6 – Recruitment of Sales Personnel

Introduction

“Recruitment is a process to discover the source of manpower to meet the requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective measures for attracting that manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection of an efficient working force.” -Yoder.

“Recruitment involves seeking and attracting a pool of people from which qualified candidates for job vacancies can be chosen.” – Byars and Rue.

“All the activities involved in securing the applications for the sales positions are referred to as recruitment. Recruitment sets out the necessary stages to clarify what kind of person is required, where he/she might be found and how to make the right choice. The choice of he/she is very significant.”

“It is a process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating and encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organisation.” – Flippo.

Preparation is the key to excellent choices. Many people are proud of their ability to select a good salesperson, yet so often, that individual is good but not at the specific work that has to be done. It is critical to understand what job needs to be done and what type of individual would be most suited to execute it and then identify that person (or people). Once the plan has been decided, the candidate should be cautiously chosen.

The effectiveness of the sales manager is heavily dependent on the effectiveness of the team that supports him. Proper staffing is critical to the success of a sales organisation and sales force.

Retirement plans and transfer procedures must be taken into account when recruiting for company promotion programmes. Recruitment of salespeople may be hampered in difficult economic times. The overall level of economic activity, government economic policies, situations concerning competitors, labour relations, and so on must all be examined. Some companies also try to entice salespeople by offering higher pay.

6.1 Factors Influencing Sales Personnel Recruitment Policy

“The recruitment policy is concerned with the quality and qualifications of
manpower”.Yoder says. It lays out general rules for the hiring procedure. In general, the following considerations are incorporated into the recruitment policy:

1. The number of recruits desired
2. Recruitment sources
3. Recruitment needs
4. Recruitment cost
5. Size of sales organisation
6. Rate of turnover
7. Forecasted sales volume
8. Government policies
9. Personnel policies of competing organizations
10. organizational personnel policies.

6.2 Sequence of Recruitment Process

Before an organisation begins recruiting candidates, it should create a checklist of questions that establish a chronological order for the recruitment and selection process, as shown below:

1. What type of position is being filled?

2. What kind of individual would be effective in this job?

3. Where will this guy be discovered?

4. What recruitment channels can be used to discover this person?

5. Who will be hired from the pool of qualified applicants?

What kind of job is needed?

There are numerous possible answers to this question. Therefore, to fully answer this issue, the following sub-questions must be addressed.

1. What is the primary function of this position?

What is included in the job description? Or

is the following included in the job description?

-The job title;

-Who is the boss;

-Why this position exists – its objectives;

-The extent to which the job holder is individually responsible for accomplishing results; and

-Control and usage of people, materials, and money.

2. Is this primarily a position dealing with purchasers in a commercial organisation, with retailers, or with end users?

3. Is the organisation searching for a future area or sales manager, or just someone to fill this specific post for a limited time?

4. What is the job’s remuneration package? What is the salary mix? What kind of commissions and other perks will be available?

Only after all of these questions have been answered can one consider the type of person required and the answers to the other questions in chronological order.

What kind of person would do the job well?

An “Individual Specification Form” should be created based on the job specifications and organisational needs to identify the right person for the correct job. The person specification form is a list of abilities that distinguishes between those required (the work cannot be done effectively without them) and those desirable (it would be nice to have them but could manage without them). A minimum candidate and an ideal applicant can be found utilising the essential and desired criteria.

The following main areas have been tried and tested in developing sales appointment standards:

Intellectual Abilities

It covers the job’s requirements for general intellect, judgement (common sense), and the creativity required to recognise, introduce, and adopt new ideas.

6.3 Motivation

Under this criterion, what items interest or encourage salespeople to work must be identified. Is money the most essential motivator, or is it advancement, recognition, and achievement?

Specific Attainments

Is it true that the work necessitates technical or professional expertise or qualifications? Is there a true need for some prior experience?

People Skills

Selling requires dealing with people. Will the salesperson to be hired be good at communication and leadership?

What kind of impression can he make on clients because of his communication skills?

6.4 Working Conditions

Finally, consider whether there are any unique conditions relating to mobility, working hours, and so on that could affect the recruitment or selection of a salesperson.

As a result, the person specification form serves as the foundation for the selection process. This illustration shows a person’s specification form. The first column is labelled ‘Characteristics to be assessed,’ while the second and third columns are labelled ‘Essential’ and ‘Desirable.’

