4 Sales Recruitment Myths That Could Be Hurting Your Hiring Strategy

There are several common myths about sales hiring that can lead to ineffective or inefficient recruitment practices. Some of these myths we would like to share are.

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Myth 1 : More assessment is better to hire a top sales talent.

While a comprehensive and thorough assessment process can help to identify top sales talent, relying solely on the number of assessments is not necessarily a guarantee of success.

The quality of the assessments and the focus on the most critical skills in a salesperson for success in sales is important.

For example, it is important to consider factors such as the candidate’s past performance, communication skills, and strategic thinking, in addition to conducting assessments such as behavioral-based interviews and role-playing scenarios.

It is essential to strike a balance between a comprehensive assessment process and a focus on the most critical factors for success in sales.

Too many assessments can lead to a lengthy process & might detract from the candidate experience and reduce the candidate pool’s size.

These long screening tests will cause otherwise good sales talent to drop out of the funnel.

Thus, lowering the quality of recruits.

Myth 2 : Passive candidates make a better hire when compared to active candidates

Passive candidates (those who are not actively seeking new job opportunities) and active candidates (those who are actively seeking new job opportunities) both have the potential to make great hires in sales.

We somehow have a bias that active sales candidates who want to leave their current work have something wrong with them.

At the same time, you had put in the effort to hunt a passive sales talent and he/she must be superior.

In short, it is not accurate to make a blanket statement about the superiority of passive or active candidates in sales hiring.

The most important factor is to assess each candidate based on their individual skills, strengths, and fit with the company and the sales role.

Myth 3 : Past employment history is the best indicator of the quality of hire

While a candidate’s past employment history can provide important information about their background and experience, it is not the only factor to consider when assessing the quality of a potential hire in Sales recruitment.

It is also important to keep in mind that a candidate’s past employment history may not accurately reflect their potential for success in a new role or company.

For example, a candidate may have performed well in a previous role but may not have the skills or attributes necessary to succeed in a different sales environment.

There are other factors that contribute to the candidate’s success such as – a company brand, senior management, product offerings, market segment, product pull,  GTM strategy etc.

In short, while past employment history can provide important information about a candidate, it is not the only factor to consider when assessing the quality of a potential hire.

Myth 4 : Companies need to handle Sales recruitment on their own to control cost

Companies would not necessarily need to handle sales recruitment on their own as outsourcing to recruitment agencies can increase hiring costs.

Sales recruitment can be a time-consuming and complex process that requires a deep understanding of the sales role, the company culture, and the target market.

Companies may not have the internal resources, expertise, or time to handle sales recruitment effectively.

Delays in hiring will have a direct impact on company’s revenue and the opportunity cost.

And that impact would be more then the cost of outsourcing it to b2b sales recruiters

Working with a recruitment firm or an executive search firm that specializes in sales recruitment can provide several benefits like

  1. Access to a larger pool of qualified and high-performing sales candidates.
  2. Expertise in the sales market and sales recruitment processes.
  3. Valuable data insights to take decisions faster.
 
 
By avoiding these myths and taking a comprehensive and data-driven approach to sales hiring, companies can improve their chances of finding and hiring top sales talent in much shorter timelines.

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About the Author

Picture of C Rajasekaran
C Rajasekaran
CR is the Co-Founder of Sales & Profit and an experienced B2B Sales & talent Consultant. With selling as his core skill, he has built and executed several sales strategies and sales talent strategies for organizations. He has 30 years of experience in sales leadership roles in companies like IBM, Cable & Wireless, Verizon & Telstra.
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