Category: Sales Recruiting

Developing a Sales Candidate Communication Plan: A Step-by-step Blueprint

Posted on by hiredna

Just as it’s important to keep customers in the loop, sales candidate communication is also integral to recruiting. But here’s the thing. 63% of sales candidates say recruiters don’t communicate adequately, and 53% report not receiving a response until three months after applying. 

That’s a huge problem because a negative candidate experience can quickly sour what could be a valuable relationship and potentially hurt your brand reputation. Creating a positive experience through proper communication, on the other hand, makes candidates 38% more likely to accept an offer. 

In this post, I’ll explain how to develop a winning sales candidate communication plan step-by-step so you can prevent elite salespeople from slipping through your fingers and strengthen your overall brand. 

Step 1: Respond to Each Application

There’s a lot that can go awry in the application process, so sending each candidate a quick response confirming you’ve received their application is a critical first step. This doesn’t have to be anything over the top, just a brief, friendly message through email, text, or social media letting them know they’re officially part of the candidate pool. 

That way they know for sure their application successfully went through, and they can instantly tell you’re a professional that values communication. If you’re wondering how to go about this, you can use candidate engagement software like Yello to automate application confirmations and send them out in large volumes. 

This brings me to the next step.  

Step 2: Explain How Your Hiring Process Works

Another reason for responding to each application is that it gives you the chance to get candidates up-to-speed with your hiring process and what to expect. This is an effective way to get candidates acclimated and should eliminate a lot of confusion. Here’s an example. 

Here the recruiter lets the candidate know they’re reviewing their application and will contact them about the next steps if they’re deemed a good fit for the sales position. The recruiter also lets them know they may consider their application for other positions and that it could happen a few times in the recruitment process. 

On top of that, they share helpful links, allowing the candidate to assess their profile, view application updates, and visit the company’s career center where they can find additional job opportunities. 

Step 3: Communicate at Key Stages

Besides the initial response, there will be other specific intervals where you’ll want to communicate with candidates. These will vary from company to company, but here are some common stages:

  • A week or two after receiving an application reassuring a candidate it’s being looked at
  • Whenever the status of their application changes (For example, when a candidate passes the pre-screening process or is short-listed to move onto the next round of hiring)
  • When they’ve been selected to be interviewed
  • When they’ve officially received a job offer
  • When you’ve decided they’re not the right fit and have chosen to move on without them

Regardless of what happens, this will ensure there’s an open line of communication and candidates aren’t left guessing what’s happened. 

Step 4: Offer Convenient Outreach

Even when following the steps I’ve outlined so far, a portion of candidates will still have questions or concerns. When this happens, they should have a straightforward, convenient way to get in touch with your company. That’s why you should provide a point of contact in a few key locations throughout the recruiting process, such as:

  • The job ad
  • The initial response email
  • Follow up emails
  • Social media profiles
  • Your website

Note that it’s also important to respond quickly, and there are two main strategies to ensure a fast response time. One is to assign dedicated team members to handle inquiries throughout the recruiting process. Ideally, they’ll have enough bandwidth to respond within a few hours so no one’s left hanging for an extended period.

Also, I suggest using a chatbot to answer basic FAQs and point candidates to helpful resources. This is nice because it provides an instant response 24/7 while also freeing up internal manpower. One particular platform I suggest checking out is Mya which features innovative conversational AI. You can learn all about it here. 

Step 5: Seek Feedback

I’m a huge believer in incremental progress. Just like in any other area of business, a big part of improving is gathering data and using it to get better and better. So the last step in developing a sales candidate communication plan is getting feedback. This is a win-win because 1) it provides candidates with a channel for voicing their opinion which improves the candidate experience and 2) it lets you identify your strengths and weaknesses so you’ll know where adjustments should be made. 

And at the moment, this is a drastically underutilized strategy given that 75% of recruiters never or rarely ask for feedback. But considering that 68% of candidates would offer feedback if asked, this is something I highly recommend putting to use. 

The easiest way to go about it is to simply send out an email after you’ve wrapped up your recruiting, asking what candidates liked about it and where you could improve. You may also want to ask them to rate their overall experience so you have a quantifiable number to draw from. As you accumulate more data, trends will begin to emerge which can be a huge asset in the long run. 

Acing Candidate Communication 

Candidate communication is an incredibly important yet surprisingly ignored aspect of recruiting. Being a leader in this department can give you a huge competitive edge and seal the deal with more talented candidates. It’s just a matter of developing a fully fleshed-out sales candidate communication plan by following the five steps outlined above.

Looking to hire SaaS sales talent? Learn how HireDNA can help generate pre-screened interview-ready sales candidates to fill your talent pipeline.

Sales Candidates Read 6 Reviews on a Prospective Company: Using Reviews to Win the Talent War

Posted on by hiredna

Reviews are nothing new in the consumer world. 93% of people say they look at online reviews to inform their purchasing decision, and 91% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. But in recent years, there’s been a trend where a growing number of sales candidates are now consulting reviews when evaluating prospective employers.

Recognizing this phenomenon and properly leveraging it can give you a huge competitive advantage and help win the talent war. Here’s how. 

At Least Half of Sales Candidates Now Read Company Reviews

Data from a 2018 study found that roughly 50% of sales candidates read online reviews about companies to learn about the working conditions, culture, and overall environment before applying for a job. While this data is fairly new, I would suspect that the number has increased even more over the last four years and is likely even higher in 2022.  

The bottom line is that a significant percentage of sales candidates turn to company reviews before applying. And it makes sense. With reviews so plentiful, candidates can quickly perform research to get a baseline reading of what it would be like to work as a salesperson with a potential employer. With a little investigating, they can determine whether the company is a good fit and if it’s a position they’d like to pursue. 

