The Importance of Recruitment and Selection of Sales People - Essay Example

Marketing CRM Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Discuss the importance of recruitment and selection of sales people. What are some of the problems associated with selecting the wrong person for the job? Introduction It is an apparent fact that effectiveness in the recruitment and selection of salespeople in any given organization is one of the most integral undertakings of sales management. This process entails searching for sales individuals who are best suited to match the nature of the sales position in an institution. This is based on the fact that there is bound to be extensive divergence between the selection and recruitment practices in order-getting and order-taking sales positions. This is founded on the differences in the demands of these two positions (Meghişan 2008, 1396). Nonetheless, it is plausible to infer that the process of recruitment and selection of sales people in a given organization plays a central role in influencing the overall performance of the firm and the eventual competitive advantage. This fact is supported by Juhasz (2010, 110) who determined that any given firm is bound to attain its goals as well as solve the diverse undertakings which emerge in the course of its operations if it hires the right people for the right positions. Against this background, this paper will focus on the importance of recruitment and selection of sales people. It will also explore some of the problems associated with selecting the wrong person for the job. It is imperative to first gain an insight into the process of recruitment and selection in a firm. Recruitment and selection According to Bernthal (2001, 2), recruitment can be perceived as the process of identifying as well as attracting a group of candidates who have the potential to fulfill a given mandate. This can be either from within or outside the organization and it is aimed at evaluating these candidates for employment. After the identification of these candidates, the process of selecting the most appropriate employees to fill in the identified position commences. This latter process entails the undertakings of collection, measurement and assessment of the information about the candidates’ qualifications for the particular position which had been previously advertised. Both of the above processes are fundamental in relation to the employment of the sales people in any organization. Thus, the importance of recruitment and selection of sales people in a firm is explored in the subsequent section. Importance of recruitment and selection of sales people Enriching the sales skills, abilities and knowledge It is an apparent fact that the process of recruitment and selection is usually centered on attracting some desired skills and knowledge in an organization. In this regard, it is imperative for organizations to use testing as a part of their recruitment and selection process. They ought to be sure that the tests which are instituted are appropriate for the specific positions which are under consideration. This is not forgetting measures which are valid for the skills, abilities and knowledge for which they are intended (Rioux and Bernthal 1999, 9). As a result, the recruitment and selection processes for the sales people in an organization can be perceived to be increasingly important in enrichment of the sales knowledge, skills and abilities in the organization. This is best epitomized whereby in case an organization is seeking to expand its operations to new markets, the recruitment and selection process is aimed at acquiring individuals who have diverse knowledge about the trends in this new market as well as possessing the desired skills and abilities to positively impact on sales in this new market. As a result, the recruitment and selection process is imperative in bringing together individuals who have a wide alley of skills, knowledge and abilities which has the overall impact of enriching the level of knowledge and skills in the sales force. Enhancement of organizational performance It is worth noting that the effectiveness of the recruitment an selection of sales people in a given organization has the overall impact of improving the performance of a firm, mostly if an organization is confronted by increased competition in the market. This fact is supported by Kumari (2012, 34) who determined that better recruitment and selection strategies have the overall impact of enhancing the organizational outcomes. In this case, recruitment and selection of sales people play a central role in the identification and attraction of the best sales talents in the market who can impact on the sales performance of the organization. As a result, these processes facilitate the employment of sales people who have capacity to influence the output of the organization either as individuals or in teams. In addition, the recruitment and selection of the best sales people is central to the performance of a new product which an organization is launching into the market. This is founded on the fact that the sales people who have undergone rigorous recruitment and selection process are bound to have the required skills and knowledge to convince the consumers to purchase the new product. This will not only improve the product image of the new good or service but will also elevate the outcome of the organization in terms of sales revenues and market penetration. Establishment and continuity of a positive organizational culture It has been noted that organizational culture has evolved into becoming a standard constituent in business communication, management, sales and marketing as well as organizational communication courses in academia (Bisel et. al. 2009, 1). This concept has also formed a central segment of the recruitment and selection processes in various organizations. This is evidenced by Scholarios et. al. (2003, 182) who determined that the basic virtue of the candidates being exposed to the recruitment and selection processes in an organization plays a central role in the provision of information regarding the culture and attributes of the organization. As a result, the candidates are able to form their own judgments from the overall fairness which was incorporated in these processes. In this regard, the recruitment and selection processes play a central role in assessing whether the candidates will be able to cope with the culture which has been instituted in the organization overtime. This includes the organizational culture related to transparency and accountability, honesty and modesty among other values and norms which have been instituted in the organization. Subsequently, the organization is able to select individuals who are mostly adaptable to the organizational culture. This is founded on the fact that the failure to adhere with the established norms and values in the firm by the sales people can prove to be detrimental to the eventual outcome in the sales of the products in the market. This is best epitomized whereby in case an individual who is hired in an organization is engaged in fraudulent deals in the market, this can pose a major blow not only to the sales output of the wider organization but also paint a negative picture of the culture in the organization. Thus, the effectiveness of the recruitment and selection process will culminate in the employment of individuals who are bound to uphold and promote the organizational culture in the institution. Some of the problems associated with selecting the wrong person for the job There are several problems which are bound to occur when the wrong person is selected for a particular job. Firstly, this is bound to negatively impact on the capacity of the wider organization to attain its goals and objectives. This is exemplified whereby in case a wrong sales manager is selected in an organization, s/he is bound to formulate and implement ineffective sales strategy which will negatively impact on the sales quantity of the firm. Consequently, this will negatively impact on the sales goals of the firm over a given period. Secondly, this is bound to affect the level of coordination and cooperation among the employees. This is whereby in case a wrong relationships manager is selected in the firm, his/her incapacity to solve the relationship issues among the employees is bound to increase the level of conflicts among the workforce which will eventually impact on their level of cooperation and coordination in carrying out various organizational duties. Lastly, this is bound to affect the level of commitment and motivation among the employees. This is epitomized whereby in case an unsuitable manager is selected in a given department, the level of motivation and commitment of the employees under him/her will be negatively affected based on the incapability of this manager to deal with the various issues affecting the department both in the short term and in the long-term. Conclusion From the preceding analysis, it is apparent that recruitment and selection processes among the sales people play a central role in an organization. This is in terms of enriching the sales skills, abilities and knowledge, establishment and continuity of a positive organizational culture as well as enhancement of organizational performance. On the other hand, the selection of wrong persons for a job has various problems like negatively impacting on the commitment and motivation of the employees, negatively impact on the capacity of the wider organization to attain its goals and objectives as well as affecting the level of coordination and cooperation among the employees. References Bernthal, P.R. 2001. Recruitment and Selection. http://www.wip.ddiworld.com/pdf/recruitmentandselection_ere_es_ddi.pdf (accessed March 19th, 2013). Bisel, R.S. et. al. 2009. Understanding Organizational Culture and Communication through a Gyroscope Metaphor. Journal of Management Education, 20(10): 1-25. Juhasz, I. 2010. Selection Methods Used in Recruiting Sales Team Members. Periodica Oeconomica, 1: 110–117 Kumari, N. 2012. Study of the Recruitment and Selection process: SMC Global. Industrial Engineering Letters, 2(1): 34-43. Meghişan, F. 2008. Sales Force Recruitment. University of Pitesti Journal, 1: 1396-1401. Rioux, S.M. & Bernthal, P. 1999. Recruitment and Selection Practices Survey Report. HR Benchmark Group Journal, 2(2): 1-20. Scholarios, D. et. al. 2003. Anticipatory socialisation: the effect of recruitment and selection experiences on career expectations. Career development, 8(4): 182-197. Read More