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5 Myths About Hiring Sales Staff

Author: Sam McMaster
by Sam McMaster
Posted: Apr 15, 2020
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About 1 out of every 8 jobs in the US is currently a sales job. So, it should be pretty easy to find a good salesperson, right? Wrong.

We’re sure we don’t have to tell you that hiring is hard and time-consuming—particularly when looking to hire sales staff. Hiring mistakes are also very expensive!

To ensure that you find the best employees for your sales roles, make sure you don’t believe any of these common hiring myths.

1. You Need to Do This Yourself

Is this a task that you need to put on HR and your sales team leader? Absolutely not.

A lot of lean start-ups don’t even have an HR department. Your sales leader should have a say in the new hire. But their time is better-spent training staff and managing the pipeline, instead of thumbing through resumes. You’re likely better off leaving this process to the experts at Salesforcesearch.com to find you the best candidates.

2. You Need Industry Experience

If you’re selling a SaaS, you may think you need to poach a salesperson from another SaaS company. They could be a great fit, but that’s far from your only option.

Maybe you simply need a great salesperson. Some things are intangible. If you get a candidate with fantastic results selling in another industry, odds are very good that their skills and experience will translate to your company.

3. You Need to Rebrand to Attract Millennial-Aged Candidates

There is a very well-publicized problem for today’s companies recruiting Millennials for sales positions.

Part of the issue is a misconception that you need to re-invent your company to seem "cool" and attractive to young people. This can be a huge mistake that could cheapen and devalue your brand. This will, ironically, hurt your ability to attract Millennials or anyone else.

The younger generation doesn’t want anything new, or things that Gen X and Baby Boomers didn’t value. There is no need to go out and hire an in-house Yogi or put in a ping pong table, despite what you read.

Millennials simply want:

  • Flexibility: Work-from-home days are good
  • Room for advancement: Tell them you hire from within
  • Freedom: A decisive lack of micromanagement

You don’t need to reinvent your company. Make sure you’re able to offer those things and make sure you sell them to would-be applicants.

4. Nobody Calls References Anymore

If this is an expedited hire (i.e. you need someone yesterday), you might be tempted to give a seemingly perfect candidate the fast-tracked treatment without calling to check their references. This is a very dangerous game to play.

It’s never been easier to lie on a resume or a LinkedIn profile. Today, it’s essential you talk to a real person to make sure this candidate checks out as advertised.

Hiring is expensive, but re-hiring in a few weeks is even more expensive. Make sure you do everything in your power to ensure the right fit. Avoid falling into the typical traps, or believing any of the common myths about today’s hiring process.

Now that you know better, you can find the diamond-in-the-rough applicants that other companies can’t find.

About the Author

An observer of the human condition. Endlessly curious about how and why the world works.

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Author: Sam McMaster
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Sam McMaster

Member since: Sep 26, 2019
Published articles: 34

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