When it comes to sales, success isn’t just about hitting targets; it’s about having the traits that drive results and foster growth. But what exactly distinguishes a successful salesperson from the rest?  I recently conducted a LinkedIn survey to find out, and the results are in.

Survey Results

Effective Communication (44%):

Undoubtedly, the crown jewel of successful salespeople is effective communication. The ability to articulate ideas, actively listen, and tailor messages to resonate with clients is a game-changer. In a profession where building relationships is paramount, my poll found that 44% of respondents believe that mastering the art of communication is the top trait for success.

In the territory of sales, communication is more than their ability to talk – it’s the art of persuasion, negotiation, and the ability to build genuine connections with their clients. Successful salespeople can convey their ideas with clarity, expression, and persuasiveness.

It is also important to remember that effective communication extends beyond verbal interactions; it includes active listening, empathy, and understanding. By truly tuning in to the needs and concerns of clients, sales professionals can tailor their approach, address objections, and ultimately, close deals more effectively. In essence, communication isn’t just a tool, it’s the cornerstone of building trust, growing new and existing relationships, and driving sustainable sales success.

Resilience (39%):

Sales is not for the faint-hearted, so it is no surprise that resilience emerged as the most crucial trait for39% of the participants. Resilient individuals have the fortitude to persevere in the face of adversity, bouncing back stronger from setbacks and maintaining a positive attitude amidst obstacles.

In sales, where rejection is commonplace, resilience is the bedrock upon which success is built. By building resilience, sales professionals can navigate challenges with confidence, resilience, and determination, ultimately propelling themselves towards greater heights of success.

Adaptability (11%):

While adaptability ranked third, it remains a significant factor in a salesperson’s success, as highlighted by 11% of respondents. In today’s landscape, everything evolves quickly, meaning that adaptability is no longer a luxury. Successful salespeople possess the agility to pivot strategies, embrace new technologies, and tailor their approach to meet the changing needs of clients and market dynamics.

Adaptability isn’t just about reacting to change; it’s about proactively anticipating shifts in the market, embracing innovation, and staying one step ahead of the competition.

So, what do these insights mean for sales professionals and organisations alike?

Firstly, investing in communication skills development should be a top priority. Whether through training programs, workshops, or mentorship initiatives, honing communication expertise can unlock untapped potential and drive bottom-line results.

Secondly, cultivating resilience should be ingrained in the sales culture. Encouraging a growth mindset, providing support systems, and celebrating resilience in action can empower sales teams to navigate challenges with confidence and determination.

Lastly, fostering adaptability is essential for staying ahead of the curve. Embracing innovation, encouraging experimentation, and promoting a culture of continuous learning can position sales teams for success in an ever-evolving marketplace.

The findings of this survey paint a compelling picture of the traits that define success in sales. While effective communication reigns supreme, resilience and adaptability play equally crucial roles in driving sales performance. By prioritising these key traits and investing in their development, sales professionals can unlock their full potential, drive sustainable success, and propel themselves towards unparalleled heights of achievement in the dynamic world of sales.

Written by Charlene Craig.

I often get asked how to promote Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in the workplace. When it comes to D&I, it starts with the hiring process. And one of the main blockers to fair and accessible processes is our unconscious bias.

Unconscious bias in hiring refers to the subtle, unintentional, and automatic prejudices or preferences that individuals may hold towards certain groups of people. Unconscious biases are often based on factors such as race, gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, or other characteristics that are not relevant to a person’s ability to perform a job. These biases can manifest in various ways, including:

1. Affinity Bias: Preferring candidates who share similar backgrounds, interests, or experiences with the decision-maker.
2. Halo & Horns Effect: Allowing one positive trait or characteristic to overshadow other relevant factors, or vice versa.
3. Confirmation Bias: Tending to favour information that confirms pre-existing beliefs or stereotypes about certain groups.
4. Stereotyping: Making assumptions about individuals based on generalisations and stereotypes associated with their demographic characteristics.

So, how can you fix this? How do you implement fair, unbiased processes that encourage diversity? The answer lies in employing assessment techniques, which removes the gut feeling and guesswork from recruitment.

