Franchises are gearing up for the promise of a big 2022 in franchise recruitment, sparked in part by a predicted high rate of employees leaving their jobs.
While Australian academics have suggested The Great Resignation phenomenon will not strike our shores, franchisors are nonetheless readying themselves to take advantage of an upsurge in franchise enquiries.
David Lindsay, CEO of BDC Partners and director of franchise recruitment, categorises the expected job resignations as shifts in career goals that favour the franchise sector.
“It feels more like the great re-evaluation which will lead to the great resignation. People who are being asked to return to the offices in the CBD’s are now re-evaluating their positions.”
Lindsay said flexibility, no commuting and productivity gains were the benefits of working from home which are causing Aussie employees to think about a career change.
“Many are thinking “I can’t go back to that lifestyle, so what am I going to do next? I know, this suburb is really missing this business”.
“These workers have had numerous years being spoiled by all the great brands that the CBDs have to offer and they are now missing these brands in suburban life. This is creating an opportunity to bring these brands to the outer suburbs or regions,” he said.
Franchisors incentivise franchise buying
Some franchisors are providing a financial incentive to help franchisees get on board. Clark Rubber has slashed $30,000 off its franchise entry fees for businesses located in premium territories.
Anthony Grice, CEO of Clark Rubber, said, “We are excited to be in a position where we can provide small business opportunities to Australians who are now looking to create the life they’ve been dreaming of.”
Express Employment Professionals and Frontline Recruitment are also incentivising incoming franchisees with a discount deal – a 50 per cent reduction on the franchise fee for new franchisees who sign up this side of 2022.
At Boutique Fitness Studios, which is the master franchisee for StretchLab, Rumble and CycleBar, prepping for the recruitment surge has been all about systems, as CEO, Matt Gordin, told Inside Franchise Business Executive.
“We’ve signed 32 franchises in the past 12 months with a goal to hit 50 before the end of the year. Because of this growth we have expanded internally and have set up automated systems to both manage leads and also train our franchisees so we are equipped to scale.
“We feel prepared and look forward to the influx of ex-corporate workers looking to take control of their own destiny.”
Personal group training chain Listen To Your Body has introduced a new fitness program set to launch early next year, and is recruiting for more head office staff.
Founder Ben Fletcher said “We are planning for growth, we are super keen. We are planting the seeds for next year. February and March will be happy hunting grounds.”
3 ways to maximise franchise recruitment
So how can a franchisor stand out in this anticipated wave of enquiries over the holiday period?
David Lindsay suggested three strategic steps to maximise franchise recruitment.
- Have a strong development strategy. Understand what suburbs your system is not represented in, and make sure you have a listing for that suburb. Prospects like to see franchisors have done the groundwork on territories prior to enquiring and not just shooting from the hip.
- Understand your prospects’ pain points. Make sure your marketing highlights how your franchise offering can solve those pain points. If your franchise offering provides flexibility well then promote it as many of these expected resignations will be seeking to continue on with this new lifestyle.
- Remove all the hurdles for entry. Have a state of the art recruitment process that easily removes the hurdles of getting them into their new business, be it working with finance brokers, property negotiations, fitout etc, make it as easy as 1, 2, 3. This will give them great comfort with their decision.
