I was talking with one of our clients earlier today and we were reviewing a sales candidate’s assessment results. The candidate is presently working for a small temp staffing agency for a salary only (no commission) and puts in an average of 50-60 hours per week. The candidate had a strong social motivation which is a big red flag in our world.
As we were discussing how these motivations would show up on the job, our client remembered that she had asked the candidate what gave her the greatest sense of satisfaction? The candidate’s response:
When a person comes up to me and thanks me for finding them a job and now they are able to catch up on bills. That just makes my day, when I know that I have helped someone out.
A perfect example of the Social motivation, being able to “help others out.” Obviously, I wouldn’t want to live in a world without the Social motivation. But my first thought about the candidate’s response was that’s great, but what kind of commission did the she make on the placement. Then I remembered she doesn’t earn commission. This is not the type of motivation that leads to business development success.