Sales Candidates Read an Average of 6 Reviews

In terms of the number of reviews candidates check out on average, it’s six. While most prospects won’t comb through pages and pages of reviews to get a feel for an employer, they’ll look at a handful to see what current employees, former employees, and job seekers have to say. So for reviews to be effective, you’ll need to have at least six (something we’ll discuss in more detail later). 

Most Sales Candidates Trust Employer Reviews 

As I mentioned earlier, 91% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and the same sentiment is shared with most sales candidates looking at employer reviews. While there’s some debate among recruiters as to how big the exact impact is, there’s no denying that reviews play an integral role in shaping the perspective of today’s sales candidates. Some would even go so far as to say that reviews are as important as the actual job postings themselves. 

This graphic below sheds light on how employer brand affects recruitment.

The main stats that stand out to me are:

  • 90% of candidates will apply for a position when the employer actively maintains their brand
  • 50% of candidates won’t work for a company with a poor reputation, even it means better pay
  • 62% of candidates say their first impression improves if an employer responds to a negative review

This brings me to my next point. 

How to Use Employer Reviews to Your Advantage

Let’s recap. We’ve established that company reviews are critical for recruiting in 2022 and beyond, at least half of sales candidates read them, and each candidate reads an average of six reviews. So how can you capitalize on this trend?

Here are my three main suggestions.

First, you should get serious about obtaining reviews from current employees, former employees, and job seekers. You don’t necessarily need a huge volume of reviews. So you don’t have to worry about getting hundreds or even dozens. But having at least six can go a long way for improving your recruiting and should supply sales candidates with the information they need to make an informed decision. 

I recommend starting with your current employees and asking them to leave a review on your website, Glassdoor profile, Indeed profile, or whatever platform you’re using. From there, you can reach out to former employees — ideally, those who went out on good terms. And when you follow up with candidates after an interview, this is a good opportunity to get feedback from job seekers. 

HubSpot is a great example of a company that knocks it out of the park with its reviews. They have a dedicated careers page on their site where they offer brief clips of actual employees talking about what it’s like working for them. For instance, they discuss what it’s like to work remotely at HubSpot and what makes a career in sales at the company unique. 

Next, make a concerted effort to maintain your brand by following best practices, including:

  • Establishing a presence on review sites like Glassdoor and Indeed
  • Keeping company information up-to-date
  • Updating salary and benefits information 

Third, be sure to promptly respond to negative reviews. With nearly two-thirds of candidates saying they have a better first impression if a company responds to a negative review, this shows you’re concerned with the candidate experience and it can minimize any harm to your reputation. Do that and you should be in pretty good shape. 

Using Reviews to Win Over Top Talent

Technology is deeply infused into the modern recruiting process, with online reviews being a prime example. While having reviews was more of a “nice addition” in previous years, we’re at a turning point where it has basically become essential. By properly leveraging reviews and getting sales candidates up to speed on what your company is like and what’s good about it, you can persuade more top talent to apply. This, in turn, should increase the quality of your talent pool and help you ultimately win over elite prospects to improve your bottom line. 

To further enhance your recruiting and find top talent using science-based assessments and intelligent matching, check out HireDNA. 92% of candidates recommended by it reach the top of their sales force within their first year, and it eliminates 96% of hiring mistakes. 

How to Calculate Cost Per Hire to Keep SaaS Sales Recruiting Costs Down

Posted on by hiredna

Hiring top-tier talent is one of the most essential parts of running a successful SaaS company. But of course, that takes money, and often a lot of it.

To keep SaaS sales recruiting costs down, one of the first things you need to do is figure out what your average cost per hire is and where your money is going. From there, you can determine how effective your efforts are, your recruiting strengths and weaknesses, and what adjustments need to be made. 

In this post, I’ll explain exactly what cost per hire is, offer a simple formula for calculating it, and provide actionable advice for reducing SaaS sales recruiting costs. 

What is Cost Per Hire?

“Cost per hire,” simply put, “is a recruiting metric that measures the costs associated with the process of hiring new employees,” writes AIHR. There are two main types of costs involved here — internal and external. 

Internal costs can include:

  • In-house recruiter salaries, benefits, and performance bonuses
  • Referral bonuses for employees who recommend candidates
  • Interviewing expenses
  • Money spent on onboarding, training, and development
  • Administrative costs, including office equipment and software 
  • Compliance costs for ensuring laws and regulations are met

External costs can include:

  • Recruiting agency fees
  • Job advertisements (posting ads on job boards or social media)
  • Marketing expenses (SEO, social media marketing, and company branding)
  • Candidate screening costs (time spent contacting references and performing background checks)
  • Technology expenses such as an applicant tracking system
  • Job fair expenses

How Do You Calculate Cost Per Hire?

The formula is quite simple. Add up your internal recruiting costs and your external recruiting costs within a particular period (e.g. a year). Then divide it by your total number of hires during that same time period. 

Here’s what the formula looks like. 

Say, for example, you spent a total of $40,000 on recruiting, including internal and external costs, during the course of a year. If you hired 10 salespeople during that time, your cost per hire would be $4,000.

And while making calculations is pretty straightforward, gathering information on all the costs isn’t always so easy. In fact, it can be quite time-consuming, especially if there are a lot of moving parts involved with your recruiting. To streamline the process, I suggest first identifying all of your internal and external costs during a specific period of time and writing them out in two separate columns. Then, go through it one by one working with your finance and accounting team to pinpoint each cost as accurately as possible. 

From there, it’s just a matter of figuring out how many new salespeople you’ve brought on board during the same time period.

What’s the Average Cost Per Hire?