Benefits of using Assessments

• Assessments in hiring ensure fair and legally sound practices, supporting diversity and inclusion goals.
• They offer flexibility for unbiased evaluations in recruitment, redundancy, promotion, and leadership development.
• Role-specific competencies identified through assessments align with company standards, ensuring precise and inclusive scoring.
• Evidence-based feedback from assessments provides valuable insights for a transparent and equitable hiring process.
• Scientifically backed assessment methods eliminates reliance on biased gut feelings, ensuring accurate candidate evaluations.
• Layering & integrating various assessments establishes a comprehensive approach to reduce bias.

Effective Evaluation Methods

Assessments can come in many different shapes and sizes, but the most effective are those tailored specifically to the requirements of the role. This will ensure you are measuring what matters most and helps you identify the best person for your role. Some example assessments are:

• Work Sample Tests: Replicate job tasks for a comprehensive evaluation.
• Integrity Tests: Assess honesty, trustworthiness, and dependability.
• Conscientiousness Tests: Evaluate responsibility, organisation, and hard work.
• Structured Employment Interviews: A reliable method for assessing candidates.
• Behavioural Consistency Method: Leverage past behaviour as a predictor of future success.

Eliminating bias from your hiring process is crucial for building a workplace that values diversity and inclusion. By recognising and tackling unconscious biases with practical assessment methods, you can escape the pitfalls of favouritism and stereotyping.

If you need support creating an assessment process that meets the needs of your organisation, while ensuring fairness, get in touch with us today.

Written by Michelle Kearns.

When it comes to hiring top talent for your early career programmes, a well-designed selection process is crucial for identifying candidates who align seamlessly with the competencies essential for an organisation’s success. This process goes beyond shortlisting, prioritising professionalism, fairness, friendliness, and informativeness to place the candidate experience at the forefront.

Online Assessments

Utilising online assessments, such as Emotional Intelligence, Numerical Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Inductive Reasoning, ensures a modern and efficient evaluation process. These assessments are thoughtfully designed to align with the brand, creating a seamless extension of the selection process. 

Acknowledging the diverse demographic of candidates, and incorporating an engaging and gamified approach to assessments enhances the overall experience. With a clear and straightforward marking system, these assessments rigorously evaluate a wide range of competencies, providing a robust understanding of candidates’ abilities.

Flexibility is key, especially for candidates managing academic commitments. Online assessments offer the freedom to complete evaluations at their own pace, accommodating various schedules and ensuring a user-friendly experience.

Personalised Insights into Motivations and Experiences

Interviews play a crucial role in gaining insights into candidates’ motivations and experiences. Whether conducted in person or online, these sessions involve a brief biographical interview and competency or experience-based questions, each accompanied by a scoring system.

Collaboration with stakeholders is integral to this process. Working closely to identify specific competencies and experiences ensures a targeted assessment aligned with organisational needs. Beyond the selection phase, interviews provide an opportunity to articulate the role and its intricacies to high-performing candidates.

A Holistic and Transparent Selection Journey

Early career selection goes beyond shortlisting; it’s about creating a framework that assures candidates they are making the right career move. The process is designed to yield the best shortlist, offering clarity and transparency through a distinct scoring mechanism. This ensures candidates leave with a positive experience, regardless of immediate fit, encouraging consideration for future opportunities. With a focus on clarity in feedback and a commitment to a comprehensive selection journey, organisations aim to make every candidate feel valued and informed, setting the stage for a positive employer-candidate relationship.

Written by Michelle Kearns.

When our marketing manager asked me to write a blog, I wracked my brain and thought about what people might want to hear about.

I settled on a blog on the biggest opportunities for talent attraction, assessment, and engagement in 2024. So, here goes.

Candidate Attraction

If I see another job advert talking about exciting opportunities, I might need to sit quietly in a dark corner for a few minutes.

It’s an area that needs a lot of improvement. The good news is that it’s easy to solve. Get your creative people (copywriters or marketers) involved in writing your job adverts.

Instead of telling people that it’s an exciting opportunity, tell them what makes it different. Tell them about your unique benefits or the cool projects that you work on. Talk about the positive impact that you have and the culture that you’ve built.

Ask your colleagues “Why did you accept the job offer with us?” or “What’s keeping you here?” and share the top snippets in your adverts.

