One question we would love to hear more often from our customers is this, “What factors make this candidate a strong fit for our sales position?” This is the best question to ask when first viewing a candidate’s information. Unfortunately, we hear many customers resort to their old method for measuring a candidate – what does their resume contain?
I often wonder if hiring would improve if resumes were removed from the process. I know it will never happen, but it would force hiring managers to take a more comprehensive approach to their decision-making. The focus would move from prejudging viability based solely on a sheet of paper to interviewing the candidates…truly interviewing them. How do they communicate? Are they articulate? Persuasive? Conversational? What questions do they ask? Is there a patter to their qualifying and what is it? Could you see your prospects buying from them?
These questions are not answered by reading a resume.
We preach this approach often, but it bears repeating – the more objectivity you can insert into your hiring process, the more reliable the process will become. Subjectivity, when unchecked, is detrimental to the hiring process.