There are four things recruiters should be especially wary of, and they’ve been termed “the four As” by industry professionals. Assertiveness, ability to articulate, affability, and appearance are four characteristics of a candidate that can sway a hiring manager into choosing someone who can talk their way into a job, but can’t produce the type of results the company is looking for. A dud, in other words.
How can your company avoid hiring this type of interview-star, performance-dud? Here are three hiring mistakes people often make. Use this guide for effectively recruiting sales people in the future.
1. Don’t Hire Sales Reps Based on the Strength of Interview Performance
It’s easy to see the interview as a mini-test of the job. If they can sell themselves, they can sell a product to clients — right? Wrong. Performance doesn’t predict great selling skills, and it’s a weak substitute for asking the tough questions that will indicate whether they can handle communicating with clients and working to find solutions. Someone can be less charismatic in a job interview, yet have the great track record in meeting sales goals that you’re searching for. Being charismatic in an interview won’t necessarily translate to someone feeling motivated to make their sales goals every month.
2. Don’t Make Quick Judgments
Have you ever thought someone’s story of seeing someone across a room and “knowing” the person was their future wife was a bit too pat? Be careful of quick judgments about candidates. If you love a candidate the minute they walk in, you may unfairly pitch the interview in their favor. Don’t avoid tough questions because you like the candidate, or try and prove your instincts right as you go along by unduly rewarding basic answers.
3. Look for the “Why” of Motivation
It’s important to keep sales job descriptions in mind as you interview candidates. An extroverted person can appear highly motivated to do a job in an interview. However, are they interested in finding a job, or in doing this particular job? You want to find someone who understands exactly what the job consists of, and who feels they will perform well in that specific function.
Are you in the business of recruiting sales people? Let us know in the comments. Ger more information on this topic here.