Now that you know how to calculate cost per hire, you may be asking, “How does it compare with other brands?” While there’s a lot of data out there from countless studies, the average cost per hire for SaaS companies across the board is $4,425. 

Keep in mind that it costs significantly more to hire someone in a higher-ranking position like a sales account manager as opposed to an entry-level salesperson. But when you crunch the numbers, it comes out to just north of $4,000. So that’s a good benchmark to shoot for. 

If your cost per hire is significantly less than that, you’re doing great and probably don’t need to make any major changes. On the other hand, if it’s significantly more than that, changes are likely in order, and you’ll want to analyze your SaaS sales recruiting process to identify inefficiencies. This brings me to my final point. 

How to Lower Your Cost Per Hire with a Sales Recruiting Platform

Let’s say your cost per hire is more than it should be. How can you lower it?

While there are numerous strategies that can help, pound for pound one of the best is using a sales recruiting platform like HireDNA. This utilizes cutting-edge technology and a proven methodology to connect with leading SaaS sales candidates and successfully hire them while dramatically streamlining the process.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Create an account and work with a talent advisor to develop an ideal candidate profile based on specific hiring criteria.
  2. HireDNA then uses intelligent matching and science-based assessments to find a pool of active and passive SaaS salespeople that possess critical core selling competencies and that match your unique hiring criteria. 
  3. Candidates are screened to narrow it down to the best of the best and ensure they’re the right fit for your company. 
  4. Qualified candidates are sent to you for approval and feedback.
  5. You then interview and hire the candidates you like best. (HireDNA even offers onboarding and training).

This provides a straightforward framework that allows you to save money by shaving off many expenses like recruiting agency fees, job advertisements, marketing costs, and candidate screening costs. And because this platform looks so closely at key data points and core selling competencies, you know for certain all candidates match your role and hiring criteria. In fact, 92% of SaaS salespeople recommended by HireDNA reach the top of their sales team within a year. 

Final Thoughts

Cost per hire is one of the most fundamental yet important metrics in SaaS sales recruiting. It tells you how much you’re spending on average to hire a salesperson and provides key insights into your strengths and weaknesses. If your cost per hire is on par with the industry benchmark of $4,425, you should be in fairly good shape. If, however, it’s considerably more than that, you’ll want to look for ways to lower it, and using a sales recruiting platform is one of the most effective ways to go about that. 

Learn more about HireDNA and book a live demo here. 

SaaS Sales Recruiting Stats in 2022: A Complete Bird’s-Eye View

Posted on by hiredna

The New Year is upon us! It’s always an exciting time for SaaS sales recruiting because there are new patterns, new trends, and new opportunities. 

In this post, I’ll share with you the latest SaaS sales recruiting stats in 2022 to guide your strategy and give you a competitive edge. Let’s jump right in. 

98% of Today’s Top Companies Use Recruiting Software

While you may not surprised that a lot of companies use recruiting software to streamline the process and find quality candidates, you probably didn’t expect it was this many. But according to recent data, nearly all of today’s Fortune 500 companies now use this technology — a stat that shows how ubiquitous and effective it is. 

Platforms like HireDNA take the guesswork out of SaaS sales recruiting, helping you attract elite candidates based on a wide range of core competencies, fill open positions faster, and reduce hiring mistakes. The key is using cutting-edge technology like intelligent matching that analyzes 20 key data points and science-based assessments to predict success. 

And with 33% less turnover, you can build a stronger, more loyal team of salespeople that are in it for the long haul.

88% of Companies Now Use AI for Recruiting

Another form of technology that’s rapidly expanding in SaaS sales recruiting is AI. Studies have found that, globally, 88% of companies are currently using it, with a staggering 100% of Chinese companies doing so. 

In terms of specific applications, some of the most common include “using chatbots to engage with candidates during recruitment (41%)” and “screening and assessing candidates during recruitment (40%).” For an in-depth list of other ways to leverage AI for recruiting, check out this resource. 

86% of HR Experts Say Recruitment Has Become More Like Marketing

SaaS industry growth is a bit of a double-edged sword. While it means increased opportunities and a larger customer base, it also means more competition. And with widespread talent shortages, the competition will be even more fierce in 2022. 

To keep up, 86% of HR experts say you need to approach recruitment like a marketing campaign. In other words, it’s no longer sufficient to haphazardly put out job ads and expect an overflowing pool of qualified candidates. Rather, you need to strengthen your brand and work on growing your presence across multiple mediums. 

This brings me to my next point. 

68% of Millennials, 54% of Gen-Xers, and 48% of Boomers Say They Evaluate a Prospective Employers’ Brand on Social Media

One of the main mediums in which candidates evaluate SaaS brands is social media. Over two-thirds of millennials do so, as well as many Gen-Xers and Boomers. And while this particular study doesn’t include Gen Z (candidates 24 and under), it’s safe to assume they use social media to check out prospective employers as well. 

The takeaway here is that SaaS companies need to have a strong social media presence, and it’s key for winning the competitive battle. As for the most popular social networks, here’s how that breaks down.

The main networks to focus on in 2022 are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

Having a Strong Brand Image Can Reduce Your Cost-Per-Hire By as Much as 50%

Piggybacking off that, research has found having a strong brand image can dramatically lower your cost-per-hire, with some estimates being as much as 50% lower. Why?

This naturally helps you acquire higher-quality candidates and spares you a lot of recruiting expenses that SaaS brands with a poorer brand image have to deal with. If, for example, you’re an industry stand out like HubSpot, many top-tier candidates will come to you organically rather than constantly having to funnel money into recruiting. 

That’s why it pays to always look for ways to strengthen your brand image and provide a great employee and candidate experience.

