53 ing to hire someone immediately – espe- cially if you haven’t developed your talent bank – but the long-term results are going to be worth the wait. "NEVER settle for a good candidate when you can wait and get a great candidate." Having a scientific way to assess candidates is important, and not just because it helps diminish the possibility of bias. Without a reliable, validated talent assessment like the OSTI, hiring companies get it right only about 50% of the time. The odds of a candidate becoming a top performer in their position jumps to over 80% when hiring managers hold out for a “recommended” candidate on the talent assessment. Those who are “not recommended” won’t necessarily fail in the job. Our assessments predict success – not failure. But chances are significantly higher that the recommended candidate will be- come a sales superstar if given the proper training and coaching. Remember, top talent takes the initiative to understand your company and the role they can play, and they prove themselves during and after interviews. Don’t hire someone be- cause it’s the fastest way to fill a seat. Make the best selection you can with long term sales and business goals in mind. "Look for someone who creates their own opportunities. Look for someone who is open to coaching. Look for someone who has strengths that you believe would bring value to your team." What They Really Want The selection process isn’t just about who you pick. It’s also about finding the best can- didate who will also pick you and accept the job you offer. In our recruitment piece, we mentioned the importance of inclusion. It’s not enough for a candidate simply to be cho- sen; they have to feel like they’re going to belong, and that the company can contrib- ute to them in equal measure to what they invest into their job. Most of the top performers we heard from also placed great importance on the product they would have the opportunity to sell. It needed to be something they believed in and could be passionate about. They represent themselves during a sales call in addition to representing their employer, and not caring about (or worse, not liking) the product was a non-starter. "Originally my sales manager wanted me to work for another station in our cluster. Although I “could” sell it, I am not as passionate about rock as I am country. It is ALW AYS easier to sell something you are passionate about." Remember, while most candidates want a challenge, that doesn’t mean you should toss them in the deep end without help or guid- ance . Recruits also want to know that they’ll be supported in their role. Several of our re- spondents spoke about the importance of understanding the expectations they would need to meet, the training they would have,