property management team.
The Inspiring behavioral type of person enjoys helping others and motivating them to do their best. They will go out of their way to make other people happy and fill an important role in the property management team as someone that people and residents can turn to for service and support.
The Supportive person is defined by an individual who doesn’t want to be put in the role of decision maker but would prefer to stay behind the scenes while helping others. They are more introverted and don’t respond well on an emotional level.
The Cautious type is very careful in their approach and analyzes a situation fully before moving forward. This kind of behavior is well-suited for team members who are responsible for operations and accounting.
By implementing the DISC profile test, Kairoi was able to field a team of specialists, with each individual excelling in the role they are best suited for. By taking human resources practices to a higher level, the company is meeting the expectations of property owners and residents. Equally important, Kairoi has become a transparent and desirable place to work for people in the property management industry. There is a continuous flow of communication and collaboration among employees, the properties are all working on cue, employees know what’s expected of them and accept their responsibilities without hesitation, and people appreciate and enjoy working with all of the members of the Kairoi team.
As a result of the successful implementation, Kairoi employees responded to a company survey, with 93.8% of the respondents saying they would be highly likely to recommend the company to friends and colleagues as a great place to work, and the company was recognized in 2019 as one of the best companies to work for by the San Antonio Business Journal.