Person Specification Form

Characteristics to be Assessed/Measured	Essential	Desirable
1. Intellectual Abilities
(a) Creativity
(b) Judgement
(c) General Intelligence
2. Motivation
(a) Interests
(b) Drive
3. Specific Attainments
(a) Technical/Professional Knowledge or Qualification
(b) Specific Experience
4. People Skills
(a) Impact
(b) Communication
(c) Leadership
5. Working Conditions
(a) Location
(b) Hours

6.5 Where will this person be found?

We now know what the job is and what kind of individual is needed; all that remains is finding this person.

The person specification can assist in looking at personnel in other areas who may not have prior sales experience but whose overall profile in terms of abilities, drive, and so on could make them exceptional salespeople. Advertisements, employment agencies, educational institutions, internal transfers, and other recruitment sources will also be helpful.

The nature of the position and the number of qualified candidates will impact the decision. If a highly specialised salesperson in a restricted market sector is required and there are just a few hundred potential candidates, the decision-maker must go spearfishing. The company or a reputable consultant conducts a ‘search’. The following resources will most likely support this personalised approach to discovering suitable applicants:

6.6 What Recruitment Sources Can Be Employed?

1. Employment Agencies:

Agencies frequently administer battery exams, check references, and carry out tasks that the employer would typically do. When using an agency, a clear definition of the task’s aim should be given and a thorough rundown of job specifications. Agencies require time to learn about an employing organisation and its particular requirements. The appeal to sales executives is the growing number of agencies that take the initiative in searching for promising job seekers, employed or not, rather than limiting themselves to “volunteer” applications.

2. Advertising:

Newspapers carry numerous advertisements publicising openings for sales personnel. These advertisements appear both in classified sections and as display advertising. Because a single ad can reach many prospective job candidates, companies frequently try to reduce the volume of applications. Few unqualified candidates will respond if the employer provides information about the company and the job. Specific job specifications vary depending on the organisation and its circumstances, and these should be included in the ad if it is to attract qualified applicants. Some advertisements list the salary ranges of successful firm salespeople. Others indicate that the chosen candidate will replace a regular salesperson in a well-established territory with active accounts. Others believe that only highly qualified professional salespeople should apply. This information helps persuade qualified applicants that the position is authentic.

3. Internal transfers:

Other divisions and the non-selling area of the sales department are two more internal sources. Employees who want to transfer are already familiar with corporate policies, and the personnel department has a wealth of information about them. While nothing is known about their sales ability, they frequently have exceptional product expertise. Of course, a formal test or a trial assignment in the field can determine a person’s aptitude for selling. Transfers are strong candidates for sales positions when product knowledge accounts for a significant percentage of sales training, as it may be able to speed field assignments.

4. Educational Institutions:

This category comprises colleges, universities, technical and vocational schools, and other educational institutions. They are expected to have honed their capacity to think, reason logically, and articulate well. They usually do a fantastic job of managing their everyday tasks and allocating their time. Their biggest drawback is a lack of selling experience, thus they must be trained.

5. Salesmen of other Companies:

These are people who are currently working as salespeople for different companies. They are an appealing recruiting source because they are familiar with the product, customers, and competition. They are also seasoned sellers, so there is no need to spend money on training them. Their drawbacks are that they are a pricey source because higher money must be paid to them, and they also lack the requisite level of loyalty.

6.7 Which Person is to be Recruited out of the Selected Applications?

The basic answer is that whoever best fits the standard and possesses the essential attributes as described should be hired.

This implies a three-step systematic strategy. They are as follows:

First, compare the application form or C.V. to the person’s specifications and eliminate anyone who does not fit the necessary criteria.

Second, go to the regions where the ‘Measuring Instruments’ and an interview evaluation are required. For example,

-Education

-Work Experience

-Family Background

-Domestic and societal circumstances

-The current financial condition

-Health

-Hobbies/interests

-Goals and plans

Third, it entails identifying the pattern of behaviour that will aid in forming judgments. The phrase’s patterns and consistency should be emphasised—the firm should search for a constant picture at school, work, and social life that demonstrates, for example, tenacity, perseverance, commitment, or a lack of these.

After all three procedures have been completed and care has been taken to ensure that the candidate meets the precise job requirements, one may be confident that they have chosen the appropriate individual for the right job.

“Picking winners is not easy – but a systematic approach using the assistance available and commitments can pay real dividends.”