The importance of recruitment and selection of sales people and the possible problems that you may encounter in selecting the wrong person for the job.

Employing the right person has the potential to, in the long run, save you thousands of dollars. Clearly the right initial choice will save money by reducing turnover but there are many other costs involved, some less quantifiable than others. Most sales managers agree that they cannot afford even one non-productive team member, yet most managers have their own 'horror' stories regarding troublesome or struggling employees. This highlights the importance of recruitment and selection of sales people. Various practices can and should be employed to best avoid the unenviable situation of having hired the wrong person for the job. Effective recruitment processes are imperative in attracting and retaining high quality staff.

As shown in the diagram in the extract in Appendix A, the Talent Selection Processes are an integral part of sales management. Marterella (2005, p. 2) describes how validated recruitment techniques and processes based on critical sales skills will considerably enhance the chances of initial success in hiring the right person for the job.

English: Uncle Sam recruiting poster.

A British armed forces recruitment centre in Oxfor...

English: Recruitment Process Map

In brief, an effective recruitment process is generally recognised as a three step process. Johnston and Marshall (2005, p. 316) summarise the three steps as "(1) job analysis and description, (2) recruitment of a pool of applicants, and (3) selection of the best applicants from the available pool." See Appendix B for a graphical depiction of the three steps.

The hiring process should commence with a list of what the job entails. This analysis of job requirements accommodates the next step of finding applicants. If no one internal is appropriate for the opening, referrals by employees might be helpful. Referrals can save administrative costs, but failing this advertisements or recruiting agencies are generally used. This stage of the recruitment process is much more critical to effective employee selection than some may think "The most thorough...