What Is Your Biggest Sales Hiring Challenge?
Use the 1-6 scale to indicate your level of consistency and discipline:
- 1 = Not true at all
- 2 = Rarely true
- 3 = Sometimes true
- 4 = Mostly true
- 5 = Consistently true
- 6 = Always true
Our hiring problems usually start before interviews begin.
We have a clearly documented sales role scorecard that defines success in terms of outcomes, competencies, and behaviors.
We intentionally define “adjacent market experience” (what does and does not translate well into this role) instead of defaulting to “industry experience.”
Everyone involved in hiring agrees on what “good” looks like for this role before resumes are reviewed.
Our job posting reflects the current realities of the role, not a recycled version from a previous hire or a generic HR template.
If this person is successful 12 months from now, we can clearly describe why— what they’re doing differently, better, or more consistently than average performers.
We struggle to consistently evaluate sales candidates.
We use a consistent screening and interview process so candidates are evaluated against the same criteria every time.
Interview questions are designed to uncover past behaviors and decision-making, not just personality, confidence, or likability.
We actively train interviewers to recognize and manage bias (halo effect, “gut feel,” similarity bias).
We include a “challenge” or pressure-based interview component (role-play, scenario, or problem-solving exercise) that mirrors real sales situations.
Hiring decisions are made using structured feedback and evidence, not who made the best impression in the room.
Good sales hires struggle once they start.
New sales hires follow a structured 30-60-90 day onboarding plan with clear milestones and expectations.
We define what success looks like in the first 30, 60, and 90 days beyond just “activity” or “effort.”
Sales managers are actively involved in onboarding, not just HR or training resources.
We track time-to-first deal and time-to-full productivity and use that data to improve onboarding.
New hires know exactly how they will be coached, measured, and supported during their first six months.
Result
High Performer
This score suggests key parts of your hiring process are informal or inconsistent, creating unnecessary risk before, during, or after hiring.