By Resolution Systems, Inc.
A sales management team needs to ensure that their department is on good terms with human resources professionals employed by the same company, as these two groups need to work together for the benefit of the entire business. Though fostering this relationship may be difficult, reps should be in line with the thinking of their managers.
These two departments often work together on many projects over the course of a year, and there has to be no negative sentiment from staff members about their co-workers because of this collaborative relationship.
A high level of collaboration is especially necessary between the two departments when it comes to hiring, as the human resources employees need to understand exactly what the sales managers desire in each of the new workers that are brought on.
The sales management team has to communicate exactly what they are looking for and give the HR department specific parameters for each role that needs to be filled. The less control that human resources has over deciding the type of salesperson to hire the better. This is likely going to be accomplished by leaving little room for interpretation and providing a detailed description of the ideal candidate for each open role.
If there are different openings, a management team has to provide several descriptions, as they should not give the HR department an all-encompassing list of requirements for any open sales jobs.
The human resources professionals at the company should know that a major accounts salesperson is going to be completely different than someone who is operating as an inside sales rep.
Though they may possess some knowledge on the subject prior to working in HR, these individuals are not likely to have enough background information to make a reasonable decision.
People from the HR department need to have the differences clearly explained to them by employees within sales. Correspondence between the two sections has to occur on a regular basis and help to identify the gaps that can exist, and managers need to bridge these gaps through some type of constructive sit-down.
There should be some type of social function that is hosted by the company to help break down the barriers that exist between certain departments. Dealing with other employees becomes much easier for many workers if they are interacting with someone they have already met.
If there is not a collaboration between the two departments throughout the hiring process, where people are able to be candid and honest about the potential candidates, the sales team is going to be composed of individuals that do not make the company enough money. All of the alpha personalities may be written off by HR staff members if the right guidance is not given, and this could lead to a leaderless team in the future.
The human resources people may keep bringing on salespeople that would work better in the HR department than out in the field securing business through being a social and assertive representative. This is a case where the two sections had a poor relationship and weren’t willing to work together, and the entire company may be affected by these decisions in the long run.
There should be no evidence of a power struggle between the two departments, as each side should acknowledge the strengths and value that come from the other party. There needs to be a team atmosphere in the office, and no employee should consider themselves superior to someone from a different area.
