Assessment and selection is arguably the hardest thing we have to do as professional Sales Managers.
When our assessment and selection process fails us, it is difficult for us to admit we were wrong, particularly because we don’t look good amongst our peers when we make poor hiring decisions.
So we may encourage and protect; and maybe even leverage new and underperforming sales personnel into some easy opportunities, in the hope that something miraculous will happen and the right knowledge and skills will suddenly appear. The problem is, of course, in many cases – we are just delaying the inevitable.
As time rolls on, the salesperson in question sails by the probation date and often the recruiter retention date as well, and now it has cost us the recruitment fee and the opportunity cost is mounting. So, what should we be doing to protect ourselves and manage this important aspect of our responsibilities more effectively?
- Conduct an objective assessment that requires candidates to validate their knowledge and skill base as part of the assessment process;
- Design employment agreements to incorporate minimum six monthly probation periods and enabling an extension to be agreed with the employee where performance is inadequate;
- Develop and implement a detailed role related induction program that defines a proven success pathway;
- Set specific induction period KRAs and KPIs designed to measure progress and provide a gauge of success pathway alignment;
- Consider information emanating from the assessment process that provides clues around individual candidate time to speed (recognise that even some of the high achievers may take longer to get to speed than the norm);
- Invite and listen to observations and input that colleagues and peers can provide about new hires;
- Provide specific and clear performance related feedback and invest the time to coach, mentor new sales personnel during the first 90 days of employment;
These 7 tips will not eradicate poor hiring decisions in the first instance, but they will help you to manage risk and to minimise lost time and opportunity.
