| When I accept a consulting assignment, I
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| | all of the lost opportunity. So compare
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| insist on administering psychological
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| | that cost to a couple of hundred dollars
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| tests to each of the managers and
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| | for a series of pre-employment
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| salespeople in the organization before I
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| | tests.What's your track record been at
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| arrive on site.I am no stranger to
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| | changing people? If you're like most
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| psychological testing. I majored in
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| | managers, you are a miserable failure
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| clinical psychology in college, worked in
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| | when you try to persuade or browbeat
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| a clinical environment in my first job
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| | someone into being someone they are not;
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| following graduation and brought testing
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| | that is, when you try to get people to
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| with me when I joined the business
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| | operate against the grain.We're all more
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| world.Psychological testing is about the
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| | effective at our jobs when we are able to
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| closest thing to a crystal ball I have
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| | be ourselves and operate with rather than
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| found to predict future behavior.Don't
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| | against the grain. Here are some of the
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| misunderstand me, psychological testing
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| | natural characteristics we look for when
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| is not perfect. It is not as accurate
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| | hiring salespeople who have the highest
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| as, say, a blood test. However, it is by
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| | odds of turning out to be
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| no means inaccurate, either. In fact,
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| | "keepers."1. Personality characteristics.
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| when I review an employee's psychological
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| | Anyone can sell, but the odds of sales
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| testing results with them, most are
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| | success are the highest when you hire a
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| amazed at how much insight I have into
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| | salesperson with the following
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| their strengths and weaknesses from the
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| | personality characteristics:- High drive
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| way they filled out the test.In my
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| | - Outgoing and persuasive personality
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| company, we have tested over 44,000
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| | - Strong sense of urgency
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| people, so we believe our success models
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| | - High energy level
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| are second to none.I believe you will
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| | - Attentive to detail
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| agree with me that it's important that
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| | - Innovative
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| managers take hiring seriously. After
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| | - Good verbal skills
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| all, most managers resist terminating
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| | - A natural willingness to live up to
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| employees long after they have given up
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| | commitments.2. High economic values.
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| on them. Plus, when you consider that
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| | This is especially true if your company
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| personnel-related expenses make up
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| | pays its sales force all or in part via a
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| between 60% and 70% of most company's
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| | sales commission. If salespeople are not
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| total operating expenses, it just makes
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| | "hungry" they will not be motivated by an
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| sense to take the time to do the job
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| | opportunity to control their
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| right the first time?.In the absence of
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| | income.3. Strong work ethic. Willing to
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| testing, most managers make hiring
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| | work the hours necessary to get the job
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| decisions based on their gut feelings.
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| | done.4. Passionate about the profession
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| They also tend to hire people in their
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| | of sales. Genuinely enjoys all aspects
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| own image. This is not to say that
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| | of selling, loves people and is willing
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| there's anything wrong with the manager's
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| | to work hard on their sales
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| image, but it is not wise to hire
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| | skills.5. Industry experience. Note that
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| everyone with the same or similar
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| | we've listed experience last, not first.
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| psychological characteristics because
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| | A track-record of sales success increases
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| this causes cloning. And cloning creates
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| | the odds of success substantially.When it
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| inertia in an organization.Psychological
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| | comes to your sales force, it is
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| testing probably won't tell you much
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| | especially important to make sure that
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| about a person you won't learn after
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| | you have the right people on the bus.
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| knowing them for six months to a year,
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| | Taking business away from the competition
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| but by gaining insight into a candidate's
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| | without having to resort to using price
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| talent and temperament before you put
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| | as a weapon is a lot easier when your
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| them on the payroll, you will save
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| | people possess the right talent and
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| yourself both a lot of heartaches and
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| | chemistry to get the job done.Bill Lee is
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| money.While psychological testing is not
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| | author of "Gross Margin: 26 Factors
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| dirt cheap, it's one heck of a lot less
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| | Affecting Your Bottom Line" ($29.95) and
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| expensive than making a hiring mistake.
| |
| | "30 Ways Managers Shoot Themselves in the
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| All managers have learned that it costs
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| | Foot" ($21.95) plus $6 S&H for the first
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| thousands of dollars when a hiring
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| | book and $1 for each additional book.
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| mistake is made, and that doesn't count
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| |
|
