BY C. Lee Smith
Are you about to make a big hiring mistake? I’m not talking about offering the wrong candidate the job. My concern is about the start of the hiring process. Some of the biggest hiring mistakes happen because recruiters do not have the correct job description. This issue may partly explain why up to 30% of sales professionals are searching for new jobs, according to our research.
David Nilssen addressed this topic in a recent Entrepreneur article. Nilssen highlighted how technology has drastically changed the kind of skills that strong team members need. To bring an organization to the next level in sales, and in every other department, the best team members will possess adaptability and workflow discipline.
To hire for these skills, HR departments will need updated job descriptions. And to screen candidates, recruiters will need more than resumes and interviews. They’ll need objective data points from behavioral assessments such as TeamTrait.
How to update job descriptions
In any organization, it can be easy to operate on autopilot when it’s time to replace an employee or expand by hiring another salesperson. The manager may follow an established internal process which means asking HR to post an ad for a salesperson.
The HR team may use either an old job description or a standardized job description. The problem is that these job descriptions may not fit what the sales manager expects the new hire to do.
Best practices include talking with employees who are stars in the position. Using their list of tasks and work processes can assist in creating an accurate job description.
In addition, hiring managers should review required educational credentials. They may determine that skills are more important than a college degree with a specific major. When recruiters use a customized job description, they’ll attract candidates who are a better match for the position. Using customized job descriptions can also improve the results of pre-hire behavioral assessments taken by candidates.
Have your job descriptions been updated to include AI?
As Nilssen indicates, many jobs now require AI proficiency. Jobs that were once done manually have been streamlined with the help of generative AI or AI assistants or agents. You’ve likely trained your current employees on AI. Don’t forget that your incoming employees must have familiarity with AI as well. If they don’t, you’ll incur the expense to train them.
Including accurate tasks in the job description is critical. And recruiters should also list required experience with specific AI platforms.
The Need for Behavioral Assessments in the Hiring Process
The next step in informed hiring means using a platform that allows recruiters and managers to screen candidates effectively.
First, writing a job description that matches what the work entails will attract the right candidates. Even more important, when the customized job description is matched to a behavioral assessment platform, recruiters will see which candidates are the best match for the position. TeamTrait, the best-in-class pre-hire assessment platform, offers this functionality.
TeamTrait also includes an AI Readiness score as part of its Sales Acumen assessment. This score reveals which candidates are AI effective, AI dependent and AI resistant. In particular, the score accounts for whether candidates possess emotional intelligence and critical thinking with respect to AI use. With this information, recruiters will know every candidate’s ability and attitudes regarding AI.
Planning for the future
Another detail Nilssen touches on in his article is the speed of technology change. The increasing speed is translating into the need for continuous upskilling. “Real upskilling requires three things: awareness of what AI can do in a specific role, hands-on proficiency with relevant tools and workflow integration that actually changes how work gets done.”
Senior leadership and sales managers in organizations must update workflows and integrate the latest AI. As this technology matures, prepare for constant disruptions to the work process. To maintain efficiency, managers will need to solicit input and then communicate changes to team members.
Some employees will resist these changes. They’ll feel threatened by AI and may actively stall progress on projects. Our research shows that up to 14% of sales professionals fear AI will take their job or make them irrelevant in the future. Using TeamTrait’s behavioral assessments, hiring managers will see which candidates are flagged for change-resistant behavior.
Hiring mistakes continue to plague organizations. In addition, 24% of senior B2B decision-makers told us that the lack of qualified applicants for open positions will continue to be a problem for the next two years. Using updated job descriptions and behavioral assessments will cut down on bad hires and allow organizations to find candidates with the right fit.
Image by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.
