Let me end the suspense for you right away. It’s both. The best sales managers I have known over the years are equally adept at recruitment and selection.
Recruitment and Selection are Different
Be clear on the difference between the two. Recruitment is the 52 week a year process of sourcing and screening applicants—and placing the best applicants in your Talent Bank. Selection is what happens when there is an opening. You spec out the job and then withdraw from your Talent Bank.
The Quilt
Think of recruitment like you are sewing a quilt. In quilt making and recruitment, the first step is to gather all the pieces. You aren’t concerned with where the pieces will fit, you are more focused on gathering a lot of great pieces.
The Puzzle
Selection is like working a puzzle. You spec out the specific job available and then look at all the pieces you have assembled in your Talent Bank and choose the most ideal talent for the job you have open. If you love to work puzzles, nothing is more satisfying than placing the last piece—completing the picture.
If you handle recruitment and selection well, you will reduce turnover and improve overall performance. Both of these are important, but perhaps the less obvious is the turnover piece.
For more information on how destructive and expensive turnover can be, click here to download our white paper.
