HOW TO RECRUIT THE BEST SALES PROFESSIONALS HOW TO RECRUIT THE BEST SALES PROFESSIONALS While strong sales professionals are highly sought-after in any market, the challenging economic environment means high-calibre sales candidates are in increased demand and often difficult to attract. For employers, talented sales professionals can add discernible value to the bottom line and help them to win market share from competitors. But how do you find these individuals who can make a real difference? We offer some advice. PLAN AND BE READY The vast majority of resignations come as a surprise to line managers and businesses alike so it’s important to have a contingency in place. Sales departments place a huge focus on ensuring they have a strong pipeline. Recruitment should be no different – particularly because sales targets are unlikely to be relaxed whilst a team is under resourced. Clearly, you shouldn’t advertise for a job that may never materialise. However, proactive businesses put contingency plans in place - they know which recruitment companies understand their business best and therefore who to speak to when a vacancy becomes available. CREATE A COMPELLING JOB SPECIFICATION AND JOB ADVERT The quality of the job specification is crucially important to attracting the best talent. It should be viewed as a key opportunity to correctly position the company and the role. Don’t fall into the trap of producing a standard, generic job description downloaded online or created by someone who has never actually done the role. Sales professionals want to be inspired. They want to feel that the company they work for or the product/service they sell has unique selling points – this should be factored into any job specification. From a strong job specification, you will be able to produce a compelling job advert. The Robert Walters whitepaper series highlights when candidates view a job advertisement, the description of the role has the biggest influence on their decision to apply. However, the salary and benefits, company description, quality of grammar/language and presentation of the advert are also considered important. In addition, job seekers are more attracted to adverts when the company is named than not. Importance of job interview process in shaping a candidate’s perceptions of an employer Extremely important 55% Important40% Neither important nor unimportant 4% Unimportant1% 1 ASK RELEVANT QUESTIONS AT INTERVIEW Don’t just assume that – because a candidate’s CV is excellent and they have a proven history of success – they will automatically be able to perform the duties required for your role. It’s important your questions get to the bottom of any potential incompatibilities. For example, a smaller business with limited support should challenge a candidate’s ability to work autonomously, deliver paperwork on time and manage a sales pipeline. The role of interviewers is critical to the job interview process; it is their responsibility to ask the right questions in the most appropriate manner to assess the suitability of the candidate for the role. The Robert Walters whitepaper highlighted that 40% of job seekers have experienced questions irrelevant to the role. Ensure all of your interview questions are focused on the requirements of the role. Importance of specific factors during a job interview Job Seekers Employers Very Important Very ImportantImportant Important Receiving/providing enough information about the role 78%21%64%34% The opportunity to ask questions 58%38%75%24% The opportunity to explain experience properly 54%40%53%39% Receiving/providing information about the team that role sits with 51%44%32%60% Receiving/providing enough information about the company culture 41%50%33%57% Receiving/providing information about the benefits package on offer 24%46%10%50% “The recruitment of the right sales professional is fundamental to the fortune of any business. Companies must be proactive and responsive throughout the process to ensure they are doing everything they can to secure the right talent.” Alex Belford, Manager - Sales Division (North), Robert Walters 2 40% Percentage of job seekers who have experienced questions irrelevant to the role or themselves during a job interview OFFER A REALISTIC SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE The salary and benefits package on offer is a huge factor for both job seekers and employers in the recruitment process. But employers should think carefully about the exact size and composition of this. For example, offering the biggest salary does not automatically make your job the most appealing option. While sales professionals will tell themselves they are worth every penny, they will also question why you are paying over the odds. High basic salaries can often mask an unachievable OTE (on-target earning) or an uncompetitive product or service. Think also about additional benefits. While basic salary and on target earning (OTE) continue to be the main drivers for sales professionals, other factors (e.g. flexible working, discounts, and childcare/gymnasium vouchers) can also have an impact. Beyond this, information about the organisation can also attract candidates. Specifically, job seekers like to know the average length of service within the company, typical steps for career progression, whether and to what extent the management team has been developed internally and how much the top performing sales person earned in the previous year. If you can answer these questions in a positive way, the role will have greater appeal to job seekers. “To attract the best possible talent you need to engage with your candidates ensuring they have a positive experience whether successful or not. It is important to remember that