The recruitment and placement process is critical to the success of a team. We see this in the sports industry. A hire, particularly for key positions, affects the team owners, investors, coaches, fans, teammates, and even the competition. It’s an industry where players must perform and deliver exceptional results. If they consistently fall short, the team suffers, the player gets removed, and the leaders must re-fill the position swiftly.
But if they excel, the team grows its fan base, increases its value, and pleases its stakeholders.
Like the sports industry, the marketplace is a highly competitive environment dependent on effective team members. What can businesses glean by observing this correlation? Here, we discuss the significance of business development and sales positions and provide three talent acquisition strategies for companies eager to grow their business.
Commit to Role Fit
You wouldn’t waste speed by putting someone light and fast in a linebacker position. Matching a person’s skills with a position’s needs may seem like a given, yet poor hiring decisions are common because recruiters fail to examine and ensure the strength of a match carefully.
To identify the skillset you’re looking for, you must outline the role’s responsibilities. Business development is the process of implementing strategies and pursuing opportunities to generate more business and grow revenue.
The responsibilities of business development and sales professionals include:
- Identifying and qualifying new leads
- Building relationships
- Increasing brand awareness
- Keeping up with market trends
- Collaborating with leadership and the sales team
- Representing the brand
- Converting leads into customers
Among other characteristics, we look for experienced sales professionals with a strong network, the ability to leverage that network, and a deep will to succeed.
A Strong Network
Networking is known as one of a salesperson’s most powerful tools. Think of it as human advertising, often live and in person. New business opportunities, customers, and sales largely derive from a sales team’s network.
Sports teams avoid recruiting from the bottom of the player rankings. You, too, want the best to represent your company and drive it to the top of the leaderboard. The strength of a network depends on a person’s ability to develop and maintain healthy business relationships.
Ability to Leverage a Network
Further, a sales professional must be willing and able to leverage that network to convert leads into customers. You want someone who is personable—outgoing and genuinely connects with people—and authentic, who truly cares about serving others with what they offer and has their best interest in mind. You also want someone who is consistent in following up and wise in knowing which skills to apply at different stages of the sales process.
A Deep Will to Succeed
Ultimately, effective business development requires sealing deals. Strategically led companies have operational goals that guide the team, and the sales team should work with a deep resolve to achieve those goals. They must be willing to take measured risks and unwilling to give up easily in pursuit of results and winning.
Look Early and Look Often
With an understanding of what you’re looking for when recruiting for sales positions, you can work the talent acquisition process. At a high level, the process involves the following steps:
- Develop a thorough job description
- Post the position on job boards (e.g., LinkedIn, Indeed)
- Sort through applicants
- Conduct multiple interviews, ensuring skill set and cultural fit
- Negotiate hiring terms
- Onboard the new employee
While each of these steps requires its own sub-strategies, we want to emphasize the importance of timing. We often see companies start looking to fill positions late in the game. It’s never too late. However, talent acquisition is a process that produces better results when started proactively. Think of this as an offensive, rather than defensive, strategy.
Sports teams commit to a recruitment rhythm, keeping an eye on available talent, forecasting positions they will need to fill for the season ahead, and preparing for the unexpected with backup players. Failing to follow a similar recruitment strategy can lead to a rushed — and consequently, poor — hiring decision. Instead, appreciate and take into account how long it typically takes to make an ideal match.
Partner With an Expert
In the sports industry, teams defer this process to agents, entrusting them as the experts to operate as matchmakers who scout talent, recruit top performers, negotiate employment, and build a winning team.
Recruitment and placement firms serve a similar purpose in the marketplace. Companies can invest considerable time and resources in taking on the extensive process themselves, but the results are concerning. A recruitment specialist found that “61% of employers have settled for a candidate that did not sufficiently match the job role, ultimately hindering growth and incurring additional costs to businesses.” The cost is steep, according to multiple reports, including one by Northwestern University, which notes a bad hire costs a business $15,000 on average.
Placement firms reduce these risks by operating from their intended purpose and drawing from their database of qualified candidates. At AdviseCX, we have a vast network of BPO sales professionals vetted for the necessary skills that drive consistent growth. Our talent acquisition services utilize these strategies and more to ensure ideal matches in the CX industry.
