In spite of tests and background checks to the contrary, hiring the right people is always subject to the human factor.
Companies make fortunes trying to pre-test and pre-qualify applicants based on a subset of technical and emotional responses so managers can claim victory when they get the right person, and cover their butts when they make the wrong hire.
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But all the other success factors you seek — their strengths and quirks, their successes and failures — are found out by talking to them one-on-one.
That’s the only way to determine the human factors that go into the decision-making process. Is the person a self starter? Do they have the intelligence to do the job? Do you think they have the capabilities? What’s their past history of success? How about their demeanor, including their attitude? Are they willing to work hard to get the job done, no matter what? Finally, and perhaps most importantly, does the candidate fit into your existing team or family? These are all perceptions that must be obtained.
No test on the planet will give you this information with any certainty. The way to find the best employee is to make a decision based on your personal evaluation of their history, their potential, and your gut feeling.
Start with their recent past employment. If there’s a lot of grumbling about, “They didn’t understand me. I was underpaid. The boss was a jerk,” thank them and say goodbye. It’s likely they’ll feel the same and say the same about you.
Here’s what to ask and talk about:
• Talk to them about their growing up history, their likes and their dislikes. Get the candidate to relax. Talking about where they grew up will get to their emotions. Talking about likes and dislikes will get them to reveal their character and personality traits.
• Talk to them about their last job, and the one before that. Are there repeated patterns? What were the real reasons for leaving? What did they like about it? Were they able to exceed goals set for them?
• Discuss their past history of success. Get them to reveal their abilities to self-start. Get information about how they treated customers, and how they handle sales and service situations. Get them to tell you about a lost customer and a big sale.
• Ask them about the best, most memorable sale they ever made. Let them tell the story, the whole story and not just the sale. Look for enthusiasm and pride.
• Talk to their past customers. References are pretty much preset. I recommend you ask any potential candidate to get you the names of past customers. These are the true measure of a salesperson. Past customers can confirm the true capability of the critical elements of relationship building and service performance. They can also confirm ethics and the ability to deliver as promised.
Avoid Miss America questions like “Why sales?” and “Why our company?” You’re smarter than that.
The candidate you want is a smart and self-starting person with a great attitude and a past history of success.
You may whine, “But Jeffrey, this takes too much time.”
Really? If a great salesperson can add a million dollars in revenue to your company, what’s that worth? And if you’re in human resources and whining, how much revenue are you adding?
Contact Jeffrey Gitomer at salesman@gitomer.com or (704) 333-1112. Gitomer is president of Buy Gitomer in Charlotte, N.C., and the author of “The Sales Bible” and “The Little Red Book of Selling.” He gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts Internet training programs on selling and customer service at www.trainone.com. Sales Moves appears weekly.
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