Including a Video in a Job Posting Increases the Application Rate By 34%

I’m always a fan of simple recruiting techniques (hacks, if you will) that have a huge impact. If you’re looking for a straightforward way to significantly increase your application rate that doesn’t require an exorbitant amount of effort, including a video in your job posting is it. In fact, studies have found this results in a whopping 34% more applications on average. 

And that’s not surprising given the massive success of video platforms like YouTube. As of 2021, it had 1.86 billion users, and that number should only continue to increase into 2022 and beyond. 

52% of Applicants Say a Lack of Response From Employers is Their Number One Frustration 

Finally, it’s important to know the biggest sources of friction in the SaaS sales recruitment process. According to recent data, the main issue candidates have is not receiving a sufficient response from employers, with over half citing this as their main frustration. 

This shows the importance of being as communicative as possible throughout recruiting and not leaving candidates hanging. While you don’t necessarily need to fill them in on every last detail, it’s nice to let candidates you’re passing on know when you’ve decided to move on and keep those who’ve been shortlisted in the loop. Doing so sets the tone for a positive candidate experience and should help improve your brand equity as we discussed earlier. 

Starting 2022 Out on the Right Foot

From leveraging technology like recruiting software and AI to approaching SaaS sales recruiting like marketing to building a strong brand image to lower cost-per-hire, these stats paint a clear picture of what to expect in 2022. By making the right adjustments and focusing on core objectives, your SaaS company can start out on the right foot in the New Year. 

Want to learn more about how HireDNA can optimize your sales recruiting? Get the full details and see how 92% of recommended candidates reach the top of their sales force after working with HireDNA. 

How Pre-Screening SaaS Sales Candidates Can Cut Your Hiring Time in Half

Posted on by hiredna

SaaS sales has one of the slowest times to hire, according to recent data from LinkedIn. Their study found this industry has a median time to hire of 38 days, which means it takes well over a month for most SaaS companies to fill vacant positions. 

But what do you do when you’re in a rush and need to find qualified SaaS sales candidates in a hurry?

Here’s a proven strategy that can slash your hiring time in half.

Pre-Screen SaaS Sales Candidates

There’s a lot that goes into making the right hire. For example, you need to look at hard and soft skills, previous experience, education, core competencies, and so on. This, however, presents a problem because it can quickly become overwhelming to sort through all of this information manually. And many SaaS companies simply don’t have the bandwidth to devote to intensive recruiting. 

One of the best ways to filter through a high volume of applicants and narrow it down to the top contenders is through pre-screening. This is where you gather critical qualification information about candidates so you know who meets the necessary criteria and who doesn’t. That way you can quickly determine who to move to the next round of hiring and who to pass on.

When done correctly, this can expedite the hiring process dramatically.  

But There’s a Caveat

There’s just one issue. The pre-screening systems that many SaaS companies currently use often fall short.  

“The problem with most pre-screening processes is they are misaligned with your company’s needs related to missing skill sets, knowledge, or experience,” writes Murray Newlands in Forbes. Also, “antiquated pre-screening techniques could be prone to human errors and those involved in this part of the process may not be trained to make the right decisions.”

In other words, failing to have the right pre-screening system in place can actually do more harm than good. And if it’s not having any tangible results, what’s the point?

Use a SaaS Sales Recruiting Platform

That’s where a SaaS sales recruiting platform comes in. This software uses a proven, repeatable process that enables you to quickly find top talent that’s interview-ready without having to manually sift through dozens or even hundreds of candidates yourself. More importantly, it takes into account all of the essential qualification information necessary to ensure you make the right hires. 

Here’s how it works. 

First, you define the skills, competencies, and characteristics you need in a sales candidate —  their “DNA.” Next, the software uses powerful technology to pinpoint a list of active and passive candidates that perfectly match your criteria. HireDNA, for instance, taps into a verified national network sales talent to generate a pool of top-tier candidates. 

From there, candidates are screened and assessed using the OMG Sales Candidate Assessment which uses quantifiable data to predict success before being hired. HireDNA uses intelligent matching that analyzes 21 key data points to determine role, culture, and experience fit. This ensures every single person who makes it to the interviewing round fits your ideal candidate profile and has the core competencies needed to thrive in your SaaS selling environment. 

Here’s an example. 

At that point, the best of the best candidates are delivered to your inbox where you can conveniently manage them and decide who you want to interview. It’s then just a matter of going through the interview process and selecting new SaaS salespeople for your team. Platforms like HireDNA even include onboarding and training programs to get new hires up-to-speed quickly and have them hit their quotas in a shorter period of time.  

Additional Benefits

While results will vary, many SaaS companies are able to slash their hiring time in half with this pre-screening process. So, if you’re frustrated with your current time to hire, a SaaS sales recruiting platform is definitely something to consider. Besides the impact it can have on hiring duration, it offers some other key benefits as well. 

Perhaps the biggest is that it allows you to attract higher-quality candidates. Research has found, for example, that utilizing the OMG Sales Candidate Assessment can reduce hiring mistakes by 96%, and 92% of recommended candidates reach the top half of the sales force within their first year. Enabling SaaS companies to swiftly navigate through the process without running into any major glitches. 

Finally, there’s a correlation between using a SaaS sales recruiting platform and higher retention. In fact, turnover decreases by more than 33% with HireDNA — a trend that’s largely due to the industry-leading assessment science. By building a stronger team of sales reps that are naturally a great fit for your company, you can keep more of them around for the long haul and often set the stage for internal promotions. That way you’re not stuck in the endless cycle of finding and onboarding SaaS salespeople, only to wind up needing to replace them.

