The best way to speed up an interview process

We've all been there before - the traffic jam on Monday morning when you're already late for work or an important meeting.  There are cars behind you, cars ahead of you, cars trying to merge into the already chaotic scene, and my personal favorite, the cars that are trying to continually switch lanes to gain an advantage in the race suited more for the tortoise than the hare.

We also all know the answer to the question, "What can I possibly do to make the traffic go faster?"  It is NOTHING!  Whether it be an accident ahead, busier than normal traffic for the day, or sometimes even weather-related delays, there is nothing you can do as a driver to make the traffic jam go away or even get just a tiny bit better.  It either will or it won't.  All you can control is how you react to the situation.  Make a few phone calls, listen to the radio, or maybe for once just enjoy some quiet time.  While doubtful you will enjoy the traffic jam, at least you can choose to not let it ruin your day.

For today let's run with the same argument as it relates to the interview process.  Let's cut right to the chase and give you the valuable wisdom and insight you were hoping for when you clicked on my blog today - there is NOTHING you can do to speed up the interview process.  Seem a little harsh?  Thinking right now of all of the ways you could disprove that theory?  I would be too.  But hear me out.  The more you accept this reality the better off you will be.

Just like not losing your cool in a fit of road rage with the aforementioned traffic jam, taking a deep breath when a deadline is missed in an interview process could be your best weapon.  Instead of worrying so much about what you can do to influence the process, just letting the process be the process could work in your favor.  That won't make it any less frustrating if the hiring manager doesn't get back to you by the weekend as promised.  That won't make your spouse feel any better if you have to go unemployed for another two or three weeks while waiting on interview feedback.  But sometimes the process just needs to play out, as imperfect as it may seem at any point in time.

Think back to that traffic jam.  If you spent fifteen minutes grumbling about how this messed up your day only to find out there was a terrible accident that totaled several cars, then your day all of a sudden doesn't seem that bad.  In an interview process there are many things that occur to slow down the process.  And most times the employer dislikes it as much as the prospective candidate.  It doesn't mean you can't get frustrated occasionally.  Or seek answers along the way.  But the more you can let go and just focus on what you can control, the better you will find your attitude is during the final stretch of that interview process.

My final thought is to re-assure you that as a third party recruiter I want the process to go quickly just as much as you do, if not more.  Over time I have simply realized I can't control everything.  It is a sobering thought for a control freak like myself, but has certainly helped me to retain my sanity after eleven years in the business........here's to hoping it helps you as well!

How to recruit an All-Star producer

As I often do I got to thinking over the weekend about the parallels between life outside of work and life at work.  I was watching part of the Futures' game for the MLB All-Stars.  This is where the best players in the minor leagues get a chance to shine as possible faces of Major League franchises.  I know many of the stories already, but it is fun to hear where these guys came from and how they often overcame some sort of adversity to get to where they are today.

When I think about how to advise clients on sourcing, recruiting, and retaining top sales talent I can't help but think some of my conversations are similar to GMs within Major League Baseball.  Here are some important factors that apply to finding a superstar producer.  I'll let you decide if you think Theo Epstein is utilizing this data or not going into his 2015 plans for the Cubs' final roster.

1)  Remember that 9 out of 10 fail.  Especially in the first year.  A really devoted sports' fan (and particularly in baseball) will know the prospects of their team.  While it is okay to get excited about someone's potential, you must always reflect back on what has worked in the past.  The fact of the matter is that past performance does not always guarantee future success.  I'm not say you should hire 10 producers next year just planning on firing 9 of them after 90 days.  Instead set realistic expectations.  If you do this well, no one will be surprised at who makes the final cut and who doesn't.

2)  Stats don't lie.  This is more important for someone with 5-7 years of experience.  If a producer has the right pedigree, has worked for the right firms, runs in the right circles, but has absolutely no verifiable past sales success, that is likely not a good sign.  It sounds like basic logic, but I have seen clients over and over again hire someone who looks good on paper and likely even tests well.  But if someone has not had success with multiple opportunities at multiple firms, that is usually a red flag.  The excuses of not having the right team or having the right resources just can't cover an under-performing producer's flaws into perpetuity.

3)  Sometimes it can be the coach.  I know I just outlined above that you can't make excuses for lack of performance, but this point is slightly different.  It is possible to struggle to early success if a boss is not aligning a salesperson with the right colleagues or overall strategy.  If a player is a contact hitter and the coach is preaching the importance of home runs, that can be a problem.  We have seen younger producers struggle to take things to the next level because they have been formally trained to do nothing, yet expected to close Fortune 100 clients within the first six months on a job.  As long as that producer candidate is not bitter about a current situation, there could be some truth to the fact they are simply with the wrong mentor.

4)  The really good ones have the "it" factor.  You hear this all the time when describing players that seem to transcend the sport.  You have a hard time even describing "it" but whatever "it" is these people have lots of it.  This can happen with the really good producer candidates too.  Sometimes I see candidates actually get hung up on this point.  Everyone that meets the candidate knows without a doubt that they have this "it" factor.  But negotiations get hung up on compensation or testing or bottlenecks in the process.  Sometimes risks are just worth taking when you see someone that you know has "it".

5)  Experience matters.  While there are certainly some young players in the MLB All-Star game, there is a reason that fans vote in the perennial All-Star players as well.  They can still play, they come with a ton of knowledge for the younger guys, and they are simply smarter about their game.  Hiring a producer that has a ton of sales experience can sometimes be considered too much of a risk.  They cost a lot more, may not seem as motivated to get their teeth knocked in with cold calls, and may seem to just be looking to collect a paycheck.  I would argue the really good ones never lose the hunger and can be well worth an investment.  Just because someone wants to work smarter and not harder is not always a bad thing.  The really good producers have learned from past mistakes made in their careers and they build upon them.  Some of the best producer candidates I have seen recently have over twenty years of experience and they can't wait to show everyone they can still produce at a high level.

Have you used any of these recruiting ideas to build your producer team?  Anything else we could add to the list?  As always, I enjoy hearing from readers and would welcome your comments!