What to do when you hire the wrong salesperson
You combed through hundreds of job applications and conducted countless interviews until you decided on the employee that would fill the position. And after all of that work, you realized that you still hired a person that wasn’t right for the job. What can you do?
Confront the Problem
Before you bring the new employee into your office and have a tough conversation with them, you should see whether this problem is solvable. Is the employee too shy and not communicating with coworkers? Set up team-building exercises to pull them out of their shell. Is their workload too heavy? Divvy it up and see if that makes a big difference.
You might find that certain circumstances were the problem, not the person.
Weigh Your Options
If that doesn’t work, you will need to weigh your options. Is it worth keeping them or trying the rehiring process all over again? Sticking with a mis-hire might not be the money-saving trick that you think it is. The cost of a mis-hire can be between 3 to 6 months of their base salary.
You won’t just lose out on money. You will inevitably lose time, energy and productivity.
Improve the Hiring Process
If you decide to let them go and find a replacement, limit your risk of making the same mistake all over again. You should look at professional sales recruiters to help you access the best candidates for the job so that you can hire the right fit. These sales headhunters will do more than send you the resumes of top salespeople in the field. They will interview applicants ahead of time to make sure that they are truly qualified for the job.
This simple solution will make sure that you only interview the cream of the crop and get the perfect match for the position the second time around.
What Makes Someone a Bad Fit for the Job?
If you’re not sure what it means to be a “bad fit” for the position, take a look at the examples below.
They Fibbed on Their Resume
It quickly becomes clear that the new employee exaggerated their experience/skills on their resume, or they outright lied about them. They’re fumbling their way through tasks that they should’ve been qualified to do right away.
They Don’t Have Soft Skills
You’ve noticed that the new employee doesn’t seem to have the soft skills to function in a cohesive workspace. They interrupt coworkers during meetings, they’re rude in emails or they blatantly ignore requests from their superiors. They’re causing tension and conflict. If this problem goes unchecked, it could create a very toxic work environment and push employees to look for opportunities elsewhere.
They’re Not Motivated
They show up late. They leave early. They’re not trying to meet their sales goals. They aren’t motivated to be a part of the team whatsoever.
They’re Upsetting Clients
You’re getting feedback from customers and clients who’ve come in contact with the new employee, and that feedback isn’t positive. If one of your salespeople is consistently leaving a bad impression on your customers/clients, they could permanently damage your reputation.
It's frustrating to make such a big mistake, but you don’t have to feel defeated because of it. You can always resolve the problem or find a better fit for your company.