Drastically Reducing Your Time to Hire Without Sacrificing Quality

With 38 days being the median time to hire for SaaS companies, it’s definitely an area that needs some improvement. After all, if a key position is sitting vacant for over a month, this can take a chunk out of your productivity and profitability. Developing an efficient, pre-screening process, however, ideally with a technology sales recruiting platform, can dramatically reduce your time to hire by as much as 50%. 

Want to learn more about how this technology can accelerate your SaaS sales hiring?. Reach out to HireDNA today!

How Fleshing Out Your Company Culture Can Make You More Appealing to 73% More Job Seekers

Posted on by hiredna

Company culture is a term you constantly hear thrown around these days. So much so, that it can feel a little diluted at times. But the fact of the matter is that company culture is incredibly important and impacts a multitude of different aspects of your business. 

Some are more obvious like philosophy, mission, and overall management style. But some areas are more subtle, with recruiting being a prime example. In this post, I’ll explain why having a fully developed company culture is vital in our current recruiting landscape and offer strategies on how to go about doing so. 

A Fascinating Data Point

In G2’s list of 62 recruitment statistics, they provided some interesting data regarding company culture and recruiting that caught my eye. The main stat I want to point out was that “73% of job seekers won’t apply to a company unless that company’s values align with their own.”

In other words, nearly three out of four prospective salespeople will pass on your company if you’re not on the same page in terms of company culture. And it’s understandable. Given the high level of competition there is and the current talent shortages, it’s a candidate’s market — not a recruiter’s. 

With so many options available for elite candidates, most don’t want to work for a company that’s not a cultural fit. And I can’t say I blame them. It’s like trying to force a square peg in a round hole, and savvy candidates know that friction will likely arise if they work for the wrong company. That’s why they’re so selective about who they apply with.  

Further Compelling Data

But there’s more. G2 also notes that “93% of employees mention company culture in reviews on Glassdoor, indicating just how important it is to them.” This illustrates even further how big of a deal company culture is, as it’s one of the most commonly discussed areas when employees leave reviews. 

Beyond that, data suggests that company culture is especially big with younger candidates. In fact, “65% of millennials value company culture compared to 52% of people 45 and older.” So, if you’re specifically targeting the younger demographic with your sales recruiting, this will especially be of interest to you. As more baby boomers and Gen Xers phase out of the workplace, having a fully developed company culture will become even more important for winning over top young talent.  

Now What?

At this point, we’ve established just how important company culture is from a recruiting standpoint. But what exactly does this mean you should do about it?

It’s simple. Take the time to completely develop your culture if you haven’t done so already. While there is a myriad of factors that contribute to culture, this graph highlights the core hard and soft elements. 

Hard elements include:

  • Strategy where you determine your game plan for addressing current and future challenges
  • Structure where you decide how work is divided, which teams handle which tasks, and how different teams communicate and collaborate with one another
  • Systems that make up both formal and informal processes

Soft elements include:

  • Values and philosophy which include norms and overall management style 
  • Staff which includes employee development, how you go about giving feedback and accepting input, and how you evaluate employee performance
  • Skills which are the core competencies that make your company strong and stand out from the competition
  • Shared values which are the set of beliefs your business prescribes to 

Like most companies, these are all things you’ve likely given some thought to. However, you may not have given each element the level of attention it truly deserves. Following this template is a good starting point and should ensure you cover all the bases. 

Beyond that, I suggest looking at a couple of guides that really go into great detail on creating a company culture and optimizing it. The Company Culture Code Template from HubSpot is one I highly recommend. It walks you through the process step-by-step and offers an actionable game plan for getting the absolute most from your company culture. Note that you have to sign up to HubSpot’s email list to access it, but it’s completely free. 

The other resource is A Guide to Organizational Culture by Gallup. Here’s what it covers. 

This guide has an easy-to-follow format that helps you better understand company culture, fix minor issues before they become major problems, and ultimately build your ideal culture. 

Attracting More High Caliber Job Seekers

Most businesses know that company culture is important from a general operations standpoint. But I don’t think everyone fully understands the connection between culture and recruiting. 

With nearly three-quarters of job seekers saying they won’t apply with a company if it’s not a good cultural fit, this shows firsthand how essential it is to 1) properly develop your culture and 2) refine it so you’re a top contender in your industry. Doing so should give your company a significant recruiting edge and help you stand out in today’s saturated market. 

Looking to hire ultra-qualified salespeople faster? See how HireDNA can help by sourcing top talent, using intelligent matching, and implementing science-based assessments. 92% of candidates suggested reach the top of their sales force within the first year!

Use This Hiring Strategy to Increase Salesperson Retention By 41%

Posted on by hiredna

Salesperson retention has historically been a pain point for many companies. But the issue has been exacerbated recently due to the impact of COVID and widespread talent shortages. 

With retention rates hitting a record low in 2020 and 87% of HR experts considering retention to be one of today’s top priorities, it’s definitely an area most companies will want to address head on. The question is, exactly how should you go about it?

While there are a wide array of tactics that can be used, here’s one particular strategy that can increase salesperson retention by a staggering 41%. 

Drumroll…Hire Internally 

According to research, pound for pound the number one thing you can do is take strong initiatives to hire internally. A study from LinkedIn found that creating a culture of internal mobility is often the best way to keep your top talent around for the long haul. 

“Our data shows that employees stay 41% longer at companies that hire internally compared to those that don’t,” explains Mark Lobosco, vice president of talent solutions at LinkedIn. “As companies continue to experience the benefits of internal mobility, we’ll begin to see it shift from an ad hoc solution to an essential corporate strategy.” 

