Employers Hub | 8 tips to get ahead in sales recruitment

Sales recruitment can be a tricky game to master. You’ll want to put your best foot forward with your hiring efforts, especially when starting. It can be easy to fall into the trap of posting ads, interviewing candidates and then crossing your fingers that they’ll accept the job offer after some convincing. To ensure you get the right people on board in this process, you must be strategic in approaching sales recruitment. Like any other type of hiring process, sales recruitment depends on several factors and details that can easily go overlooked if you don’t take a step back and assess your strategy. Here are eight tips to get ahead in sales recruitment:

1 Ask the right people for help with your sales recruitment process

The right people can make all the difference when it comes to sales recruitment. If you’re struggling to find the right candidates, it can be helpful to ask your sales leaders and hiring managers if they know anyone who might be a good fit. You can also reach out to hiring managers and sales leaders at other companies within your industry and ask if they’ve previously dealt with top-notch sales recruiters. You never know who can lead you to the help you need. Finding a good sales recruitment agency might also be beneficial if you struggle to get your hiring efforts off the ground. A good recruiter will be able to quickly assess what positions you need to fill and then identify the top candidates for those roles. You can then focus on the details of closing the deal because the recruiter has already done the hard work for you.

2 Define what success looks like for your sales team

You need to clearly define what success looks like for your sales team. How many leads do you want them to close? What kind of revenue do you want them to bring in? What metrics should they be measuring themselves against? What should they be working towards with their customers? The clearer you are on what success looks like, the easier it will be to identify candidates who have a good chance of achieving that level of success. These numbers might fluctuate depending on the state of your industry, the size of your company, and other factors. But, having a clear idea of how much you want your sales team to be generating and the metrics they should be tracking will make it easier to spot the right candidates for your team.

3 Don’t rush your selling process

You want to make sure you’re taking your time when it comes to sales recruitment. There’s no reason to rush the process if you’re trying to fill one or two open positions. Take some time to identify the top candidates for the job and then follow up with them appropriately. Be sure to schedule time in your calendar to dedicate to sales recruitment; you don’t want it to fall to the wayside because you have other priorities. Don’t let your eagerness to fill the open positions lead you to hire the wrong people. If a candidate doesn’t seem like they’re a good fit, take your time and don’t feel pressured to hire them just to fill the role. You can always revisit the conversation at a later date if you want to give them a second chance.

4 Hire in-demand talent, not necessarily name recognition

Don’t let the name of the candidate be the only factor that gets them hired. Instead, hire in-demand talent. When you’re interviewing candidates, be sure to look for the qualities that indicate they have the skills and abilities that your company needs. You don’t want to hire someone who sounds great on paper but doesn’t fit into your company culture and lacks the ability to succeed in the role. You can find a salesperson with the right skills and experience even if they aren’t as well-known as their competition. Be sure to do your research and don’t let name recognition be the deciding factor.

5 Identify the gaps in your current sales team

Once you’ve clearly defined what success looks like for your sales team, it’s time to identify the gaps in your current sales team. What sales skills are you lacking? What sales experience is missing from your current sales team? If you have a sales manager, they can be a great person to run this exercise with you. You can also use online tools like StrengthsFinder and O.C.D. (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) to gain insights into the skills and abilities of your current sales team. You can then compare those findings with the demands of the position to identify the gaps in your team.

6 Be diligent about checking in with current employees

If you’re relying on sales recruitment to fill out your team, it’s important to be diligent about checking in with your current employees. If there are any open positions that need to be filled, you don’t want to lose out on good candidates simply because they didn’t know the opportunity was available. You also want to make sure you’re providing a great experience for all employees working at your company. If you have a sales manager, they can help you implement a plan to stay in touch with your current employees. You can also take some time to talk to your employees informally and ask what they would like to be doing at work.

7 Don’t lose sight of cultural fit and values

Sales recruitment is all about finding the right people for your sales team. But, you also want to make sure you have a keen eye for spotting cultural fit and values that match those of your company. You don’t want to hire someone who is amazing at their job but doesn’t fit into the culture and has a different set of values to the rest of your team. You want to hire people who can thrive in the culture you’ve created and want to be a part of it. It can be easy to get caught up in the numbers and the skill set that a candidate brings to the table. But, it’s important to make sure you’re hiring people who will be a good fit for your company and the role they’ll be in.

8 Summing up

Sales recruitment is all about the details. From the way you post your job ads to the way you follow up with candidates, you want to be strategic with your hiring efforts. It’s important to ask the right people for help, define what success looks like, and not rush the process. You also need to be diligent about checking in with current employees, identifying the gaps in your current sales team, and keeping an eye out for cultural fit and values. By following these eight tips, you’ll be well on your way to getting ahead in sales recruitment.