In the sales industry, turnover is high. There are a number of factors that contribute to employee retention, and loyalty is the center of the equation. However, evaluating loyalty in an interview can be difficult. Salespeople are trained to sell, and hiring managers must be able to read between the lines to find the real person beneath their “pitch persona.”
Look Beyond The Resume
An impressive resume does not necessarily equate to loyalty. A resume should be used to evaluate whether or not a candidate should be interviewed, and once that candidate is in the chair, it’s time to focus on things that can’t be determined by a CV. A resume can be used to evaluate length of employment at past jobs, but hiring managers shouldn’t make assumptions. A job hopper may not be loyal, but then again, that person may not have found a company that they truly want to work for. Use the interview to help you get to the bottom of the employee’s motivations. How do they speak about past employers? What reasons do they give for leaving previous jobs? What could previous employers have done to keep them in their position longer? What are they looking for in a boss? What are their long-term career goals? Focus on questions that force the candidate to think introspectively.
Focus on Cultural Fit
Many times, salespeople leave jobs because they aren’t a good cultural fit. A buttoned-up salesperson who thrives on process may not do well in a startup environment. Conversely, a salesperson who enjoys a laid-back environment may not excel in a stiff corporate hierarchy. Ask questions that can help determine a salesperson’s values and work style, and use those answers to help you decide whether or not they will be a good fit for your company culture.
Ask Someone Who Knows
Always follow up with a salesperson’s references. When you can speak directly to those who worked above and with a candidate, you can get a better sense of their loyalty. If you are unable to connect with all of the references a candidate provides, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for more. Experienced, successful and loyal salespeople should have a large portfolio of references from which they can draw.
Work With A Professional Sales Recruiter
Evaluating salespeople is difficult, and some hiring teams struggle to develop a strong process. Working with an experienced recruiting firm that has mastered the process of sourcing and evaluating sales candidates can help you save time, cut costs, and gives you the opportunity to cultivate a strong and loyal sales team.
If your enterprise software company is looking to improve its hiring process, the team at Strategic Search Solutions can help. We recruit exclusively for the enterprise software sales sector, and we have developed a recruiting, interviewing, and hiring plan that will help connect your organization with loyal candidates who will drive results. For more information about our proven processes, contact us today.