Salesopedia has this article on their home page this week - Six Common Mistakes in the Sales Hiring Process. Obviously we are going to read that one. First off, great quote from Zig Ziglar in the article:

“Sales people are really the only people in business who pay the bills!”

That provides some perspective on the importance of strong sales hiring. Here are the 6 mistakes as outlined by the author:

1) Assuming the hiring manager knows how to qualify people
2) Not defining EXACTLY what you are looking for in a new hire
3) Assuming specific business functions know how to hire like talent
4) Over emphasizing a hire candidates personality or looks
5) Not effectively checking previous employment references
6) Hiring in your own likeness

In our process, number 2 is by far the most important. You cannot find the right person if you do not know what the sale requires.

Number 5 is important, but not in the context of the article. Here it is in its entirety (my emphasis):

If you consistently miss critical insights into a salesperson’s capabilities, motivations or character prior to hire, it is generally because you chose not to or did not effectively investigate a candidate’s previous employment history. Given the potential cost of a poor hiring mistake, it makes financial sense to spend a nominal amount of money and have a professional check out a candidate’s references.

References are important at the end of the process, but they do not provide accurate insight into a salesperson’s capabilities (aptitudes) or motivations. How objective do you think that reference is going to be? Safe to assume the candidate will not provide a bad reference. In terms of the verification agency, the laws are fairly stringent as to what a previous employer can say in a reference check call.

Use an objective, validated assessment to discover the aspects of the candidate that lie below the water line.

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Posted By Derrick Moe | Assessing, Hiring Salespeople, Sales Candidates | |