How I Use Behavior Assessments in Sales Hiring

Articles, Assessments and Behaviors, Hiring,

While I don’t do this often (I did it constantly when I was in management), I recently hired a salesperson for a local company and I am now involved with the training of that individual.

I’m not sure why companies want me to be involved in the hiring process. Well, yes I do. It’s PAINFUL and it’s a GRIND! I also secretly suspect that, if this salesperson fails, they can blame me instead of themselves. If the person is successful, they can take credit for hiring me. It’s a win win:)

First, I never use any assessment to determine whether or not to hire any individual. It is just one aspect of getting to know the applicant. And, I only administer assessments to position finalists. 

The assessments that I used are based on DISC which is certainly one of the best known and most used standards. I have use the DISC method for over 30 years. Here are some key aspects …

  • DISC measures behaviors. While it is commonly referred to as a “personality test”, a personality is far more complex than just behaviors.
  • The report that is generated is based on answers provided by the candidate. This is an important part of the process.
  • The report reflects how the candidate perceives themselves. In sales, how we are perceived by others is more critical so I always suggest that they share the report with another person who knows them well.

Even then, it is not unusual to have a candidate say that they hated the results. When I ask what they disagree with, their response is generally one of two things …

  • “No. The report is accurate and I hate those things about myself!”
  • “I asked my spouse and they said, yeah that’s you”

I always share the report with the candidate, at least 24 hours, before we will review it together. What I find is that it will raise questions regarding areas that I would never think of exploring. I’m also curious about how they will respond to those spots which may not be so complimentary.

And … here’s the biggest reason why I use these assessments. I can train sales skills. Myself or the company can provide product knowledge. I can’t train characteristics, attitudes, or behaviors and these are all a part of the assessment. 

Since I can’t train these, having a DISC assessment becomes an invaluable component of the salesperson hiring process.

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Craig M. Jamieson

Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services
Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!
Craig M. Jamieson

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