I hear a lot of buzzwords in the tech and sales industry like company culture, hunter, innovative, strategic etc. Although I agree these are quality characteristics, I want to challenge hiring managers to dig a little deeper in their hiring process..
Most of our clients have been taking proactive steps to hire “hunter” sales people to drive the top line of business. We all know what a “hunter ” is, but in case you’re outside of the sales world the term is defined as the sales professionals charged with bringing in new business, having a tenacious attitude, gritty nature and has a- will do anything it takes to make the sale- mentality. That’s all good and dandy, but I have realized something about myself as a recruiter, the hiring industry, sales leaders and the hiring process as a whole and wanted to share some of my findings..
Lesson’s Learned: • Candidates’ past track records alone cannot predict future success. A thorough review of the environment where they have been successful should be carefully examined. Only then can we understand someone’s true strengths for the job. • Many companies have a solid understanding of the sales metrics required to win a new client, yet there is little to no tracking on what it takes to hire top sales professionals. • When the CEO and Sales leadership are accessible when courting top talent, recruitment has a powerful hook to get a top performer’s attention- C-Level team, be involved!! • If the recruitment process starts when there is a need, you are too late – recruiting top sales talent is an on-going process and can not be treated as a single event. We are constantly telling our clients this! Who’s doing it right: • Due to the importance of courting and selecting sales “hunters” in a growing business, separating the sales recruitment process from other corporate roles will give back to your company tremendously. • Knowing the importance of identifying the “A” players in a certain industry and nurturing this “pipeline” of sales talent over time is crucial to a successful hiring strategy. • Sales hiring can be one of the most emotional hires; using HR or a 3rd party to conduct an independent evaluation of your candidates can reduce turnover. • Companies that view “attitude and aptitude” over industry expertise have reaped great rewards – sometimes the desire and energy to learn a new field can surpass a track record or a “been there and done that” attitude. If a professional views their next career move as a step up they are more likely to pursue it with vigor and a fresh perspective. The Bottom Line: • Involve leadership in your hiring process • Be strategic when coming up with a hiring plan. • Use metrics and statistics to track hiring efforts post-hire and pre-hire. • Always be looking for top talent, especially before there is “a need”. • Look at the ‘big picture’ when assessing a candidate’s profile/resume/summary.
Words from the Wise #5: Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are -anonymous
Stay tuned for more follow-up, findings and follies here with me, La Femme Badass. Engage with me at: @asalesgalnicole