Improving your job adverts is a quick win for 2024.

Candidate Assessment

Traditionally, most SMEs rely on unstructured/structured interviews to assess talent. Ambitious leaders of high-growth companies that want to start improving the accuracy of their hiring will see improving their recruitment process as a quick win – be that by improving interviewing techniques with training and the introduction of competency frameworks or by mirroring large corporates and introducing assessment centres.

As more businesses realise the benefits of becoming more selective and increasing employee engagement, they’ll see investment in the assessment of talent to be a “no brainer”.

Adding a more robust candidate assessment to your recruitment process could be a win for your talent strategy for 2024.

Employee Engagement

The UK has a problem when it comes to employee engagement. To put a figure on it, Gallup puts the UK rate at 10% vs a global average of 23%.

To put this into perspective further, the top companies globally have an average engagement rate of 72%. They also make a concerted effort to retain these highly engaged employees, allowing them to become more selective about who they bring in.

When comparing employee engagement levels, Gallup found that, versus the top quartile of business units and teams, the bottom quartile had the following differences in business outcomes:

• 81% increase in absenteeism
• 18% increase in turnover for high-turnover organisations
• 43% increase in turnover for low-turnover organisations
• 10% decrease in customer loyalty/engagement
• 18% decrease in productivity (sales)
• 23% decrease in profitability

There’s a huge opportunity for businesses to increase employee engagement in 2024 and in turn, increase their profitability.

One effective way to boost engagement is by promoting open communication channels and encouraging employees to express their ideas and concerns. Providing opportunities for professional development and growth can also enhance engagement, as employees are more likely to feel invested in their roles when they see a clear path for advancement. Recognising and rewarding employees for their hard work and achievements, whether through formal programs or simple expressions of appreciation, can significantly contribute to a positive workplace culture.

Conclusion

There are a lot of these types of blogs at this time of year making predictions on what the challenges will be.

I prefer to focus on the opportunities. If your business takes an interest in Attraction, Assessment and Engagement, they’ll all work hand-in-hand to set your business up for a stellar 2024 and beyond.

Build habits and processes that support your growth journey.

Corvus People is a consultancy that specialises in supporting businesses to Recruit, Develop & Retain high-performing talent. If you’d like help in any of the mentioned areas, we’d be happy to have a chat. Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Written by Michael Hewitt.

A company’s success often hinges on the effectiveness of its sales and business development (BD) teams. These teams are the driving force behind revenue generation, client acquisition, and overall business growth. Assembling a high-performing sales force requires careful consideration and strategic hiring.

Given the dynamic and client-facing nature of sales roles, the interview needs to assess not only their product knowledge and sales acumen, but also their interpersonal skills, resilience, and ability to navigate challenging situations.

Effective questioning allows you to delve into a candidate’s past successes, learning experiences, and strategies for overcoming obstacles, providing valuable insights into their potential contributions to a sales team. In this context, the art of asking pertinent questions is pivotal in making informed decisions and ensuring the selection of candidates who align seamlessly with the demands of a dynamic and competitive sales environment.

In this blog, we’ll explore some simple questions you can ask during the interview stage to ensure you are recruiting the right talent for sales and BD roles.

Understanding the Candidate’s Background and Approach

Tell us about your previous experience in sales and business development.

This fundamental question provides insights into the candidate’s track record, the industries they’ve worked in, and the scale of deals they’ve handled. Look for candidates with relevant experience that aligns with your company’s products or services.

Describe a successful sale you closed. What was your approach, and what challenges did you overcome?

This question delves deeper into the candidate’s problem-solving skills and strategic thinking. It helps assess their ability to navigate challenges, negotiate effectively, and close deals successfully.

How do you research and identify potential clients or business opportunities?

A proactive and research-driven approach is crucial in sales and business development. This question evaluates the candidate’s ability to identify and pursue new business opportunities through market research and strategic planning.

Assessing Communication and Relationship-Building Skills

Can you walk us through your approach to building and maintaining client relationships?

Effective communication and relationship-building are cornerstones of successful sales and business development. Look for candidates who prioritise understanding client needs, maintaining open communication, and fostering long-term partnerships.

