We are in rapid-growth mode and are doubling our sales team every 3 months. Many HR managers I know are using personality tests as part of the hiring process to help select between candidates. We would be using this for junior sales positions, after completing the initial screening call. It would help us evaluate which candidates are the best fit for in-person interviewing and hiring decisions.
What tools have you found effective?
Any other thoughts on how best to apply these screens?
Would you recommend hiring a consultant to facilitate or run an in-house program?
I would be curious to know why you feel it is important to use personality testing. I have hired over 20 sales reps and I have never used any testing. I have conversations with my hires because that is going to tell me more about their personality any day than a test. Plus you might eliminate someone because of a test score that could be a great fit for your organization. I have a pretty strong process for hiring sales people and could share with you my steps and even the questions if you would like.
I like Emergenetics. It tests both personality and one's preferences (thinking + behaving). It is used for hiring, onboarding and team building. Each assessment costs $120 and you need to hire a certified associate - I am one of them - to debrief the results and coaching accordingly.
Call if you want to know more about the test.
Personality tests work sometimes. I would want to see them in action. Here is an idea. Put out three questions that you would like your sales person to know and have them summit a video of them answering these questions. This way you can really see their personality, from their posture to their voice.
I'm personally a huge fan of the DISC personality test. It's short, direct, and always has an accurate result in years of experience. You can find the test inexpensive online or buy a license to print and distribute yourself. I know specifically that Sales is one of the potential personalities so it correlates directly to what you're looking and evaluating for.
Dave Kurlan's OMG Assessment http://www.objectivemanagement.com is the best I've seen.
It's not cheap but it is accurate. And I have taken it myself.
The problem with using personality tests or, more accurately termed, behavioral indicators as a tool for assessing salespeople, is that they are not constructed to discover sales ability.
You can, for instance, get a behavioral indicator to tell you that a CFO scores high in "Drive." But what does this really tell you? Put that CFO in a sales position and maybe they'll fold up like a wet noodle--they may well be "driven" to excel as an accountant and decision maker, but not in a selling situation.
As for relying only on conversations and your gut feelings...the best talkers will win that one. We all think we're great students of human nature, but the reality and the facts are that we'd have better luck pulling the name of our new hire out of a hat.
I really like DiSC - because understanding how someone thinks really helps me understand how they will fit into the team. I like to have a sales team that is diverse in skills and personalities so that we can match people with customers - this really allows me to better understand how they will react to the existing team and whether they have some traits that others do not.
Definitely spend time with them. You need to know what type of person they really are and that takes time. Watch how they treat your receptionist or answer a call, meet them for coffee or a brunch and see how they treat wait staff. Let them talk.
If you want an objective measuring tool, i love the DISC system. We offer a very indepth reporting tool than can measure one's communication styles (pros and cons), behaviors and motivators, AND we can assess their sales acumen. We offer a very detailed narrative report, as well as an optional debrief and deep dive on that individual (often used for incumbents to step up their game). I'm happy to discuss and offer a discount of the DISC assesssment per the cost of the Clarity call so that you aren't out additional funds learning about it.
Pre-employment Testing software can be seen in the following link: https://www.capterra.com/pre-employment-testing-software/
To successfully manage an inside sales team, you not only have to recruit the right talent, but also utilize that talent effectively. Because of the strong competition to hire SDRs and inside sales reps, managers are often forced to hire inexperienced sales reps without a storied career full of proven victories. In fact, many SDRs are hired directly out of college. So, due to a lack of candidates with previous experience, some organizations find that personality tests are a great way to recruit reps and predict which ones might have what it takes to hit their numbers. While there isn’t a single personality type that indicates if a rep will be a success, there are a variety of popular personality assessment tests that can help managers gauge how a rep will fit in with their particular sales culture. Though controversial, proponents of these personality assessment tests often believe that they at least can be useful during the hiring process.
1. Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire: The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire was devised in the mid-20th century by British psychologist Raymond Cattell. It purports to identify and assess 16 personality traits possessed by all of us in varying degrees. Users answer 164 questions, and the test seeks to predict how well prospective reps might complete tasks or handle high stress situations. This test differs from certain other personality since it focuses directly on how individuals might react to specific work situations.
You may be familiar with this one, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a very popular personality test. Though not specific to sales, The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is the most widely used assessments. The test seeks to sort test takers into one of the 16 personality archetypes devised famous psychologist Carl Jung.
2. Caliper Profile Assessment Test: For more than half a century, businesses have used the Caliper Profile Assessment Test to identify 25 traits that relate to job performance. This test, which can be taken online or on paper, purports to provide clear, objective information on an individual’s strengths, limitations, motivations, and potential.
3. DiSC: The DiSC is a leading assessment tool that measures employees’ personality and behavior style. While no personality style is inherently indicative of success in sales, this test can help predict whether a rep will be a good culture fit. As I mentioned before, many sales environments seek out reps with dominant, alpha personalities.
4. Grit: The Grit assessment tool was devised by Dr. Angela Duckworth from University of Pennsylvania. According to Dr. Duckworth, grit can be defined as “sticking with things over the very long term until you master them.” This test seems more useful as a hiring tool for organizations looking for long-term employees, since it can potentially identify sales reps that are “marathon runners” instead of “sprinters.” It is also a short and relatively easy to administer test.
The test is recommended by several top sales leaders including The Bridge Group’s Trish Bertuzzi and Quota Factory’s Pete Gracey.
5. OMG: Objective Management Group is a sales assessment company that offers several sales-specific assessments for roles including sales reps, managers and directors/VPs. While some of the other tests listed here are applicable to but not specific to sales, the OMG is included because it is 100% focused on assessing sales reps.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath
