When it comes to recruiting top sales talent, the competition is fierce. Sales is rapidly becoming one of the most competitive professions to hire for today. But for successful sales organizations, recruiting top sales talent is an ongoing demand.
What can you do to stay ahead of the competition in your recruitment process?
Build a Compelling Employer Brand
In today’s market, candidates can afford to be choosy. The more experience and talent they possess, the more likely it is that other prospective employers are wooing them, too. A few things you can do to distinguish yourself from other companies in your industry:
- Gain a better understanding of what talent in your industry values in an organization. Is it work culture? Benefits? Unique work schedules? Employee wellness programs? Do your research and talk to your top performers.
- Clearly define your message. You know better than anyone what your company stands for and what its greatest strengths are. Work to communicate that to your candidates.
- Learn from failure. If you’re seeing turnover in your company, take the time to engage with employees on what prevented them from succeeding in your company. Don’t attempt to challenge constructive criticism. It can be very effective at pointing out your organization’s blind spots. Knowing how to facilitate this conversation is not always easy, but it is one of the best opportunities for improving your value as an employer.
Work with a Recruiter
Most successful sales organizations are short on proactive time, and most new company leaders do not have enough hiring experience. Effective sales leaders know when to delegate. The services of an effective sales recruitment agency can be an invaluable asset to a sales company. However, it is important to do your research, and ensure that a sales recruiter meets the following criteria:
- They are able to present clients with candidates in days, not weeks.
- They are well-networked and have access to a large professional database of experienced candidates.
- They are transparent about their fees and offerings.
- They have recruited for companies in a variety of sales industries and will be able to understand the unique challenges of each one.
- They should be able to provide a list of references.
Seeking the services of seasoned recruiters — such as Sales Talent Agency — can give your company an invaluable advantage in talent management. They’ve seen talent gaps in hundreds of companies and have established effective methods for addressing the problem. Trusting a quality recruitment agency to do what they do best can allow your sales company to do the same.
Make Onboarding and Coaching a Priority
Effective talent management should be an on-going process. Securing top sales talent doesn’t just mean effective hiring but doing the most you can do to retain that talent. Prioritize building an effective onboarding system in your organization to onboard new hires and continue by effectively engaging and coaching members of your sales team. Facilitate an atmosphere where your employees feel empowered to ask questions. Maintain consistent and open communication and provide your salespeople with clear expectations and parameters.
Conduct on-going performance assessments of your team to address issues as they arise, rather than allowing them to fester. An effective assessment process takes into consideration not only the level of progress of your salespeople but your management’s ability to facilitate their success.
In today’s job market, sales organizations must put effort into revamping their approach to recruitment and talent management. Your organization can only be as successful as your sales force. Improving your employer brand, working with a talent recruiter and prioritizing management engagement are becoming a necessity to stay ahead of the game in hiring top salespeople.
