We preach to our clients that simply placing an onlie ad is not a sound sourcing strategy. Managesmarter.com has an article that gives 3 good, quick tips for leveraging the Internet to fill open positions. The only way to effectively recruit is to use multiple channels. You’re trying to find that one person who is exactly right, and that means exploring multiple avenues. This includes your offline efforts, by the way—don’t stop networking just because you’ve posted a job online. Work multiple sources (both online and real world) to get the word out about your opening. Make sure you’ve got an accurate, well-written, exciting job description. You need a posting that… Read More
Continue ReadingFirst Round Cuts
The frequency of layoffs has started to rise as the economy continues it’s slow progression (no, it hasn’t recessed). Up here in Minnesota we have experienced some large layoffs recently. But there is an interesting point in all of these layoffs when it comes to salespeople. Many times the underperformers are released first as a method for upgrading the sales force. One of the large corporations up here announced a sizeable layoff that reduced their employee count by 5%. Yet, the following week they had multiple employment ads on multiple sites looking for different levels of salespeople. This approach is not surprising as you will see it often during slow… Read More
Continue ReadingQuality Of Questions
I had a sales candidate ask an excellent, subtle question yesterday – “What other positions is this company currently hiring?” Again, the subtlety of this question provides a view into a company’s needs, growth and possible turnover. It is an excellent question to ask in any interview. The second part of this equation is for the hiring manager to appreciate the question. What I mean is this – listen carefully to the questions being asked by the candidate. We often watch hiring managers trip over themselves to answer a good question without appreciating the question itself. Some times the hiring manager cannot even recall the questions asked in the interview. … Read More
Continue ReadingWriting Clear Ads
Another odd line from a sales ad: make direct fact-to-face sales calls I did a double-take on that one, “fact-to-face”…is that some new business lingo with which I am not familiar? I think it is a typing error, but even if it isn’t, ads are better served with common language (i.e. no buzzwords/phrases).
Continue ReadingQuality Of Hire Requires Objectivity
Ere.net offers up an excellent Kevin Wheeler article that explains how gut-level hiring occurs. Here is the crux of the problem: Interviews are examples of how easy it is to abandon the tools of objectivity, the scientific method, logic, and the rules of evidence, for our “gut” or for “chemistry.” While there is considerable evidence showing that testing candidates is far more likely to predict successful performance, we still rely almost exclusively on interviews. Though numerous researchers have pointed out the need to gather a variety of data about a candidate, we generally settle for an application form and an interview. Why are we so resistant to testing and other… Read More
Continue ReadingTopgrading For Sales
We received an email heads up about the new book from Bradford Smart titled Topgrading for Sales. What I like is the promo page they have put together for the book – it includes a movie trailer…of the book’s content. A very web 2.0 approach which I appreciate. The topics include how to interview, hire and coach top performing salespeople. The one thing that catches my eye is the calculator for mishires. This topic is bandied about without a definitive number for what a bad sales hire costs a company. The number is certainly staggering no matter how it is calculated. The opportunity cost is the killer…and a number that… Read More
Continue ReadingWhat Does Job Vacancy Cost?
Interesting article here from RecruitingTrends.com that highlights a speech given recently by Dan Hanyzewski, staffing director from Nike. There is one piece of data that caught my attention immediately: “This is the first time in American history that we’ve had four generations at work at the same time,” Hanyzewski says. How do you communicate an employer brand that will attract such a broad audience? Quite a dilemma, isn’t it? The task of branding your company effectively for 4 different generations is a tremendous undertaking. But the discussion then turns to a critical point (my editing): “One of the most powerful metrics is time,” Hanyzewski says. But, what’s does it mean?… Read More
Continue ReadingBe Conservative On The Compensation
I read this line in a sales employment ad this past weekend: Actual Year 1 average earnings – $100,000 – $200,000 ++ REALISTIC A $100K spread? You know, this type of line is an immediate red flag for a jobseeker. It may be true, but most salespeople will be skeptical. They will put a multiplier of <1.0 on the number. The sad part of this ad is that it was posted by a sales recruiting company. The best bet in these ads is to be somewhat conservative on the compensation and keep a tight range on the potential.
Continue ReadingThe Gasoline Tipping Point
$4.50 here in the Twin Cities. According to this Pioneer Press story: And if the price hits $4.50 per gallon, more than half of the commuters in the Twin Cities said they’ll be looking at changes in their daily commute. The survey found commuters are most aggressive about looking for options in Atlanta, Dallas and the Twin Cities. They are slowest in San Francisco. The gas price is a strong lever in sales recruiting right now, but you have to be prepared to discuss the reimbursement side of the equation. We have noticed a definitive upclick in the discussion of mileage reimbursement/car allowance. In fact, this topic is coming up… Read More
Continue ReadingAlways Be Interviewing Salespeople
From Inc.com’s Sold! blog (my highlighting): The number one mistake in building and maintaining an effective sales team is a flawed hiring process. While there are many elements to consider, my first concern has always been to interview constantly. Always look for exceptional people in and out of your industry. Here are some of my other suggestions for hiring: • Pass on experience and look for people who show some element of emotional intelligence and personal magnetism. • Interview each person at least three times before you send them to another team member. • Prepare questions that take the applicant past normal responses. Get them to solve a sample problem,… Read More
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