top-tier candidates mix with other top-tier talent.” Tom Warren, Manager - Sales Division (South East), Robert Walters 4 99% Percentage of professionals who say receiving enough information about a role is either ‘very important’ or ‘important’ during a job interview MAKE DECISIONS QUICKLY Sales people are trained to work towards deadlines and will often set themselves targets throughout the recruitment process. If an employer’s decision-making process is out of kilter with the rest of the market, they are likely to miss out on the best candidate. With the majority of sales professionals working remotely, they need to know they are joining an agile and responsive employer. The decision-making process is a great chance to demonstrate these qualities. To ensure the recruitment process is as streamlined as possible, it’s best practice to determine at the outset who needs to be involved and their diary availability, how quickly an offer can be made and – most importantly – that the vacancy has been formally signed off. The Robert Walters whitepaper highlighted that a lengthy recruitment process would put many professionals (72%) off working for an organisation. Length of recruitment process Length of time job seekers believe a full recruitment process should take Length of time recruitment process takes on average according to employers Up to 2 weeks 29%5% 3 – 4 weeks 49%21% 1 – 2 months 21%46% 3 – 4 months 1%22% 5+ months 0%2% Don’t know N/A4% MAKING YOUR COMPANY ATTRACTIVE TO JOB SEEKERS Job seekers typically explore a number of means when researching a potential employer. The Robert Walters whitepaper highlighted nearly all candidates regard the company website (98%) as a key resource tool, while news articles (71%), friends and/or colleagues (56%) and annual reports or financial performance (55%) are seen as key points of reference. Social networking websites (i.e. LinkedIn and Facebook) are also being more widely used for company research. Make sure your company brand is well presented across all of these channels. “Time spent on process is rarely wasted. Ensuring you choose the right recruitment consultancy to represent your business is critical, they must be seen as a credible extension of your business who are upholding the image of your organisation. Through this decision you will empower a business keen to build a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship.” Stuart MacSween, Manager - Sales Division (London), Robert Walters 6 95% Percentage of professionals who would tell others about a poor interview experience HOW MANY CANDIDATES SHOULD YOU SEE? There is no optimum number for how many sales professional you should interview. But bear in mind that sales recruitment should be a smooth and efficient process that should not be measured by the number of candidates interviewed. If you have briefed your recruitment partner correctly, there is a reasonable chance that the first candidate you see is the best person for the job. PLAN AN INDUCTION AND PROBATIONARY PERIOD Before you start the interview process, you need to develop a clear plan to introduce the successful candidate into the business. Job seekers want to know that the business has a “plan” for them in the early days of their career and their appointment is not simply a knee jerk reaction to a situation. Although sales professionals are resourceful and self sufficient, they also appreciate guidance and support. When you first recruit them, look to timetable sessions with key stakeholders and senior management. It can also help to implement softer targets (i.e. key performance indicators or management by objectives) that demonstrate you are thinking long-term. WORK CLOSELY WITH YOUR RECRUITMENT PARTNER When working with a recruitment consultancy, following specific key action points makes the relationship as productive as possible and ultimately enables you to secure the best possible candidate. As an employer you should focus on: • Providing the recruitment consultant with a clear and detailed job specification so that they can give an accurate representation of the role and company to candidates. • Securing the full commitment of hiring managers to the recruitment process, including provision of information regarding the job, dates for interviews and swift feedback and flexibility. • Managing regular debriefing meetings between the recruitment consultancy and hiring managers and/or HR. These enable all parties to raise any issues or highlight any key learning points for improvement going forward. The Robert Walters whitepaper found that job seekers value the contribution of recruitment consultancies when searching for and applying for roles. In total, 49% of job seekers say they regard recruitment consultancies as the most useful source of vacancies, making them the most important tool for job seeking. Similarly, 65% of job seekers prefer to apply for roles through a recruitment consultancy than an employer directly. With only 11% of organisations surveyed rating their hiring process as ‘excellent’, many also seemingly require guidance in managing their recruitment strategy. 8 CONTACT US To discuss how Robert Walters can help you recruit sales professionals please get in touch with one of our offices below. Manchester Alex Belford T: +44 (0)161 214 7400 E: [email protected] London Stuart MacSween T: +44 (0)20 7379 3333 E: [email protected] Guildford Tom Warren T: +44 (0)1483 510 400 E: [email protected] AUSTRALIA BELGIUM BRAZIL CHINA FRANCE GERMANY HONG KONG INDONESIA IRELAND JAPAN LUXEMBOURG MALAYSIA NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND SINGAPORE SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH KOREA SPAIN SWITZERLAND TAIWAN THAILAND UAE UK USA VIETNAM www.robertwalters.co.uk