Recruitment and selection of

the sales force

DETERMINING TYPE OF PEOPLE
NEEDED
• Job analysis
• Job description
• Job qualifications
JOB ANALYSIS
• …a systematic way to describe how a job is to be performed, as well
as the tasks that make up a job.
JOB DESCRIPTION
• …a written document that spells out the job relationships and
requirements that characterize each sales position.
COMPONENTS OF JOB
DESCRIPTIONS
• Job title
• Organizational relationship
• Duties and responsibilities
• Hiring specifications
• Summary: technical requirements and demands of the job
USES FOR THE JOB DESCRIPTION
• Selection and hiring
• Sales training
• Compensation plans
• Performance appraisal
JOB QUALIFICATIONS
• Aptitudes, skills, knowledge, and personality traits necessary to
perform a job successfully
TRAIT CATEGORIES
• Mental (intelligence, planning ability)
• Physical (appearance, health, speaking ability)
• Experience (education, sales, other)
• Personality (ambition, interest, tact)
• Environmental (membership)
RECRUITING CANDIDATES
• Recruit 20 people who are interested
• Review of applicants will eliminate 10
• The initial interview will eliminate 6 or 7
• The 3 or 4 finalists are screened by further interviews, tests, etc...
• One person is finally hired
SOURCES OF RECRUITS
• The present sales force
• Other company employees
• Other companies
• Competitors
• Customers
• Educational institutions
• Advertisements
• Voluntary applications
• Employment agencies
• Internet
THE PRESENT SALESFORCE
• Why should the salesforce be consulted?
• Use of incentives
OTHER COMPANY EMPLOYEES
• Why look elsewhere within the company?
COMPETITORS
• Should a firm hire salespeople from the competition?
• 68 percent of sales managers stated that the first place they look is
to the competitors’ sales force!
CUSTOMERS
• Can purchasing agents become sales people?
• What are the risks associated with hiring from your customer’s
company?
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
• Types of positions?
• Placement centers
• Relationships with professors
ADVERTISEMENTS
• Newspapers and trade journals are the most widely used media
• Use your ad as a screening device
• Ads must attract attention and have credibility
COMPONENTS OF A GOOD
RECRUITING AD
• Company name
• Product
• Territory
• Hiring Qualifications
• Compensation plan, benefits
• How to contact employer
VOLUNTARY APPLICANTS
• Record retention system
EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES
• “Recruit” the agency
• Agencies can perform initial screening
• Compensation
INTERNET
• Employers can post their jobs on-line or search one of the many
resume databases.
FACTORS INFLUENCING CHOICE OF
SOURCES
• Nature of Product
• Nature of Market
• Policy of Promoting from Within
• Availability
• Sales training provided
• Is your company hiring career salespeople
• Sources of past successful recruits
• Money available for recruiting
SELECTION TOOLS
• Graphology
• Application blanks
• Personal interviews
• Psychological tests
• References and credit reports
• Physical examinations
• Assessment centers
SELECTION PRINCIPLES
• Least costly tools first
• A series of tools should be used
• Tools aid managerial judgment; are not substitutes
GRAPHOLOGY
• Graphology (a.k.a. Handwriting Analysis) is the art of interpreting a
person's character from his/her personal handwriting.
APPLICATION BLANKS
• Serve as an initial screen
• Basis for probing in an interview
• Ask for information you intend to use
• Experience (education and work)
• Environmental qualifications
RESUME ANALYSIS
• Account for all dates
• Examine number of jobs and length of time spent on jobs
• Reasons for leaving
• Is there a pattern of growth?
PERSONAL INTERVIEWS
• Get to know the candidate
• Determine fitness for job
• verify facts on application
• two way communication device
• Validity
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Controversial
• Types
• Intelligence
• Aptitude
• Interest
• Personality
REFERENCES
• Employment
• Personal
• Credit
PREVIOUS EMPLOYER REFERENCE
CHECK
• Dates of employment?
• What was the job?
• Type of selling involved?
• Get along with mangers/clients/coworkers?
• Applicants strongest points/weaknesses?
• Why did she/he leave company?
• Would you rehire? Why?
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
• Sales jobs are physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding
• Medical insurance coverage
ASSESSMENT CENTERS
• A centralized, comprehensive evaluation procedure involving
• tests
• interviews
• simulation exercises (business games, discussions groups, presentations)
EXTENDING THE JOB OFFER
• Timing
• Who makes the job offer?
• When extending the offer
• review specifics
• let the recruit talk
• Accept rejection with grace