BY Kathy Crosett
Are you using the right staffing firm sales training strategy? The need to recruit and hire employees can require a huge time commitment from managers and business owners. If they don’t get this aspect of business process right, they’ll have to figure out how to get rid of new hires who aren’t working out. It’s little wonder that 40% of U.S. companies use outside help to hire. Sales for staffing services can grow when they position themselves properly in the marketplace.
The Need for Standardized Sales Aptitude Tests
Regardless of market conditions, staffing agencies have their work cut out for them. In a hot job market, staffing and recruiting agencies may have to bring in “passive candidates” and convince them to join a new employer. In a cooler job market, these agencies may be overwhelmed with resumes. Both of these situations require agencies to vet the people who they want to present to employers. That vetting should start with a sales aptitude test. Touting your use of a sales aptitude test can be a big selling feature when an employer is considering whether they’ll hire your agency.
A key selling aspect regarding the use of an assessment test is cost. According to one report, citing the Society for Human Resource Management, costs for hiring an employee average $4,129. But we know the real cost is much higher when a candidate doesn’t work out. First, the employer may have to put the failing employee on a performance plan. Then, they’ll need to spend several months finding a replacement. And they’ll also need to train the replacement.
When you tell your clients that you’re using a sales assessment test, they’ll be interested to know that they can reduce the 37% turnover rate most sales teams experienced in 2019. And they can cut down on the 100%-133% of the typical annual salesperson cost that is associated with hiring the wrong person.
The Benefits of Assessment Tests
When a staffing agency includes skills tests as part of the services it offers, employers realize that’s one less task they have to deal with. And they can be reassured that the agency is taking the extra step to ensure they are only sending qualified candidates through for an interview.
Staffing agencies can also build a roster of qualified candidates by working with them on assessment tests ahead of time. For example, if a candidate imagines they are well suited for a sales position, the results of an assessment will help them learn about their strengths and weaknesses. Candidates appreciate insight into what an assessment reveals, and they may even decide to change course in terms of the jobs they’ve been applying for.
“Surveys suggest that when assessing individuals, 85% to 97% of professionals rely to some degree on intuition or a mental synthesis of information.” Staffing agency personnel can be as easy to fool as anyone else. When they agree to interview a sales candidate, they can be taken in by the act that some people put on. Before they know it, they are sold on the individual. Nathan Kuncel and fellow researchers report that, “Humans are very good at specifying what’s needed for a position and eliciting information from candidates-but they’re very bad at weighing the results.”
Increasing Sales for Staffing Services
When your agency commits to using assessments as part of their staffing firm sales training, you’re also committing to increasing sales for staffing agencies. Using a sales assessment test for staffing agencies makes a big difference. Your clients will have peace of mind knowing that you’ve removed human emotion from the hiring process and that you’re bringing them candidates with a good potential fit for your open position and your organization.
Staffing Firm Sales Training
Hiring the right sales rep is just the first step. Your agency may also benefit from sales manager training. When your sales managers enroll in staffing firm sales training and learn to develop their reps to their fullest potential, you'll also see sales for staffing services rise. The right staffing firm sales training program will help your managers focus on improving their reps' key skills. At the same time, a good staffing firm sales training program can point managers in the right direction in terms of prioritizing their workload.
If you're looking for staffing agency sales resources, TeamTrait™ can help.