The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

A spot opens up on the sales team and the hiring manager needs to fill it. Fast. They look over their talent bank, find a few candidates, look over their Sales Talent Assessments, and decide who has the sales talents they need.

One is available.

Hired.

That’s it but for the onboarding, right? Unfortunately, no. Finding new talent for a sales team involves more than just finding a talented person who wants the job. It’s also critically important to find talent that will fit on the team.

Interviewing potential employees allows you to assess someone’s fit with your company while also allowing the candidate to evaluate your company as a potential employer. Hiring the right person is critical to your time and success.

There are a few do's and don’ts to keep in mind to ensure that both sides walk away feeling good about the decisions made in the hiring process.

Picture your sales team working together like a well-oiled machine. They collaborate effectively, support each other without question, celebrate every success with enthusiasm, and, of course, they close a lot of deals.

Now, imagine adding a new member to this tight-knit group who has top talent, skills, and experience on paper but clashes with the team. He doesn’t collaborate well, wants all of the recognition for himself, and blames mistakes on others. Suddenly, the harmony is disrupted, and chaos threatens to unravel the team you’ve worked hard to build. But he looked like a great fit on paper, right?

Finding the right fit goes beyond skills and experience —it's about cultural alignment. In today's fiercely competitive business landscape, cultural alignment in recruitment has become more than just a buzzword; it's a strategic necessity.

If you use a validated talent assessment as part of your hiring process, it’s tempting to move forward with a hire if they’re assessment quickly says “recommended.” But recommended doesn’t mean “recommended for hire.” Recommended means “recommended to move forward in the interview process.”

The Growth Formula specifies that (Talent + Fit) x Investment = Growth. Once you determine whether or not someone has the right talents for the role you’re filling, it’s equally as important to consider their fit.