Accurate assessment has always been central to a successful hiring process. The whole point of resumes, interviews, and aptitude tests is to give the hiring committee a chance to determine how well a person will be able to perform in the position they are being hired for, and when the process goes well, the candidate’s characteristics and experience are judged against the requirements of the role.
In the world of sales, however, accurate assessment of an individual’s qualifications is notoriously difficult, in part because the best salespeople have a constellation of qualities that allow them to reach potential customers, win their trust, and close the sale.
The ability to sell isn’t simply a matter of charisma — it comes from the careful cultivation of a range of soft skills, and personal qualities that can be hard to determine simply by talking to someone for a few minutes.
This is why many sales recruitment agencies have started developing specialized assessment tools that can help sales departments more accurately identify individuals with the skills, experience, and capabilities they are looking for.
If you need to expand a sales department or want to combat high turnover rates, here are three hiring advantages these assessment tools offer.
1. A Comprehensive Approach
The idea that potential employees should be assessed in some way is nothing new, and many industries have traditionally required job applicants to complete some form of test as part of the hiring process.
What makes modern assessment tools different is their comprehensive nature. Instead of simply testing applicants on their knowledge of the industry or asking them to correctly perform tasks, these assessment tools take a holistic approach that doesn’t just determine who can do the job, but also helps employers understand how this person will function as part of their team.
2. Analysis Across a Range of Competencies
The most sophisticated of these tools, like the DNA/PRO tool used by Sales Talent Agency to identify the competency of the sales professionals they work with, analyze a candidate’s competencies in several different areas, including:
- Drive
- Nature
- Acumen
- Performance
- Relevancy
- Opportunity Management
By looking not only at an individual’s track record with sales, but also at personal qualities like goal setting, emotional intelligence, and focused curiosity, this assessment tool gives you an insight into how a candidate approaches their work, and the soft skills that are essential for long-term sales success.
3. An Approach Tailored to Your Company’s Needs
Not every company is looking for the same qualities in salespeople, and one of the main benefits of working with a sales recruitment agency is that they don’t just connect you with good salespeople, but with the salespeople who are best suited to your particular department.
This in turn plays a major role in reducing turnover rates, as it helps filter out candidates who, though they have a great track record and extensive experience in sales, will not necessarily be a great fit for your company.
Finding competent, enthusiastic sales people who are in it for the long haul has always been a major challenge for sales departments. If you’re looking to expand your team, take the guesswork out of the process, and use sales recruiters to identify and hire the very best candidates.