Sales managers who lack the benefit of temperament understanding
are inclined to place too much emphasis on their gut-level feeling during the
hiring process. Progressive organizations that understand the value of
temperament profiling actively seek people with varied behavioural styles and
thereby benefit from richness and diversity of perspective. People with
different behavioural patterns are more likely to complement rather than
duplicate each other's strengths and serve in a check and balance capacity.
Managers frequently ask me which traits are the most
important to look for in a prospective hire? There are two essential qualities
any new hire should possess. The first quality is loyalty. If a person is not
loyal to their company, research indicates that they are more likely to violate
company policies and procedures. Disloyal employees are also the first to leave
when the going gets tough. Look for signs of job stability on the resume and
check his or her attitude regarding previous employers.
The second quality is dependability. It makes absolutely no
sense to invest huge amounts of emotional and financial capital training
someone that you can't depend on.
The most effective people are those who know themselves,
know the demands of the situation, and adapt strategies to meet those demands.
Research indicates that career incompatibility is the major cause of personnel
discontentment and costly turnover. The hidden cost of excessive personnel
replacement is often measured through a decrease in customer retention.
Simply put, you want to hire a person that has a temperament
profile compatible with the job opportunity. For example, some people are born
analytical and have a temperament style that excels in administration and
attention to detail. Others are more comfortable in a supportive role and are
better suited for a customer service position rather than the uncertainty of
commission sales.
The importance of matching the job description to the
correct temperament style cannot be overstated. Temperament testing is not only
advantageous for hiring and suitability but also as a management aid to assist
in training and supervision after the hiring process. I strongly recommend that
a temperament evaluation be administered between the first and second
interview.
When a temperament evaluation is properly implemented and
utilized in conjunction with other standard hiring and interviewing procedures,
it ensures that applicants are treated fairly without regard to race, colour,
age, religion, gender or national origin. If a temperament evaluation is used
as part of a hiring process, it shouldn't constitute the total basis for hiring
or placement. I recommend that an organization establish and utilize a
consistent standard hiring process. Information gathered in each step of the
hiring process should be reviewed in total prior to making a final hiring
decision.
You're only as good as your pipeline. While some turnover in your sales force such
as retirement, promotion, and transfer are understandable and can be anticipated;
the quitter is often unpredictable. With this in mind, recruiting must be
thought of as a long-term strategy, not a knee-jerk reaction.
Perhaps the greatest mistake a manager can make is
underestimating his or her turnover. If your personnel turnover is high, it's
more than likely caused by improper recruiting, rather than inadequate training
or a lack of incentives. Even if you're the world's best trainer and motivator,
if you haven't recruited correctly, you'll experience high turnover and may find
your sales team bogged down with low morale. If your recruiting pipeline has
dried up, here are four tips that will assist you in filling it back up with
quality salespeople!
To have an effective recruiting program, it's imperative
that your sales team be enthusiastically involved in the recruiting process.
Let them know that their ability to recruit is considered a vital skill in
leadership development and that their assistance is essential to the health of
the organization.
Keep your sales team informed by focusing on recruiting as
an agenda item. On the agenda show the status of each recruit, highlighting the
salesperson that has recruited them.
Design and implement an incentive program for your sales
force that places an emphasis on recruiting.
Comments