One thing I have frequently observed is that, at times, hiring managers have a tendency to ‘talk themselves into a candidate’. This happens for a number of reasons. Sometimes it’s as simple as the fact that the candidate is personable to the extreme and knows all of the right answers to the interviewers questions. At other times the recruiter has real pressure to fill the role and has had very few candidates apply, so it is a case of hiring the best of a bad or small bunch.
A frequent situation is when the hiring manager lends great credence to the candidate’s industry experience while downplaying the candidate’s obvious weakness in other areas. An example of this is when the candidate is a proven sales farmer but lacks the hunter sales style that the recruiter is actually looking to hire.
Experts have written volumes to explain the reasons why people make decisions that make no sense, based on the facts and evidence that is right in front of them. There are no doubt, many reasons why a hiring manager will talk himself into hiring a candidate despite all the evidence that is arguing against it.
An often over-looked benefit of using SalesTestOnline.com is our role as counselors and providers of sober second thought since we have nothing vested in whether the candidate is hired or not. While our sales testing is fully automated, we support it with full and unlimited telephone advice whenever you need it. We have done a lot of testing over the last 32 years and we are pleased to share our insights and advice or just to serve as a sounding board.
Whether we are confirming your nagging doubts, revealing new insights or just answering some specific questions, our approach is practical and very direct. Even if your ultimate decision is to hire the individual anyway, our insights will often assist you to give the candidate the best shot at success. And of course sometimes we’ll rain on your parade. Of course when you stop and think about the time, money and grief you’ve avoided you’ll be happy we did!