How do you handle objections from clients, and what strategies do you employ to turn a potential rejection into a positive outcome?

Resilience is a key trait in sales. This question assesses the candidate’s ability to handle rejection gracefully, pivot effectively, and turn challenges into opportunities.

Evaluating Strategic Thinking and Goal Orientation

What strategies do you employ to meet and exceed sales targets?

The ability to set and achieve ambitious sales targets is crucial. Look for candidates who can articulate clear strategies for goal setting, planning, and execution.

How do you prioritise your leads and opportunities to maximise efficiency?

Time management is a critical skill in sales. This question assesses the candidate’s ability to prioritise tasks, focus on high-potential opportunities, and manage their workload effectively.

Gauging Adaptability and Learning Agility

Describe a situation where you had to adapt your sales approach to a rapidly changing market or industry. 

The business landscape is dynamic, and adaptability is crucial. Look for candidates who can demonstrate flexibility, a willingness to learn, and the ability to adjust their strategies in response to market shifts.

What steps do you take to stay informed about industry trends and changes?

Continuous learning is vital in sales and business development. This question assesses the candidate’s commitment to staying informed about industry developments, market trends, and emerging opportunities.

Probing for Team Collaboration and Leadership

How do you collaborate with other departments, such as marketing or customer support, to enhance the overall customer experience?

Sales and BD don’t operate in isolation. Look for candidates who understand the importance of cross-functional collaboration and can work seamlessly with other teams to enhance the overall customer journey.

Have you ever had to lead a sales team or project? If so, how did you motivate and guide your team to success?

Leadership skills are essential for growth within a sales organisation. This question helps identify candidates who not only excel in individual contributions but also have the potential to lead and inspire a team.

Building a successful sales and BD team requires a meticulous hiring process. By asking these targeted questions during the interview stage, you can gain valuable insights into a candidate’s experience, skills, and cultural fit.

Remember, the right questions not only help you assess a candidate’s past performance but also provide a glimpse into their potential for future success within your organisation. Taking the time to identify and hire top-tier sales and business development professionals is an investment that can significantly impact your company’s bottom line and long-term success.

Written by Charlene Craig.

One of the most effective methods for hiring critical hires is the ghSMART “Who” method. The “Who” method is a structured interview process that focuses on identifying the candidate’s character and fit for the role. The method is based on the idea that the best predictor of future performance is past behaviour. It has a 90% success rate. 

The “Who” method consists of five steps: 

• The Screening Interview: This is a brief phone interview to assess the candidate’s basic qualifications. 
• The Who Interview: This is a detailed interview that focuses on the candidate’s character and fit for the role. The interviewer asks the candidate questions about their past experiences, challenges, and successes. 
• The Focused Interview: This interview is designed to gather additional information about the candidate’s skills and experience. 
• The Reference Check: This is a check of the candidate’s references to verify their qualifications and character. 
• The Skill-Will Bull’s-Eye: This is a final assessment of the candidate’s skills and will to succeed in the role. 

By following this method, you can increase your chances of finding the right person for the job and avoid making costly mistakes. 

Here are some additional tips for using the ghSMART “Who” method: 

• Be prepared: Before you conduct the interview, take some time to learn about the candidate’s background and experience. This will help you to ask more informed questions. 
• Be objective: Avoid making hiring decisions based on gut feeling or personal bias. Use the “Who” method to assess the candidate’s true fit for the role. 
• Give candidates feedback: Whether you decide to hire the candidate or not, it is important to give them feedback on their interview performance. This will help them to improve their interviewing skills and increase their chances of getting hired in the future. 

If you’d like to partner with a business that can do all the above and more, we can help. Get in touch for a free consultation at [email protected]. 

Written by Michael Hewitt

The pandemic has brought about big changes in how we work, with remote and hybrid working becoming increasingly popular options for employees. A recent study found that over 80% of UK workers want to continue working from home at least one day a week. For those employers not offering hybrid work options, it is becoming increasingly challenging to compete for talent – especially for roles that have homeworking equivalents in the market.

But why do most employees prefer hybrid working?

One of the main reasons is that hybrid working provides employees with flexibility and the ability to maintain a better work-life balance. It allows them to choose when and where they work, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and overall well-being. By implementing hybrid working arrangements, employees can tap into the benefits of remote work while still maintaining some in-person collaboration for certain tasks.

