For successful property management companies, one role that stands as a cornerstone in ensuring smooth operation is that of the maintenance coordinator. Whether you're managing commercial buildings, residential properties, or industrial facilities, the services of a maintenance coordinator are indispensable.
So, how do you find the perfect fit for your team? What do you need to include in the job description to ensure you choose the right person for the role? This blog answers these questions and provides insights into how to fill the maintenance coordinator role with the right talent quickly!
The property management industry often faces challenges in finding the right maintenance personnel. The maintenance assistant or coordinator role is specialized and requires unique skill sets.
What's the best approach to filling this role? First, it's crucial to understand what you need your coordinator to do.
Maintenance coordinators take on many responsibilities, ensuring that all maintenance activities are planned, organized, and executed seamlessly. Here's a more detailed look at their multifaceted role.
Your coordinator is in contact with all vendors serving your properties. They handle:
Scheduling and Organization: Coordinators create and manage schedules for various maintenance contractors, including cleaning services, electricians, plumbers, and HVAC professionals. This involves assessing needs, coordinating with different teams, and aligning schedules to ensure timely completion.
Hiring and Negotiation: They can be responsible for selecting suitable contractors, negotiating contracts, and ensuring that the chosen professionals meet the required standards.
Work Order Management: Handling work orders includes creating, tracking, and ensuring completion, aligning with both the client's needs and the contractors' schedules.
Quality Control: Ensuring that all maintenance work meets quality standards is vital. Coordinators must inspect completed work, liaise with contractors to rectify any issues, and ensure client satisfaction.
To succeed with these tasks, your coordinator must communicate well and be highly organized.
In addition to coordinating people and repairs, your maintenance assistant handles budgets and invoices.
Budget Planning: Creating and managing the maintenance budgets for multiple properties requires careful planning and execution. Coordinators must align the budget with investor goals, project needs, and financial constraints.
Payment Handling: Timely and accurate payments for maintenance services, equipment, and supplies are essential. Coordinators must ensure that all financial transactions follow company procedures and legal requirements.
Cost Monitoring and Optimization: Regularly tracking expenditures, analyzing cost trends, and identifying opportunities for cost savings ensures the budget is optimized without compromising quality.
Your coordinator must be good with numbers and (again) very organized!
Along with vendors and contractors, your virtual maintenance coordinator is a significant asset to your in-house team. Here are a few things they can handle.
Managing Work Orders for Staff: For in-house maintenance staff, coordinators handle work order management, ensuring tasks are assigned, tracked, and completed efficiently.
Communication with Tenants or Departments: Maintaining clear communication with tenants or internal departments about maintenance work needed is essential for a smooth workflow. Coordinators act as a bridge, ensuring that all parties are informed and satisfied.
Purchasing Supplies and Materials: Selecting and purchasing the right supplies and materials requires in-depth knowledge and judgment. Coordinators must identify the best vendors, negotiate prices, and manage inventory to support maintenance operations.
As you can see, an experienced maintenance assistant must be able to handle multiple tasks, communicate with different people, and keep things on schedule. To find this person, you'll need a well-thought-out job description!
The job description is your first opportunity to connect with potential candidates. For the role of a maintenance coordinator, it must be detailed and compelling to attract the right talent.
Here are a few things to consider adding to the job posting.
Start with a concise yet comprehensive snapshot of the maintenance coordinator role. Explain the daily responsibilities and long-term objectives, including how this position fits within the organizational structure and contributes to overall goals.
Clearly outline the must-have requirements for this role. These can include specific technical skills, required certifications, or licenses.
Be explicit about what is necessary and what would be considered a plus. It sets clear expectations and helps candidates assess their fit.
Emphasize any specialized training or prior experience that would make a candidate stand out.
If you prefer candidates with experience in certain maintenance areas or those with specific training courses, mention it here. This section guides applicants in understanding what could give them an advantage.
Set clear performance expectations by outlining the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the role. By defining what success looks like, you enable candidates to align their skills and aspirations with the role's demands.
If the role demands strong English communication skills, whether in writing, speaking, or both, make this clear. Specify the level of proficiency needed, as this ensures candidates understand the importance of this skill in performing the role effectively.
If you utilize personality assessments like the DiSC profile or other tests to gauge cultural fit or working style, include this in the job description.
Explain why these assessments are important and how they relate to the role, helping candidates prepare for this aspect of the selection process.
Why limit yourself to local talent when virtual solutions are available? A property management virtual assistant can handle maintenance coordinator tasks, and this might be a game-changer for your company.
VPM Solutions is a platform for finding skilled virtual maintenance coordinators. Our VAs have free access to training through our VPM Academy to develop skills and experience as maintenance coordinators, marketing assistants, leasing specialists, and more.
Virtual maintenance assistants are proving to be indispensable assets. Leveraging technology to streamline maintenance coordination tasks, they provide numerous advantages beyond traditional hiring methods.
By choosing virtual assistants, companies can significantly cut down on payroll expenses. Without the need for physical office space, equipment, and other overhead costs, virtual assistants present an economical solution.
Additionally, depending on the workload and requirements, virtual assistants can be added to your team on a part-time or full-time basis, allowing you to pay only for what they need.
Virtual platforms also allow access to a global talent pool, enabling organizations to tap into diverse skills and expertise that may not be locally available. By having access to a broader range of professionals, property management companies can find virtual maintenance assistants with specialized skills that perfectly match their unique requirements.
Our virtual platform allows for faster recruitment processes, meaning a suitable maintenance assistant can be found and onboarded in a shorter time frame.
Choosing the right maintenance assistant is crucial in the property management industry. By crafting a comprehensive job description and leveraging the VPM Solutions platform, you can find the right maintenance team member to enhance your operations.
Understanding the role, the tasks, the preferred experience, and the personality traits that fit your organization is the key to a successful virtual addition to your team. With the right tools and information, you'll be well on your way to adding a valuable maintenance coordinator to your team, keeping properties well-maintained, and your operations running smoothly.
Your property management virtual assistant is waiting to get to work through VPM Solutions! Start by creating a Free Company Profile and downloading your copy of our free "Property Management Maintenance Coordinator Job Description and Quickstart Task List."