The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Have you ever felt like being a manager is a lot like juggling? And right when you think you’ve got all the balls in the air… whoops!

When it’s the sudden departure of a top performer, it can make you literally drop everything!  

So, what can you do?

In today’s competitive job market, organizations are constantly looking for ways to find and secure top talent. Building a strong talent pool is the foundation of any successful company, and doubling that pool can be a game-changer for your organization.

With employers finding it difficult to fill positions, it’s even more important to have a talent bench to turn to when you have an open position. According to a Monster global report, 9 out of 10 employers are struggling to fill jobs.

When you adapt and expand your recruitment efforts, you will be ready for future openings and make smarter selection decisions.

The economic downturn we are experiencing has led to increased competition and a greater need for effective recruitment. As a result, finding and hiring the best talent has become a top priority for many organizations, and it is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

Even companies that have traditionally received a steady flow of job applications may struggle to attract top talent in the current climate. To ensure success in your recruitment efforts, it is essential to master the basics. Here are five strategies you can use to improve your chances of attracting top talent.

During a recession, businesses must strategize their talent management to weather the economic downturn. 

Here are some of the best recession-ready recruitment tactics as it becomes harder to find talented people.

In the past year, recruitment has been an issue that has been part of every client call I have. It seems the biggest challenge is where to find the best people and how to attract them to leave their current position and join your team.

Here are some recruiting challenges I consistently face and some tips to overcome them.

Would you manage your people differently if you had your next Sales Superstar sitting on the bench, ready to jump in?

What if you had a Talent Bank full of these talented people?

If you are like most leaders, you would probably hold your people more accountable for meeting expectations, and you would refuse to tolerate poor performance.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

You’ve probably heard that wise Chinese proverb before. In the business world, the best time to start recruiting was before you had a job opening, but the second-best time is now.   

If you're a hiring manager, recruiter, or HR professional tasked with recruitment and selection for a sales team, your number one priority involves making sure you have the most talented people in the right places on your team. There is no doubt that matching talent to a task in this way will determine the success, or failure, of your sales organization.

How many open positions are on your team?  Open positions are an opportunity to improve the talent level. You want to make your goals more attainable and hiring top-shelf people is the best way to do that. 

However, building a high-quality sales team isn’t easy. It typically requires a lot of time and money to assemble a team of top performers. What if we told you that there’s a proven system that would help you get a list of great people to interview? Would you be interested?

About half of all sales reps don’t achieve their yearly quotas.

Reasons for not hitting quota vary from not having enough opportunities in the sales pipeline to not following a sales process. Additionally, sales quotas have risen, yet the percentage of reps making their quota has fallen.

If your salespeople aren't hitting quota, here are a few questions to ask yourself. Remember, a quota is only valid if it's aligned to your organization and employee success.

Can you say yes to each of these statements?

• We hire much better salespeople than our competitors.
• Our sales management team is a clear strength of our organization.
• Every member of our team is a solid performer…a keeper.
• We have a clear succession plan for every person for whom it is appropriate.
• Currently, all of our salespeople are performing at or above expectations.

If you answered no to any of these, it’s possible you have some talent issues to address.