To add a bit of context, this quote was taken from an article about 2021 recruiting trends where experts gave predictions on the direction they believed businesses will take post-pandemic. And I think he really hit the nail on the head. The numbers speak for themselves, with salespeople staying, on average, 41% longer when given a chance to move up the company ladder. But what I found really interesting is that we’re seeing a new mindset where businesses no longer do this on an ad hoc basis out of necessity, but strategically make this part of their overall recruitment strategy. 

And it totally makes sense. Given the current recruiting landscape where high level reps are at a premium, we can see why a growing number of companies want to recruit from within and build a framework that positions salespeople to grow. “This will lead to HR and L&D partnering closer than ever before to better understand existing skill sets, address skill gaps in their organization and build more robust internal mobility programs,” Lobosco adds. 

Unpacking This Trend Further

Generally speaking, there’s a correlation between length of time at a job and lower retention. This graph shows that one year after being hired, a salesperson has a 76% chance of still working for the company. But that likelihood steadily drops, until after three years, they have just under a 50% chance of remaining, and after five years, it’s only 38%. 

That’s bad news if you’re trying to build a tight, cohesive team of sales rock stars because, based on these figures, barely over a third will still be with you after five years. If, however, you focus on internal mobility, your chance of having a solid team increases considerably. For example, LinkedIn states that “employees who were promoted within three years of being hired have a 70% chance of staying on board,” while “those who were not promoted and who did not change jobs internally only have a 45% chance of remaining.” 

By examining this data, there’s no denying that internal promotion boosts retention — and it does so by a significant margin. So if your company has been plagued by chronic turnover or has suffered from the backlash of talent shortages, I suggest making this a key strategy moving forward. While it’s not always realistic to promote every single rep — especially the mediocre performers — it’s certainly worth the effort to give top talent advancement opportunities. 

One Last Important Point

You probably have a general idea of why internal promotion increases salesperson retention. Reps are naturally more likely to stick around for longer when they know there’s the opportunity for career advancement. That’s pretty obvious. 

But is there anything else to it? It turns out there is. 

Roy Mauer, online manager/editor of SHRM mentions that employee empowerment also factors into the equation. “Employees also stay longer at organizations perceived to be places where workers have influence,” he writes. “After three years at one of those employers, there’s a 47% chance of retention, while employees at companies viewed as less empowering only have a 35% chance of still being there after three years.”

The takeaway here is that salespeople like to feel they genuinely have a level of control over their own destiny. Otherwise, it’s easy for them to become disengaged, where they, in turn, are more likely to explore other career opportunities. 

In terms of specific ways to empower employees, here are a few ideas:

  • Create a continual communication loop where you provide them with feedback and encourage them to share their feedback with you
  • Keep them in the know on future plans
  • Always be willing to listen their ideas
  • Double down on employee recognition

Here’s a helpful diagram for more guidance. 

Thriving in a Turbulent Recruiting Climate

Sales recruiters have their work cut for them. The combination of COVID, talent shortages, and record low retention have created some real difficulties. But it’s by no means an issue that can’t be overcome with the right strategy. 

Establishing a culture of internal mobility where you hire from within whenever possible can have a dramatic impact on salesperson retention and increase it by as much as 41%. This along with empowering reps should ensure you maintain a strong, highly skilled team that’s poised to thrive no matter what happens. 

Looking to fill your talent pipeline with A+ salespeople right away? See how HireDNA can help by using intelligent matching and science-based assessments to slash your hire time in half. 

How Employee Stories Can Ignite Your Sales Recruitment Marketing

Posted on by hiredna

I probably don’t need to tell you how competitive modern sales recruiting is. Companies are constantly jockeying for position to find top industry talent and maintain an edge over other brands. A big part of doing that successfully is staying creative with sales recruitment marketing, continually looking for new ways to appeal to high-level salespeople and motivate them to apply. 

One trend that’s emerged as of late is employee stories, which is a simple yet potent strategy when executed correctly. In this post, I’ll explain what employee stories are and why they work. I’ll also include real-life examples to see what employee stories look like in action so you’ll know how to inject them into your sales recruitment marketing to win over top candidates. 

Let’s jump right in. 

What Exactly Are Employee Stories?

Simply put, they’re “digital stories narrated through videos and blogs about existing workers to instill an emotional connection with an organization.” In the context of sales recruiting, employee stories involve a current rep explaining what it’s like working for a company, what they enjoy about it, what the culture is like, and so on. The purpose is to give job seekers a quick overview of what a salesperson’s experience has been like and validate your company as being one they want to work for.  

There are several directions you can take in terms of employee story types, but some common formats include:

  • What attracted an employee to your company and why they’ve chosen to stick with you
  • An overview of their role and responsibilities
  • A day in the life video
  • Career development that’s taken place with your company

For an in-depth overview of the different types of employee stories, I suggest checking out this guide. 

Why Are Employee Stories Helpful?

There are two main reasons. First, they help give job seekers a clear idea of what it’s truly like to work for you. Research from LinkedIn found the biggest issue candidates have when searching for a job is “not knowing what it’s like to work at an organization.”

Sure they can get a basic idea from the job description, your website, social media, etc. But that doesn’t always paint the whole picture. Employee stories instantly connect the dots and give candidates an overarching perspective of what it would really be like to work for you because they’re hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth. 

Second, employee stories are perfect for building trust. Brands obviously want to portray themselves in the best light, so of course they’re going to say their company is a great place to work and their culture is amazing. Not every candidate, however, is going to take it at face value. But using this type of medium can quickly bridge the trust gap. In fact, the same LinkedIn study found that candidates are 3x more likely to trust a company’s employees to provide accurate information than the company itself. 

I like how Todd Kunsman, director of marketing at EveryoneSocial, frames it with this quote. 

