I met with a potential client last week who is searching for a new Director of Sales. He reports making several “mis-hires” of this particularly key position in his company. He reached out to me to develop a better recruiting and hiring program as his current method did not appear to be working.
He said to me during our discussion, “I just don’t know what I am doing wrong, Beth.”
I said to him, “How much time do you take to prepare before you interview someone?”
He looked at me blankly and then replied, “Prepare? What do you mean?”
“Let me re-phrase the question,” I said. “When you are about to interview a sales person, what preparation do you do before you interview them?”
He said, “Well, I review their resume. Then I interview them.”
“How much time does that typically take you?” I asked.
“A few minutes to review the resume, then the actual interview,” he asserted.
“How much money does a good salesperson make for you in a year?” I asked.
He responded with, “A good salesperson will generate 3-4 million in revenue.”
“So, you spend a few minutes preparing for a multi-million dollar investment?” I observed.
I was met with silence after this last statement, followed by a deep sigh of revelation from this employer.
The lesson in this story? If you want your new employee to be successful in their new position, you must prepare BEFORE you hire them to set them up with great training, realistic expectations and a definition of desired job performance. To prepare, remember to create an ideal candidate list, a solid job description, and an established, consistent interview process before you talk to anyone!
Remember these 5 P’s of business: Prior preparation prevents poor performance. You want the best employee that money can buy. Prepare for them!