Recruitment of Sales Representatives - Case Study Example

Running Head: RECRUITMENT OF SALES REPRESENTATIVES Recruitment of Sales Representatives In APA Style By Introduction Al Khor Industries’ (Al Khor) plan of improving its sales team through the recruitment of two new sales representatives is consistent with its overall goal of expanding its market reach. Thus, it is imperative that the recruitment process should thoroughly planned and efficiently executed in order to ensure the screening of the best possible prospective employees. It should be noted that the recruitment process will determine the competencies of the applicants. It is therefore imperative that Al-Khor be able to come up with a specific lists that identifies the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other traits that will thoroughly characterize the applicant which best matches the available position. Alongside, the company should also be able conduct specific tests and techniques in order to screen all applicants. Relevant tests and processes should be undertaken in order to ensure that each applicant possess the characteristics described in the list of competencies. In summary, this report will identify the competencies that a prospective employee needs to possess while also laying out some techniques which will enable the business organization to find out whether the competencies are present or lacking. Competencies According to PSC’s Learning Resource Network (2008), competencies are “general descriptions of the abilities necessary to perform successfully in areas specified.” Furthermore, these competencies are comprised of knowledge, skills, attributes and values, and express performance requirements in behavioral terms. Thus, competency is a synthesis of the aforementioned factors which will largely determine the performance of an employee in his designated tasks. The set of competencies that an employee has will determine his efficiency as these are the “building blocks which must be assembled and used in a variety of combinations in a variety of circumstances to determine the skill sets needed within a given function or field of expertise” (PSC Learning Resource Network 2008). Thus, Al-Khor must be able to specifically pinpoint and bring together the competency needed by a sales representative and screen applicants against these guidelines. Knowledge Competency The most basic skill that a sales representative should have is reading, writing, and arithmetic. It should be noted all tasks in the office necessitates this knowledge as almost all business transactions are documented through written contracts. For a sales representative, this will mean closing deals and sales transactions where a contract or sales agreement is drafted and signed by both parties. A sales representative should be equipped with the basic literacy in order to thoroughly understand the contents of the transaction. On the other hand, arithmetic skills should also be present aiding the sales representative in pricing bulk orders, calculating discounts, and interests. In order for Al Khor to have the assurance that this requirement is met, high school diploma must be acquired by each of the prospective applicant since all these skills are supposed to be mastered by a high school graduate. However, in order to really assure proficiency, the business organization should still conduct preliminary tests in literacy and arithmetic. A short literacy examination looking at spelling, vocabulary, writing, and comprehension should be passed by all applicants. In addition, a section on basic numerical operations and their basic applications in the daily dealings with a sales representative should also be given. Each applicant should be able to score more than 80% in order to proceed to the next step. The prospective sales representatives should also display knowledge on the company, its products, and the tasks which they will undertake. In order to test this knowledge competency, the initial interview should highlight some questions regarding these. Of course, the applicant should not be expected to have an in-depth knowledge of the company and its products but should be able to have an understanding of the nature of company’s business. As a future sales representative they should be able to know some of the company’s products which they will be selling. Each applicant should also be able to briefly outline the duties and expectations in a sales representative in order to pass this stage and move on to the next application processes. Skills and Abilities During the application process, Al Khor should emphasize the importance of sales representative in the business organizations. Being in the forefront of transactions with clients, sales representative are expected to portray and communicate the image and values upheld by Al Khor. Also, they are expected to perform efficiently as they determine the amount of revenue which will be generated. It is their skills, abilities, and efforts which will set the limit of what the company earns. Thus, it is important that sales representative be equipped with the ability to persuade and influence others. As such, they should have good interpersonal skills coupled with strong communication skills. As they will be selling products to clients, they should go beyond being adept in advertising and promoting the products into identifying the specific advantages of the Al Khor’s products against its competitors. A sales representative should not only be knowledgeable about the products that he sells but should be equipped with the proper communication techniques to relay the information to buyers (Kotler 2005). In addition, the sales representative should also be able to build trust through interpersonal skills. He should not only be focused on making profits or generating revenues but also show concern to the clients. Thus, the ability to design customized presentation featuring specific solutions suited for an individual client is also required. This should be coupled with the skill to create, compose, and edit written materials enabling them to fit into each client’s specification (Kotler 2005). The screening process to these abilities and skills could be conducted in number of ways. First, since the position calls for the ability to formulate advertising, promotion, and selling techniques knowledge of marketing strategies is a must. Thus, a bachelor’s degree in marketing should be imperative. In addition, the applicant’s work experiences should highlight at least three years of track record in sales. At this point, Al Khor is assured that the prospective employee will have the skills mentioned above. However, the completion of a bachelor’s degree in marketing and work experience should be complemented by the ability to demonstrate the above skills through a panel interview. A panel interview will be needed in order to thoroughly ascertain whether the applicant can convince people from different backgrounds. Also, it exposes the applicant to the possibility of dealing with a number of representatives in a company who have different concerns on the product that they offer. The panel interview will aim to test the communication and people skills of the applicant. The prospective sales representative will also be given a chance to create an impromptu presentation about one of Al Khor’s product and present this to the panel. The interviewers’ will act as the clients and will have to ask questions to the applicant which will likely be inquired during product presentations. The panel interview will be designed to test how the applicant carries himself, how he behaves in stressful situations, how he asserts himself, how he tries to satisfy clients, and how he handles criticisms. The level of confidence of the applicant will be one of the most important factors which will be considered by the panel as this is often the determinant of how a person influences others. Carrying out a perfect presentation will not be the primary purpose but the ability to create one in order to suit the audience. The ability to answer questions and highlight the products benefits will be other considerations. All in all, the participant should be confident, able to answer questions, communicate well, and relax when conflicts arise and solve them accordingly. He should be able to convince the panel that he can close a sale through these abilities. Behavioral and Motivational Competency After considering the key skills and abilities, Al Khor must also focus on the behavioral competency of the applicant. Behavioral competency refers to the words and actions of an applicant which affects his performance. This is, in short, reflective of the value system of the applicant. More than anything else, the sales representative should be hard working and withstand pressure. Being tasked to deliver company’s revenue he should not give up when the going gets tough but will be creative to find solutions to problems and difficulties encountered. He should value honesty and loyalty to the company and embody Al Khor’s value of ethical excellence. Lastly, sales representatives should be strongly motivated to excel in their positions. Other considerations in the recruitment of sales representative is the willingness of an applicant to go beyond the call of duty. For example, as sales representative cover a specific area or region, travel or relocation might be required. Also, working hours might not be limited from 8am to 5pm but there might be occasional work assignments during evenings. Thus, sales representatives are expected to willingly accomplish these in order to perform well in their respective posts. In order to ascertain these other requirements, interview on personal values and preferences should be conducted. Al Khor should design an interview which features questions highlighting the applicant’s moral standard. It should be asked whether he is willing to work beyond office hours, his ability to drive, or whether he is willing to relocate in order to best serve in the area where he is assigned. Lastly, it should be asked why the company should choose him among other applicants. Conclusion The recruitment of two new sales representative should undergo a process which will enable Al Khor to choose among its numerous employees the one who posses all the competencies required for the position. It should be noted that coming up with a list of knowledge, skills, abilities, and values is a part of the entire process but the actual screening will require more effort and discernment in the part of the human resource department. References Kotler, P. 2005, Marketing Management, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall PSC Learning Resource Network 2008, “Competencies and KSOAs,” Retrieved 03 November 2008, from http://www.psagency-agencefp.gc.ca/arc/research/personnel/comp_ksao_e.asp Read More