ALTHOUGH SALES PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY
leadership
EVALUATED AND ANALYZED ON SALES METRICS,
IT’S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS
SHOULD NOT DEFINE A HIRING DECISION.
SHOWCASE THE EMPLOYMENT BRAND
For brands that The Leadership Agency works with, approxi-mately
30 per cent of employees are part of the sales team. Of
every three candidates interviewed, one will be hired. Using this
insight as an industry average, it can be stated that a vast num-ber
of sales talent will connect with a business during the hiring
process, creating a huge opportunity for candidates to directly
experience a company’s brand. To capitalize on this opportunity,
everyone that connects with a candidate – whether it be an HR
team, an outsourced recruiter or the senior executives conduct-ing
interviews – must effectively represent the company’s brand.
This includes conveying key aspects of the organization’s iden-tity,
such as a culture of collaboration, a flexible work environment
that thrives on creativity or recognition programs that reinforce an
appreciation for employees.
ENSURE CONSISTENCY IN
EVALUATING CANDIDATES
As all sales candidates should have the exact same interview expe-rience,
keep the process consistent. This begins with creating a
baseline measurement against which to fully analyze candidates.
This will ensure that expectations and standards being measured
are consistent across the prospective talent pool.
Take, for example, a focus on diversity. This is a topic that takes
on many meanings in the hiring process. How diverse is the can-didate
in their approach to sales? Do they think outside the box?
Can they creatively solve problems and build strategies? Do they
bring a different perspective to the table? These are not only ques-tions
a talent acquisition team or recruiter should ask, but against
which each candidate should be evaluated.
A SOLID PLAN TODAY CAN DELIVER
LONG-TERM REWARDS
Hiring for a rapidly growing sales team isn’t always easy. However,
putting a plan in place and strategically selecting the right pro-fessionals
can help build out a strong team. It could also lead to
increases in revenue and improvements in company culture that
impact an organization for years to come. n
Jamie Hoobanoff is founder and CEO of The Leadership Agency.
Recruiters need to look past metrics and determine if a new
hire will fit with an organization’s culture
Dmitriy Shironosov/123rf.com
40 ❚ DECEMBER 2018 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL
/123rf.com