o it’s timi e to start even an

Finding th betwee

en an “Af

a 12-alaalarm cat s out. Ask any bride mun

n

vent and you want gh

t prepeparationions ffo t a professional to

R member an r” and a “D atastrophe from w rty Plann e. Hiring the rigi ht ind

commu ity association can be Hiring a Par

straight forward and there ar

or th

the irig t Pa tarty Planner will make all th d fferencence A fair to Re

the upcomining big o take on the task. he di

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which evenven FEM c n’t bail you dividual to manage your

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n er for a onetiime

st r to Forgorget” – r

b equally challenging. m event seem

ms pretty re plenty to choose from.

Individual property managers are a long term selection and don’t usually advertise in the yellow pages. So how does an association look for a new or replacement manager? At first, the thought of hiring a new manager may seem daunting; but there are steps to ensure that the process does not become overwhelming or plagued by suggestions to hire someone’s st happens to be uniquely qualified because

nephew, who ju

they are, coincidently, out of a job again. A good first step

p stoformasearch piis to form a search committee. A group of

residents, who will work independently of the association’s board of directors to start the search, begin the screening process and choose several candidates to meet the board, which will make provides some

but relieves the board of much of the preliminary work. But we must not get ahe

The board should first and t

ead of ourselves. committee

determine what

kind of manager the association is looking for in their new hire. Just like every other association, you want

a hardworking,

responsible, intelligent, superior communicator who is able to leap tall buildi ngs in a single bound; just your average super hero. That’s a given. The real

e the final decision. The committee not only independence

Second

you underderstand the cost of hiring a professional n know that the

ndly, do your homework. Rese rch e board is wi

w lling to

package. Going h o gh he Riigh pa

ge is inadequat te ca ng your manaanager X do an be

g t only to be tu neurned down becau ackag

auditor, legal counsel or othe p to serve as a guide. payin

earc the markeark t. Be sure o a and

e o commit to a compen at e very frus rat

ng through the process of finding Mr. or Ms. use the compmpensation ru tra ing. Talk with your ry

o pensa ion Ms

e One sure indicator is d llars to run the association

her professionals in the industr s that if you were n and

they left for better opportunities (as opposed to getting the boot) that is a pretty good indication that you will need to pay X+Y to attract new talent.

Where to look? No better place to start than the organizations that serve the industry: CAI, IREM and ACTHA (Community Association Institute, Institute of Real Estate Management, and Association of Condominium, Townhouse and Homeowners Associations). This is where you will find industry professionals. Avoid the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) and

dd the UFC (Ultimate Figh py p hting Championship)

as an individual from one of these organizations may be uniquely qualified to keep dissent down amongst angry owners; however, they may be prone to inflicting some physical pain. This would not bode well for your insurance

Finding the right Party Planner will make all the difference between an

“Affair to Remember” and a “Disaster to Forget”

question is: WHAT TYPE OF MANAGER ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Each association is different with its own personality and needs. A manager that thrives at one property may end up an abject failure at another. What are the most pressing needs of your association? What is the character of your community? Are you looking for a disciplinarian to enforce the rules and regulations, a financial expert to right the association fiscal issues, an outgoing personality to build more community spirit, or one with strong construction knowledge who can focus on accomplishing large projects? While the needs of each association are different, strengths of each manager are different as well. A seasoned property manager will have some background in all of the above, and may excel in certain areas but not all. After all, you would not hire a Party Planner who specializes in fraternity parties to plan your parent’s 60th wedding anniversary party. ght make for a very interesting event. Beer

the

(Although it mi Pong anyone?)

carrier! Another option is to speak with support professionals and contractors that currently work with the association. They undoubtedly work with other associations and may know managers that are interested in taking on a new opportunity. Does this mean you are going to steal a manager from another association? Very likely - YES. After all, if your manager was hired elsewhere, someone stole them.

A final note on this point. Since the

manager’s licensing law came into effect, the labor pool for professional managers has tightened significantly. Gone are the days when your cousin’s brother’s friend could step in and start managing an association because he/she served as the grill manager at the local fast-food restaurant. The State of Illinois now requires all community association managers to be licensed. So candidates are either working in the industry and already have their license, or they are new to the industry and will have to pass several exams and apply for their license. This could take several months.

Okay, you are ready to start the search process. The search committee will solicit and review the resumes. After selecting a few candidates, the first round of interviews will begin. To keep the interview process focused and objective, it is a good practice to have a list of questions that each candidate should answer. This will allow the board or committee members to evaluate the candidates objectively based on their answers. Moving right along, the committee interviews several

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