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Recruiting and selecting the sales force

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What is recruitment?

The process of finding and hiring the best-qualified candidate (from within or outside of an organization) for a job opening, in a timely and cost effective manner.

The recruitment process includes analyzing the requirements of a job, attracting employees to that job, screening and selecting applicants, hiring, and integrating the new employee to the organization.

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The Requirement Process

Different types of sales positions call for performing different activities.

To ensure that new recruiters have the aptitude necessary to be successful in a particular type of sales job , it is best to follow systematic procedure.

Newly established firms go through these steps

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Conduct a job analysis

Prepare a Job description

Identify Sales Job qualification

Attract a pool of sales recruits

Select best recruits

sales force recruitment process.

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Job Analysisto improve the performance the firm

should conduct job analysis to identify the duties, requirement, responsibility, and condition of the job.

It has three steps1. Analyze the work environment 2. Determine the duties and responsibility

expected from the sales person3. Spend time making calls with several

salespeople, observing and recording the job tasks they are actually performed.

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Preparing a Job descriptionIt explains the current sales personnelThe duties and responsibilities of the

sales position, the skills needed on that job

On what basis the employee will be evaluated.

Since it will be used in recruiting, selecting, training and evaluating the sales force, the job description should be in written.

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The tasks must be stated in qualitative terms.

Job descriptions should be accurate and specific.

No ambiguity should be present A check list should be made

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Identify Sales Job qualificationIt is very important to identify the

qualification of the salespersonJob qualification should identify the

characteristics and abilities a person must have to meet the requirements of the sales positions.

Since recruiters with all the most important qualification are seldom found, managers must decide which are most important, trade-offs are considered.

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There is no specific method to determine the job qualification for the different firms

If the job requires analytical or technical skills then specific educational background or experience will be need.

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Attracting the Pool of applicants Large companies should continuously

attract the sales personsWe should start with large pool of

applicants for more options.Small number applicants may not end in

good recruitments

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Identify sources of sales applicants.Companies use several sources to find

qualified applicants. The search can begin within the company

by surveying the sales force for possible recruits and then seeking individuals from other departments.

Some of the external sources include competitive and noncompetitive firms, educational institutions, advertisements, and employment agencies.

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A relatively new source of sales candidates is through online career centers.

Recruiters must recognize that top rated candidates can come from any source.

However, with the increasing costs of recruiting, sales managers must be careful to devote their time to the most productive sources.

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sales force selection process.

Selecting good applicants is an extremely important and challenging task for the sales manager.

The salesperson selection process involves choosing the candidates who best meet the qualifications and have the greatest aptitude for the job.

General steps in the salesperson selection process include

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Steps:

initial screening, reference checkingin-depth interviewingemployment testingfollow-up interviewingmaking the selection.

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In selecting salespeople, several tools are used to screen and eliminate undesirable recruits.

Initial screening may start with an application form or resume, a screening interview, or some type of brief test.

Application forms, as well as resumes, are the most widely used screening tools and are an easy means of collecting the information necessary to determine applicants' qualifications, such as educational background, work experience, and personal references

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An important function of application forms is to help sales managers prepare for personal interviews with candidates for sales positions.

Almost all companies make use of initial screening interviews or tests.

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Apply the criteria used to make the final selection decision.When all other steps have been

completed in the selection process, the sales manager must decide whether or not to hire each applicant.

The company reviews everything known about a particular applicant, gathered from screening, reference checks, interviews, and tests. 

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The applicant's goals and ambitions are matched against present and future opportunities, challenges, and other types of rewards offered by the job and the company.

While selection tools and techniques can eliminate the obviously unqualified candidates and generally spot the more competent individuals, some amount of judgment is typically used to make the final selection decision.

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Implement the sales force socialization process.Once the process of recruiting and

selection is complete, the new salesperson must be integrated into the sales force.

Socialization involves the formal introduction of the recruit to company practices, procedures, and philosophy as well as the social aspects of the job. 

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 Effective development of job skills, adoption of appropriate role behaviors and organization values, and adaptation to the work group and its norms can influence a recruit's motivation, job satisfaction, and performance.

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There are two levels in the socialization process.

1. Initial socialization occurs during the recruiting, selection, and introductory training processes.

2. Extended socialization is accomplished through long-term training, job rotation, and corporate social activities.