And while we have seen energy bills rising, it can also be cheaper for employees to stay at home at least some of the time. Of course, this depends on the individual but could include savings on travel costs, childcare, and even that morning coffee routine. The reduced travel also creates more opportunities further afield, as they don’t have to make the long journey every day.

However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows – remote working can blur the line between work and home life, making it harder to switch off and unwind. Additionally, some employees struggle with isolation and the lack of face-to-face interaction with colleagues.

Before the pandemic, I was self-employed and had already started working from home, but if I am honest, I missed the social interaction that came from working in a team. It was this that lead me to Corvus People. We work on a hybrid basis, which suits me from a work-life balance perspective, as juggling two young boys (and the newest addition, a cocker spaniel puppy) can require a *little* bit of flexibility.

So, what can employers do to make their office-based roles more competitive?

In the first instance, it is worth considering why this role needs to be full-time office-based. Not all roles are suitable for homeworking, but if similar jobs are available with a hybrid offering, you may want to highlight the reasons to potential candidates. If you aren’t sure why, then it could be time to think about offering hybrid working as a benefit for those who can and would avail of it.

If hybrid working isn’t possible, there are other ways to be flexible. You could consider offering flexible working hours, allowing employees to work around their commitments and avoid peak-hour commutes. This can be particularly appealing for employees with children or other caring responsibilities. From speaking with candidates, even just a bit of flexibility with start times and finish times can make all the difference.

Of course, you should consider your overall compensation and benefits package versus similar positions in the market. Why would top talent choose you? Hybrid working is widely considered a benefit amongst candidates, so offering a like-for-like on the rest of the package may not be enough.

In saying that, it’s not just about the perks – it’s also about creating a culture that values and supports employees. This means providing opportunities for career development, regular feedback, and recognition, and promoting a healthy work-life balance. Employers who can create a supportive and engaging workplace culture are more likely to attract and retain talented employees.

Competing with hybrid roles may feel like a challenge, but ultimately, it comes down to two things – being competitive in the market and knowing your unique value proposition. You may not have hybrid working, but perhaps you have an employee development programme which means all senior staff are recruited internally. Or maybe you have a state-of-the-art office space with free onsite parking. Take the time to understand what makes you different from other employers and communicate that with your potential hires, and you will be sure to attract candidates that are right for your business.

Written by Helen Cosgrove 

Recruiting a new member of staff is always a significant decision, but finding the right individual for a crucial role can be like solving a puzzle. It demands an understanding of your company culture, a discerning eye for detail, and an instinct for talent. That’s why more businesses are turning to executive search firms for help. These professional “detectives” possess the skills and expertise to uncover the best candidates for your company, and their methods are more efficient than a traditional job search.

One of the key advantages of using an executive search firm is their utilisation of assessments to guarantee the candidate’s suitability not just on paper, but also in practice. They employ a blend of behavioural assessments, critical thinking tests, and emotional intelligence evaluations to gain a comprehensive view of each candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential for success in the role. This allows them to present you with candidates who not only have the skills and experience you require, but also the personality and emotional intelligence to flourish in your company’s culture.

Another advantage of working with an executive search firm is its extensive network of contacts in the industry. They have cultivated relationships with key players in your field and know where to find the best talent. They also have access to databases of candidates who are not actively seeking a new role but would be receptive to a change if the right opportunity arose. In other words, they have the inside track on the top candidates, giving you a competitive edge in the recruitment process.

Furthermore, executive search firms have a tried-and-tested method for identifying and screening candidates. They carry out comprehensive background checks and reference checks to ensure the person you are considering is the ideal fit for your company. They also take the time to comprehend your company culture and the specific demands of the role, so they can provide you with a carefully selected list of the best candidates.

But why settle for merely the best when you can have the cream of the crop? Executive search firms also can attract top talent from their current positions with appealing packages and opportunities. They know how to promote your company to potential recruits and convince them that your organisation is the place they want to be.

Finally, hiring a detective can also save you time and reduce the stress often associated with a critical recruitment decision. You don’t have to spend hours trawling through CVs and conducting interviews; the executive search firm will take care of all of that for you. They will provide you with a shortlist of the best candidates, saving you time and hassle.