“Think of this way: the less conflict of interest there is (or the more personal risk there is), the more credible and authentic the story — hence the value of employee stories. Employees have their skin in the game, but a faceless brand name can promote itself devoid of risk.” 

So by correctly using employee stories, you can quickly convey what it’s really like to work for your company and leverage actual employee testimonies to establish instant trust. And that can go a long way in gaining the edge in recruiting.

Two Real-Life Examples

To better help you see how today’s top brands are using employee stories, I’d like to share two real-life examples. The first is from Brandwatch, a SaaS analytics platform that focuses on digital consumer intelligence. On their “Careers” page, the first thing candidates see is this section, featuring a captivating employee story in the form of a video. 

In it, one of their employees, Ben Ellis, talks about:

  • How long he’s been with Brandwatch
  • Why he loves working there, citing specific reasons
  • How the company has invested in his personal development
  • How he receives support from company leaders
  • How the company is very inclusive

It’s just under 2 ½ minutes long, but it includes everything candidates need to know to get a sense of what working for Brandwatch is like. You can see the entire video for yourself here. 

The second example comes from Salesforce where they’ve gone so far as to create a dedicated employee stories page on their website called “Get to Know Us.”

Here candidates can find a ton of great information featuring current staff, including this long time employee Alan Weibel. 

In it, Alan explains why he chose to join Salesforce, what his role is, his proudest moment at the company, and much more. 

The post is a fun, personal way to get candidates up-to-speed and really injects Alan’s personality into it. And after reading it, especially this part about the amazing culture, I can only imagine that someone’s interest in working for Salesforce would skyrocket. 

So looking at examples like these, it’s apparent how big of an impact employee stories can have. 

Humanizing Your Brand with Employee Stories

Standing out is vital with modern sales recruiting. And this is one of the newer techniques that I personally love. By featuring actual employees and getting their personal accounts, you can swiftly articulate what it’s like working for your company and build that all important sense of trust. 

Find out how HireDNA can help you find A+ salespeople by using cutting-edge technology like intelligent matching and science-based assessments. 92% of those recommended reach the top of the sales force within a year. 

How Continuous Recruitment Can Reduce Your Time-to-Hire and Cost-Per-Hire

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It takes, on average, 36 days to fill a position. So, if for whatever reason one of your salespeople quits, their position may easily sit vacant for over a month. All the while the collective performance of your sales team will likely suffer because you don’t have adequate manpower to cover the workload. 

This, in turn, can result in longer lead response times, lost sales opportunities, staff burnout, diminished profitability, and more. 

But what if there was a straightforward way to resolve this problem, while reducing both your time-to-hire as well as your cost-per-hire? Enter continuous recruitment. 

What is Continuous Recruitment?

Simply put, it’s making the process of searching for talented salespeople a part of everyday operations. Rather than only recruiting when a position is vacant and your staffing needs are high, you’re always on the lookout for quality candidates. It’s a proactive approach where you’re on the offense rather than the defense when hiring. 

Why is Continuous Recruitment Important?

As I just mentioned, it usually takes over a month to find a new salesperson. And that doesn’t include other steps like training and onboarding, which take even longer. Not to mention, studies have found it takes most salespeople around 9 months to become fully competent to perform and 15 months to be a top performer. 

When you put that all together, it can take an incredibly long time to truly get a new salesperson in “the groove.” But by taking a proactive stance with continuous recruitment, you can attract top candidates year-round so you’re not left scrambling at the last minute if a key sales rep parts ways with your company unexpectedly. 

Val Matta of The Huffington Post articulates it perfectly with this quote. “Having and leaving open vacancies can have a big impact on a company, costing time and money and impacting current employees in a negative way. Although it may seem like overkill, a company that continuously recruits builds what is called a ‘talent pipeline,’ or a community of qualified, interested candidates with the skills and experience to meet your organization’s unique needs.”

In turn, this can have a massively positive impact on your company, which brings me to my next point. 

How Effective is It?

Continuous recruitment offers several benefits. But there are two that stand out above all others — increased hiring efficiency and lower cost. According to research, “55% of those who continuously recruit throughout the year say this reduces their time-to-hire and 42% say it reduces their cost-per-hire.” 

Instead of having to wait over a month to find a new salesperson, you can seamlessly bring quality talent on board and avoid having any lengthy gaps. That way you don’t have to deal with the stress and headaches of having to find a replacement on short notice. 

And let’s be honest. You’re far more likely to make good hiring decisions when you’re not rushed. While “desperate situations yield the quickest results,” as Michael Scott of The Office would put it, it’s not a place you want to be at when trying to find great sales talent. In fact it can be quite detrimental. 

However, having a talent pipeline dramatically increases your chances of having an A+ sales team at all times, regardless of what curveballs come your way. “Instead of feeling rushed to find and hire someone, you can choose from a pool of applicants you already know are a strong fit,” Matta adds. 

And this has arguably never been more important than it is today with the widespread talent shortages that are happening in sales. With younger talent being more reluctant to get into sales, many companies are struggling to assemble qualified sales teams. While continuous recruitment can’t ensure you never have any issues, it can go a long way in preventing a talent shortage from affecting your business. 

In terms of reducing cost-per-hire, the fact that 42% of companies say continuous recruitment has a noticeable impact is highly encouraging. Given that hiring a salesperson typically costs around $15,000, plus an additional $20,000 training, being able to cut down on this can be a huge help for boosting your overall profitability. 

Getting the Competition Edge

Here’s what I found really interesting. Despite the immense benefits of continuous recruitment, not many companies currently use it — only 38%. It seems that many businesses still have the antiquated notion that you only need to recruit when there’s a vacant position. But as I mentioned before, in today’s ultra-competitive landscape, it pays to have a talent pool to tap into before you actually need it. 

