Develop Your Chief Development Officer
Despite its decades of history, franchise recruitment is still a burgeoning science that continues to develop all the time. Although advances have been made towards implementing the most effective systems possible, there are still pieces of the puzzle that remain overlooked. One of the bigger ones is the Chief Development Officer (CDO) position and its role within a franchise brand.
The CDO is a role that has yet to be clearly defined. A lot of brands don’t even have a dedicated CDO, instead bundling those responsibilities into another executive or member of the recruitment team. For those brands that do have someone in that spot, they can often feel alienated by the rest of the executive team that probably doesn’t understand recruitment the way the CDO does.
Understanding that the recruiting department is running almost like its own business with its own inherent problems and frustrations is crucial in helping to empower your CDO in his role. One of those frustrations is the unavoidably high turnover rate amongst members of franchise recruiting teams. The average development director stays with a brand for about 24 months. Your CDO understands that having a process-driven system in place helps maintain recruiting consistency over extended periods of time, regardless of which development directors come and go.
Another critical step towards defining the CDO role is communication between those who occupy the position. There’s no better resource for figuring out a solution than the people who face the same issues every day. CGI hosts a CDO Summit, where we take a couple of days to discuss all aspects of the recruiting process. Everything from marketing and lead generation to building the right team of directors.
If you don’t have a CDO in place, you should look at your executive and recruiting teams to see where those responsibilities are currently landing. They may not be in the hands of someone who really understands recruiting in the way that is necessary for maximum effectiveness.
Franchise recruitment success relies on simple and timeless practices, but that doesn’t mean the conversation or evolution ever stops. Like all sciences, it takes constant observation. It’s becoming more important than ever to have someone who can stay up to date and implement those best practices for your brand.