In conclusion, if you’re facing a critical recruitment decision, don’t rely solely on your own detective skills. Turn to the professionals and let an executive search firm help you solve the puzzle of finding the ideal candidate. With their expertise, assessments, and experience, they will assist you in making the right choice and unlocking the key to your company’s success.

Mark McBride

 

 

 

“How management chooses to treat its people impacts everything – for better or for worse.” – Simon Sinek

Having conducted a recent survey on why people leave, I found it interesting that culture was identified as the number one reason that people left their last role. With over 43% of respondents giving this as their rational for leaving, it is clear that company culture cannot be ignored.

The results of the survey pose a few interesting questions as a talent professional – What exactly is culture? How much does culture really matter and why? Is hiring a cultural fit the way forward? And if so, how can you measure and assess this?

So, what is culture and why does it matter?  

Firstly, culture is a loose term with hundreds of definitions – some see it as something vague which cannot be controlled, others see as something simple that can be managed. For me, it sits somewhere between the two.

In my opinion, McKinsey & Company sum this up well, defining culture as:

“As the common set of behaviours and underlying mindsets and beliefs that shape how people work and interact day to day”

Because culture is created by a “common set of behaviours and underlying mindsets and beliefs”, the people who lead your business, and those who sit under them, have a huge impact on the culture throughout the organisation. Essentially, if those running your team have some bad behaviours or beliefs, this will trickle down and have a knock-on effect across the board. A good and bad culture alike can have various effects on your business, some of these are:

• Correlation with high / low performance
• Impacts employee engagement
• Culture impacts agility
• Research shows impact on long-term financial performance
• Culture differentiates you from the competition
• Culture is difficult to replicate
• Strong Cultures attract the right people  

Finding a Cultural Fit

From a recruitment perspective cultural fit is often talked about – this is how someone fits into an organisations culture. Get it right and you can achieve remarkable things, get it wrong and the culture or subcultures can become toxic.

An article in the Harvard Journal describes Culture fit as “the glue that holds an organization together”. That is why it is a key trait to consider when recruiting. The result of poor culture fit due to turnover can cost an organization between 50-60% of the person’s annual salary, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Cultural fit is important in any recruitment process and is even more critical when making senior hires. Over the years, it is something I have heard clients ask for repeatedly when discussing assignments. When we ask clients how they assess cultural fit the answer is often “it’s down to gut feeling” or “we get the applicant to complete a psychometric test”. I would argue this is too simple a view, and to truly assess cultural fit it must be a two-sided process. The required behaviours needed for a role, and by the company, should be assessed by both the client and the candidate.  

So, how do we assess cultural fit?

At Corvus, our Executive Search methodology, Corvus Assured, makes this a little more scientific and is based on leading research into behavioural assessments. We use several behavioural tools that use AI to check for alignment between the clients needed and expected behaviours and that of the applicants. The process considers both sides – firstly the desired behaviours for a role, and then the actual behaviours of the person applying.

The starting point for this is to look at client expectations of the role, by having the key people involved in the recruitment process undertake an assessment that shows the key behaviours they want in a role. This is also an opportunity to check that they are aligned internally on what their expectations of the person are. Sometimes this gives interesting results, where clients expectations differ between people internally, and ultimately are misaligned. Clients often welcome this feedback, and it gives them a clearer picture of different perceptions and allows them to consider these in their decision making. Making sure the key stakeholders are aligned before starting the process is key to its success, after all, how can you find a fit if you all are looking for different things.

Some questions to help assess cultural fit

• What type of culture do they thrive in
• What type of values are important to them and why
• What do they know about our company culture
• What type of working environment do they enjoy

There is no simple, unified, way to assess cultural fit but there are tools to make the process more scientific and robust. 

So, in terms of the question, ‘does culture matter?’ I would say very much so – the Simon Senik quote at the start of this sums this up very eloquently.

If you would like to talk to us about a different approach to recruitment or some fresh thinking for your next hire. Please feel free to reach out. Corvus is a team of highly experienced and passionate consultants who deliver recruitment and HR related solutions to companies in NI, RoI, GB and internationally.