Balancing salary and experience when hiring
This morning I had to let a client go. I gave it my all, but I couldn’t get them to think deeply about how to solve their hiring problem. It’s not an ideal situation, but as a recruiter, we get paid for outcomes. I’ve had to learn to take it on the chin.
When an organisation is having significant challenges filling their business development roles, we typically need to address budget and experience misalignment. That’s right, in recent months I’m seeing a lot of amazing companies going back to market and not recognising that they can’t afford their ideal candidate. I know you’re great, but the candidate doesn’t yet!
“This is a critical role for our business so we must have _”. Good salespeople are rock stars. Without the revenue they bring in, you don’t have a business. I understand your challenge, however, there must be compromise if you want to continue growing your revenue and smashing goals.
The candidate’s needs
While it’s easy to say “just increase the budget”, it’s only part of the problem. In reality, the ideal candidate might take some convincing. Wouldn’t we all love to get the best sales performer from our competitor!
Why would they leave a strong commission pipeline, a manager and team they love working for, for the same type of role elsewhere? If they want to move, they’re likely looking for growth. It could be moving from mid-tier to enterprise, wanting to sell the latest leading-edge tech, or a leadership opportunity. Their personal goals are valid.
I spend a lot of time with my candidates understanding where they see their future. I need to make sure they align with you for the long term. Otherwise, I’ve got a recruitment guarantee issue – that’s not how I roll.
Address the easy part first – budget
What can you realistically afford? Think about how long it takes to build your pipeline. You need to factor in the amount of time that they’ll be a cost to your business. Additionally – what about the rest of the team? Will salary parity affect retention? If you have significant disparity in your sales team and you’re not in line with market expectations, you are a ticking time bomb of staff turnover.
Once we have the best possible budget, we need to assess what level of candidate you can hire. Can this person sell your solution? What level of training are they likely to need? Which other businesses, solutions or industries have a similar sale cycle? We’re looking to identify someone with easily transferable skills who can adapt with the right guidance and training. If your budget is well out of alignment, you need to think outside of the box and chat to someone like me who can guide you. It’s also worth having a read of Andrew Phillips’ CEO-LED Sales book. He provides some awesome ways to turn your sales recruitment expectations on their head!
A common challenge
The most challenging problem to solve is “who wants me?”. Which candidate profile is hungry to join your organisation? Consider whether your offer is appropriate. If you can focus on candidates who have transferable experience, and who see you as their best career move, you have a far greater chance of achieving retention and revenue-based success.
Recruiting your sales team is a collaborative process. If you’re unable to successfully engage your team, you need to broaden your thinking. A specialised recruitment consultant can help you, if you choose to listen to their guidance and advice. Trust me, I’ve had my boots on the ground for a long time!
My parting note – have a think about your own unconscious bias. We all experience it, but I see this more in sales recruitment than anywhere else! More on that later…