At the National Franchise Conference in Hamilton, New Zealand in August 2017 a panel of franchisors speak openly and frankly about some of the in-depth recruitment issues and challenges they have faced in the relation to the franchise brands they work with.

Interviewer, Ian Robertson, ran a round table with the panellists Brad Jacobs (The Coffee Club), Paul Brown (Paramount Services), Chris Bartels (sKids), Grant Archibald (Speedy Signs and EmbroidMe) on a number of questions such as:

• getting it right first time - finding the right person
• pros and cons of handling the recruitment process alone
• where do the best people come from
• what strategies for promotion work and how do they evolve
• what are the key traits you look for when recruiting franchisees
• are there different criteria required when recruiting franchisees for a startup business versus an existing business resale
• how entrepreneurial is 'too entrepreneurial' in franchising
• what are the challenges faced by a franchisor when an existing franchisee sells their business