By leveraging continuous recruitment, you’re basically putting yourself ahead of nearly two-thirds of the competition and ensuring you have a sustainable team of top sales professionals ready to roll. So if you’re looking for a proven way to win the talent war, this is an effective way to do it, and it can really strengthen your brand identity over time. 

Being Proactive With Your Recruiting

The traditional mindset for many sales recruiters has been to wait to hire until a position becomes vacant. But this isn’t usually the best way to go about it. In fact, it can be downright toxic to your sales team and hurt your bottom line because it increases both your time-to-hire and cost-per-hire — neither of which are ideal. 

As more and more companies are finding, continuous recruitment can be a true gamechanger, with 55% saying it reduces their time-to-hire and 42% saying it reduces their cost-per-hire. So this is definitely a strategy to consider and can be a valuable arrow in your quiver. 

Want to slash your hiring time in half and find pre-screened, high-octane salespeople who are interview-ready? See how HireDNA can help by sourcing top talent and using intelligent matching and science-based assessments. 

Surefire Sales Recruitment Strategies to Combat Talent Shortages

Posted on by hiredna

Google the phrase “talent shortage” and you get nearly 32 million results. It’s a serious problem that’s plaguing countless industries, with sales feeling the full impact. 

“Close to three-fourths (73.9%) of employers say there are, ‘too few qualified candidates,’” explains Michael Guta of Small Business Trends. Moreover, “77% expect a shortage of applicants in the coming year for qualified applicants.”

This is a topic I addressed in a recent post where I mentioned that sales jobs are in high demand, but talent is limited. I also briefly touched on how you can appeal to top talent in the current sales recruiting climate, but I’d like to elaborate on that more in this post. 

So on that note, here are some surefire sales recruitment strategies to help you overcome talent shortages and ensure you have a winning team of professionals. 

Start By Promoting In-House

While this won’t necessarily be viable for all companies, it’s definitely an option for some. If you’re looking to fill a high-level role such as an account manager, it may make sense to promote a salesperson from within who’s been with you for a while and who is vetted rather than looking externally. 

This kills two birds with one stone because it A) gives you instant access to talent where there’s built-in rapport and B) many salespeople will appreciate having the opportunity for career development. Promoting from within has proven to be an effective way to boost staff loyalty and increase retention. In fact, one study found employees who were promoted internally within three years of being hired had a 70% chance of remaining with their company, while those who were not only had a 45% chance of staying. 

So promoting in-house can be a good starting point for combatting talent shortages. 

Adjust Your Hiring Criteria

One trap I see many sales recruiters fall into is using the same narrow set criteria to find sales candidates that they always have. In my other post, for example, I mentioned how a lot of recruiters still focus solely on finding candidates with extensive industry/product experience. They’re reluctant, however, to give someone a chance who lacks this formal experience but shows signs of great promise.  

I’m personally a proponent of hiring salespeople that possess core selling comptentices, such as desire, motivation, and coachability, even if they don’t have a ton of direct industry/product experience. And I think taking this approach can pay dividends for many sales recruiters because it’s a great way to find some of the best and brightest sales reps — especially younger ones that are just coming out of college. 

While you don’t want to hire just anyone off the streets, now is the time to adjust your hiring criteria if it’s gotten too rigid and outdated. Keeping an open mind and being willing to give someone an opportunity can have a huge payoff.

Double Down on Remote Work

Having at least a partially remote salesforce is nothing new and something many companies have embraced in some capacity, especially in the SaaS industry. But if you’re continually struggling to find talent, remote work is something you’ll want to focus on more intently. There are three main reasons why. 

  1. A larger talent pool – If you’re only hiring salespeople to work in-house at a brick-and-mortar office, you have a small talent pool of individuals in your immediate area. But if you’re recruiting digitally for remote sales positions, you can hire reps from all over the world. 
  2. COVID-proof infrastructure – Although we’re a long way from the COVID trough and conditions have improved dramatically with vaccinations, it’s still a concern and will likely remain one for the foreseeable future. The bottom line is many people are uncomfortable working in a physical office because of the threat of COVID, but working remotely solves that, which should make your business more appealing. 
  3. Flexibility – Being able to work remotely is an enticing proposition for many salespeople because of the flexibility it offers. The chart below shows that an overwhelming 98% of people would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their career. So needless to say, this can be helpful from a recruiting standpoint. 

Offer Childcare Benefits

One area where COVID has been particularly disruptive is with childcare. Although most schools and daycares have reopened, many parents still struggle with childcare — especially when it comes to dropping their kids off and picking them up because of the nationwide bus driver shortage. So offering relevant benefits can be a great way to entice many salespeople.

Women, in particular, who often bear the brunt of childcare responsibilities are interested in employers that offer these benefits. The Harvard Business Review chimes in saying, “Employers could tap into this vast talent pool by partnering with providers of day care, after school, and drop-off/pickup services to help employees with children juggle their work and home schedules. Yes, it might also involve some out-of-pocket investments, but think about it this way: How much is the lost revenue or higher attrition rate among your workers costing you?”

If your business is the one among your competitors that offers amazing childcare benefits, this has the potential to give you a massive edge in the recruiting battle. 

Ensuring You Have the Talent You Need

The past couple years have been challenging to say the least. Today’s companies have had curve balls thrown at them that were impossible to anticipate, with COVID and talent shortages being two of the biggest. But like finding success in any other branch of business, staying ahead largely boils down to adaptation. 

By following the right sales recruitment strategies, you should be able to get your company back on track and ensure you’ve got A+ talent, regardless of market conditions. 

Looking to hire better sales talent, faster? See how HireDNA can help you build a stronger team and eliminate 96% of hiring mistakes.