Sales Recruitment Tips For Small To Medium Enterprises (smes)
Whether an SME decides to conduct the sales recruitment process themselves
, or go to professional recruitment agency, there's a lot that can be done to improve selection decisions. Either way, the key is to understand how to recruit what you need.
Here are some tips:
Recruitment Tip #1
Probably the first thing an SME needs to do before embarking on a sales recruitment campaign, is to clearly define and articulate what is wanted in a sales person. You need to ask yourself what skills, abilities, attitudes and behaviors (usually referred to as 'competencies') are required to be successful in your particular sales role.
For example, some typical sales competencies you might want to consider include communication skills and interpersonal skills. Research has indicated that emotional intelligence is linked to high performance in sales roles, so this might be another competency that is important for your role.
Recruitment Tip #2
You need to know what type of sales role or sales person you need for your particular vacancy. Of course not all sales roles are the same and you need to understand what qualities your current market demands in a sales person.
For example, you need to consider whether you need:
* A business development manager, who can open up completely new market segments for you
* An account manager who can maintain your existing accounts
* A sales person who can develop long term, viable business relationships with customers
* A trainee sales cadet that you can train up
Recruitment Tip # 3
Once you have decided on the type of role and type of competencies you want to recruit for, document these in a position description. Include in your position description the following:
* A job title and a salary range
* A description of the type of job it is
* A list of duties and responsibilities
* The selection criteria, incorporating the competencies and key skills required
* Reporting structure, team size, job environment etc
Recruitment Tip # 4
You will require a structured sales recruitment strategy that will lay out how you will attract, assess, compare and select a candidate. Using a structured process will improve the recruitment decisions you make. Some of the processes you may wish to incorporate include psychometric assessments, competency / behavioral interviews, simulation activities, and reference checking.
For sales roles in particular, a recruitment strategy incorporating a multitude of techniques improves the quality of your selection decision and ultimately on-the-job performance.
Recruitment Tip # 5
If you are going to engage and external agency to handle your sales recruitment needs, you need to screen your recruiters for 'best practice'. Ask them what techniques they use and their expertise in dealing with sales roles. An agency that incorporates a multi-assessment selection approach (see sales recruitment tip # 4 above) will be making more reliable selection decisions on your behalf.
Once you've decided on a recruiter, uphold your end of the bargain by briefing them thoroughly on your needs, your industry and your expectations. Provide them with an up-to date position description with clarity around your required competency profile, and a clear job and person specification.
Recruitment Tip # 6
Particularly for SMEs that don't necessarily have the same 'clout' as larger organizations to attract experienced sales staff, more junior staff may need to be considered. Look outside of your industry to refresh the 'gene pool' with fresh new talent that can be trained up and 'molded' to suit your needs.
Being able to articulate what and who you need to do your sales job is essential to any sales recruitment campaign. A little preparation, along with a defined recruitment strategy, will ensure that you and / or your recruiter will be making an informed selection decision.
by: Tim Williams
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