Salesforce

Recruitment and
Selection

Who is Responsible for

Recruiting?
Depends on size of sales force and kind of selling
involved
First-level sales managers often handle recruiting
for:
Straightforward sales jobs
Jobs where new recruits need no special qualifications
Jobs where turnover rates are high

When a firm must be selective a recruiting

specialist may assist in the recruitment process
If the sales force prepares individuals to be sales
or marketing managers, personnel executives or
top-level managers often assist with recruitment

Job Analysis and Selection

Criteria
Conduct a job analysis to determine
what activities, tasks, responsibilities
and environmental influences are
involved
Write a job description that details the
findings of the job analysis
Develop a statement of job qualifications
describing the personal traits and
abilities needed to perform in the job

Who Conducts the Analysis and

Prepares the Description?
Current occupants of the job
Sales managers who supervise people
in the job
Current staff should be observed and
interviewed to determine what they
actually do
Use the job description creation process
as a means of reaching consensus on
job content, activities and training
needs.

Content of the Job

Description
Nature of the product(s) or service(s)
being sold
Types of customers
Specific tasks and responsibilities
Relationship between the sales position
and other positions within the
organization
Mental and physical demands of the job
Environmental pressures and constraints

Determining Job Qualifications and

Selection Criteria
This is the most difficult part of the
recruitment and selection process
Need specific criteria to guide the
selection
Methods deciding on criteria include:
Examining the job description
Evaluating personal histories of the
current sales force to identify
differentiating characteristics among high
performers

Characteristics of Salespeople who

Fail
Instability of residence
Failure in business within the past two
years
Unexplained gaps in the persons
employment record
Recent divorce or marital problems
Excessive personal indebtedness; for
example, bills could not be paid within
two years from earnings on the job

Recruiting Applicants
Successful firms depend upon a well-planned and
effectively implemented recruiting effort.
Recruiting should be step one in the selection process.
Internal sources of candidates consist of employees in
other departments within the firm.
External sources of candidates include:
people in other firms
educational institutions
others attracted through advertising or employment agencies.

Recruiting issues facing sales managers grow

exponentially as companies expand globally and seek
salespeople in new international markets.

Inside Recruiting
Advantages:
Company employees have established performance
records and present themselves as a known entity
Recruits from inside require less orientation and
training due to familiarity with current products,
policies and operations
Recruiting within bolsters company morale because
employees see opportunities for advancement

Facilitating internal recruiting starts with fully

informing human resources of sales staff needs

Selection Tools and

Procedures

Application blanks
Personal interviews
Reference checks
Physical examinations
Psychological tests
intelligence
personality
aptitude/skills

Selection Tools and

Procedures
Composites of psychological test
scores offer the greatest assessment
validity and predictive value for
evaluating a candidates potential
and possible future job performance.
Personal interviews offer the lowest
predictive potential but often carry
the greatest weight.

Personal Interviews
Structured interview
applicants are asked the same predetermined
questions
potential weakness is that interviewer may fail
to identify or probe a candidates unique
qualities or limitations

Unstructured interview
induces free discussion on wide ranging topics
afford the applicant opportunity to talk freely
with minimal direction and may yield
unexpected insight
requires experienced interviewers with
interpretative skills

Physical Examinations
Sales jobs require sound basic health,
stamina and the physical ability to withstand
stress
Caution should be exercised in requiring
medical examinations and other specific tests
for such things as drug use or the HIV virus
A physical exam can be performed only after
extending a job offer
Managers deem using a standard physical
examination for all positions ill-advised

Tests
Well designed, validated and administered tests
provide a valid selection tool
Intelligence
Aptitude
Personality

Possible reasons to use test cautiously

Tests may no validly predict future success in a specific
firm
Some creative and talented people may deviation from
expected norms
Intelligent and test-wise individuals may be able to
manipulate results
Some tests may discriminate against people of different
races, genders, et al thus becoming illegal

Guidelines for the Appropriate Use

of Tests
Test scores should be considered only a single
input of several in the selection process
Applicants should be tested only when
abilities and traits tested hold relevance to
the job
When possible, tests with internal checks for
validity should be used
The firm should conduct comparative,
longitudinal studies to validate the predictive
value in their setting

Illegal/Sensitive Questions

Nationality or race
Religion
Sex and marital status
Age
Physical characteristics
Height and weight
Financial situation
Arrests and convictions