I just completed recruiting engagements with two companies. One required a salesperson and the other, a sales manager.

Here are three things I discovered:

1. This year, even with the low unemployment rate, we found more and better candidates.
2. Even though we found more and better candidates, the number of unqualified candidates that applied through our applicant tracking system was disproportionately large.
3. We found a number of strong candidates that were recommended by our OMG (Objective Management Group) sales-specific assessment who weren’t right for my client companies. Either they weren’t a good culture fit, or their background and experience were a mismatch.

Many companies hire based on a job description. While important, it is one small step in what should be a defined process.
It may be difficult to determine an overall fit if you don’t create a detailed matrix of job responsibilities and the traits, skills, characteristics, attitudes and experience required for success in that job. Because we help our clients create that document, it is much easier to disqualify candidates that may be great in sales, but not for your position.

Steve Parry is President of Sales Productivity Consultants (SPC), a 15-year-old sales strategy consulting firm based in the Denver area.