Here is a good read from Inc.com on improving your hiring process. The pull quote for me: In my opinion, one of the reasons people do such a poor job in hiring, is that they just want to get it over with,” Matuson says. “Really take your time, do it right, and ask yourself the question, constantly, ‘is this person good enough? Is this really the right person, or am I just trying to end my misery?” Umm, yes, I have seen that first hand on many occasions…from my customers! Anyway, there is some good information in the article along with some cliché advice. Here is some of the good:… Read More
Continue ReadingTwice The Fun
Here’s a headscratcher from an ad I read today, Sept. 10: On September 30, 2009, ABC Company will be upgrading the technology we use to receive job applications. Due to the upgrade, you will be asked to reapply to any jobs you have bid on. Any job applications, resumes, and/or cover letters that are submitted to ABC Company prior to September 30th, will not be converted to the new system. They are advertising for a sales position…today. So my assumption is that if I am a candidate, I can apply today and hope they are so overwhelmed they contact me immediately. Right? Otherwise, I will need to reapply in a… Read More
Continue ReadingProper Interview Follow-Up
As an employer what type of follow up should you expect from a candidate? Should you receive a thank you? Should that thank you be a hand written mailed thank you, an email thank you or a quick text on your cell phone? Did that last one get your attention? It did mine as I read a post from Steven Rothberg. The post used a couple of quotes from hiring managers that were offended by candidates sending out an email from a blackberry within minutes of the interview and a text message to the managers cell phone. The hiring manager that received the text felt her “personal space” was infringed on. If… Read More
Continue ReadingTrophy Hires
Some companies focus on hiring from their competition almost exclusively and I am not exactly sure why. I realize they believe they are bolstering their sales department while depleting their competition’s. But taken too far, this approach becomes a detriment to a successful hiring campaign. I’ve seen it with one of our customers who has become infatuated with hiring someone away from a certain competitor. His desire to do so is driven by the fact that a third competitor recently hired someone from the second competitor. It doesn’t matter if you tracked that last sentence, the fact of the matter is still the same. I now refer to this approach… Read More
Continue ReadingDefinition Of Insanity-ATS And Sales Hiring
According to Albert Einstein, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. According to a recent post on Recruiting Trends and a 2007 survey from DDI & Monster regarding corporate hiring systems: Less than 50% stated that they were satisfied with current selection systems. At least two-thirds expressed dissatisfaction with the efficiency of hiring systems, even with access to automation technology to help organize and track applicant information. From our experience in the sales world, I would have to say those dissatisfied numbers are much higher when it comes to the results of their hiring system or process for salespeople. So why not… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Urgency Of Hiring
BusinessWeek.com has a terrific article about executive recruiting that applies to more than just executive positions. Sales hiring mirrors the same issues from the article. The pull quote: Not surprisingly, corporate bosses usually want to play a role in interviewing and assessing top candidates’ experience, qualifications, and fit with senior leadership. The problem arises when those leaders just don’t commit to the executive recruiting process. Often they fail to appreciate its urgency, the fact that candidates may be weighing other offers, or that candidate interviewing can be a process that’s unpredictable, and one that isn’t completely in their control. Even the hiring of a top-notch executive recruiter can’t guarantee there… Read More
Continue ReadingTopgrading The Sales Force
That is an excellent turn of phrase from Dave Kurlan’s recent blog post. He provides an excellent explanation of how hiring processes regress to the stereotypical approach that leads to “safe” hires that don’t produce sales. I know Kurlan is accurate because we see this regression occur first hand. Companies often become frustrated with the process itself. Some would rather hire anybody than wait for the right person to come along. When they get frustrated they don’t follow the process and won’t listen to expert advice, defaulting instead to their old position of taking somebody they like, who fits the industry profile, rather than the other compromise, taking someone who… Read More
Continue ReadingMediocrity In The Hiring Process
Hiring salespeople is the difficult combination of science and art weighted perfectly to select the right person for the position’s requirements. Obviously, knowing the position’s requirements is the preeminent step. Many sales managers believe they know what it takes to be successful in the position and they do to a certain extent. Yet, their knowledge often consists of themes as opposed to specifics. This reason drives us to profile the sale as the very first step in our sales hiring process. ManageSmarter.com’s Is Hiring Mediocre Good Enough? approaches a hiring process with some valuable insight and other items I wouldn’t recommend. First, the reason astute hiring is mission-critical to corporate… Read More
Continue ReadingTime Kills All Deals
I recently read an excellent Career Journal article – Speed Date a Potential Employer And Get an Offer That Same Day. A point made in the article is to include a response deadline when extending an offer to a candidate. The author puts in the following quote: “Time kills all deals,” he says. “I’ve had clients that lost out on candidates because they went the traditional way and dragged their feet for three or four weeks.” No one is making you, as an employer, change how you hire. If you want to take 3, 4 or even more weeks to run your hiring process, that is your choice. Remember, you are looking at a salesperson and… Read More
Continue Reading