talent Archives

Want Top Talent? Rethink Your Benefits!

Posted on October 20, 2015April 6, 2022 by Kevin Steffey

As the job market becomes more competitive, employers are increasingly relying on cutting-edge benefits to help recruit and retain talented professionals. According to Assurex Global’s 2022 survey, employers are most concerned about their employee's affordable access to healthcare. In addition, the need for mental health has grown due to the pandemic. More employers are seeing how cover...

Common Sales Hiring Mistakes

Posted on November 26, 2013January 8, 2021 by caitlinhoward

It’s no secret that hiring a sales representative is a difficult task, but oftentimes the sales hiring managers make this task even harder by committing detrimental mistakes during the hiring process. Through years of experience, Kathleen Steffey, CEO of Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search, narrowed down the top 3 sales hiring mistakes she witnesses on a daily basis. Hiring a job hopper, hiri...

Lack Luster Employee Culture? Address It Now to Impact Retention.

Posted on September 20, 2013May 12, 2022 by Kevin Steffey

This post is Part 4 in a Salesjournal Series on “Making Your Business Attractive to Top Talent.” Part 1 asks “Is Your Business Attractive to Top Talent?”, Part 2 describes how to “Market Your Company and Positions to Attract Top Talent”, Part 3 outlines ways to “Cultivate Your Network to Attract Top Talent“, and Part 5 asks “Want Top Talent? Rethink Benefits“. Whether you know it or ...

Cultivate Your Network to Attract Top Talent

Posted on September 6, 2013April 6, 2022 by Kevin Steffey

This post is Part 3 in a Salesjournal Series on “Making Your Business Attractive to Top Talent.” Part 1 asks “Is Your Business Attractive to Top Talent?” and Part 2 describes how to “Market Your Company and Positions to Attract Top Talent”, Part 4 details “Lack Luster Employee Culture? Address It Now to Impact Retention” and Part 5 asks “Want Top Talent? Rethink Benefits.” You can’t rely...

Market Your Company and Positions to Attract Top Talent

Posted on August 13, 2013April 6, 2022 by Kevin Steffey

This post is Part 2 in a Salesjournal Series on "Making Your Business Attractive to Top Talent." Part 1 asked, "Is Your Business Attractive to Top Talent?" Attracting top talent is a struggle for almost every company. An essential element to combating this problem is being able to market your company and your positions effectively. Appealing job descriptions, marketing your open positions...

What employers look for in hiring salespeople

Posted on May 18, 2012May 12, 2022 by KathleenSteffey

By Tom Searcy, CBS MoneyWatch (MoneyWatch) Salespeople are hired to be fired. So when it comes time to find that next sales job, just what is the person doing the hiring looking for in a new salesperson? Research suggests there are three key factors prospective employers look at to predict the success of an employee. If you hire salespeople, you should be looking for these factors. Shockingly, m...

7 Hiring Mistakes and How Not to Make Them

Posted on December 7, 2011January 8, 2021 by KathleenSteffey

BY S. ANTHONY IANNARINO I am not throwing the first stone here (or the last). I have personally been guilty of half of these. But, alas, it is how one learns. Hiring Out of Desperation One of the fastest ways to build an underperforming sales force and burden yourself with human resources nightmares is to hire out of desperation. If you desperately need someone to fill the position, or if you are ...

Startups Need To Hire A Recruiter…Now

Posted on June 15, 2011January 8, 2021 by KathleenSteffey

Jeff Bussgang, Seeing Both Sides The unemployment rate in America is hovering around 9%. But if you are a competent engineer, sales executive, online marketer or general manager in Silicon Valley, NYC, Boston, or other startup hotspots, the unemployment rate is 0%. The talent market has gotten as competitive and aggressive as I have ever seen in the last 20 years. CNN recently reported that 4...

Always Be Recruiting!

Posted on July 19, 2010May 10, 2022 by KathleenSteffey

Dave Kurlan wrote an outstanding post: Bench Strength – The Key To Replacing Salespeople. He mentioned that managers must always be recruiting. It’s such a simple concept, but Dave Brock is constantly amazed at how few managers–at all levels do this. Here’s how the cycle goes. We have a bad performer in place, we worry about firing the person because it leaves an open territory - too often we thi...

Secrets Buried In a Sales Person’s Resume

Posted on November 17, 2009May 11, 2022 by KathleenSteffey

The vehicle that introduces sales people to companies is a resume, but there are secrets hidden in the resume that hiring managers should know before they interview a candidate. In Lee Salz's sales management career, he would bet that he's seen about 5,000 resumes for sales people. Yet, he still hasn’t seen one that shows someone who has achieved 40% of quota. Every single resume shows 100%, 200%...

20 Characteristics of a Superior Inside Salesperson

Posted on November 10, 2009 by KathleenSteffey

What makes a superior salesperson? Not merely successful. Meaning superior. This question was posed by Ian and Jennifer, two very astute Inside Sales Managers with whom Geoff Alexander communicates with on a frequent basis. After training and coaching hundreds and hundreds of telesales reps, he does have some answers, because he's worked with many of the best. The list of the key elements that mad...