A business is only as successful as its employees. This is especially true in the fast-paced and ever-evolving environment of Saas sales. You need skilled, dynamic and passionate people to get the job done. With them, the company will thrive. But hiring the wrong person can have drastic results. A team member unable to pull their weight, or one that’s just not a good fit, can mess with team morale and leave your business missing out on important sales.
When it comes to recruitment, there’s a lot to consider before you even get to interviews. Recruitment can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. Finding the right person can be challenging and then there’s staff retention to consider. Before thinking of interview questions for candidates, try asking yourself these questions to streamline recruitment and get the best hire for the job.
Do we need to review our hiring strategies?
If you’re thinking about hiring, now is the time to revisit hiring strategies and see if they could work even better for you. Maybe the job descriptions you usually rely on could be tweaked. Perhaps you want to consider how you’ll attract a diverse group of candidates and get your advert in front of more people. It all starts with reviewing your current hiring strategies and seeing where they might be improved.
What time-frames are we dealing with?
It’s helpful to know what the industry standard notice period is for the level you’re hiring. This will help to plan when a new hire could likely begin. You might also want to consider how many stages the recruitment process will involve. Consider the resources and time frame available to the company, and also that of the potential new hire. Will an unnecessarily drawn out recruitment process mean that quality candidates get snapped up elsewhere?
How will we advertise?
There are many ways to get the word out, but which will you choose? As well as traditional advertising online and (now less commonly) in print, you can also post job openings on social media. This can attract people who are already following your company or engaging in industry discussions online. Consider if it will be worth using the premium features on sites like Linkedin to display your advert more prominently. You can also consider an incentivized employee-referral scheme, to make the most of pre-existing networks.
Can we do this alone?
Recruitment can be a long, intensive and somewhat confusing process. Many Saas vendors will work with a specialist Saas recruitment agency, as this opens up a whole network of candidates who may not even be searching for a new position. Other recruiters will rely on automation services to speed up candidate screening and remove elements of human bias that can make hiring longer or more challenging.
Who exactly are we looking for?
A strong job description and person specification are necessary to attract the right candidates. Before you start anything else, have a solid grasp of the qualities and experience you want the person to have. When buzzwords like ‘confident communicator’ or ‘dynamic’ spring to mind, think about what this actually means. What will that look like in a candidate? If you’re not sure, you could look at competitors to see what kinds of requirements they list and the language they use in their adverts. You’ll want to make sure that the advert reflects the actual job on offer and also your unique company culture.
What are we willing to compromise on?
Job adverts are often a list of ideals and can end up being unrealistic. Which of the things you’ve listed are absolutely non-negotiable? What knowledge and experience does the role demand, and what can be learned on the job? You might want to consider if you would hire someone with less experience if their personality was a strong fit for the team. You don’t necessarily need to be upfront about this, but it might be worth thinking about before you meet the candidates.
How will we really sell this position?
Attracting top talent means making your offer as attractive as possible. Saying that you’re a great company to work for isn’t enough. Consider salary and other benefits, such as flexible working and communicate these well in the advert. It can help to be really clear about what the role offers a new recruit. Just don’t be tempted to oversell the position as something it’s not, as it’s important to build trust. If the company or role turn out to be very different than advertised, this could lead to retention problems further down the line.
How will the new hire fit into the team?
A new team member can have a huge impact on the dynamics of a team, for better or worse, so it’s important to hire the right person. To ensure a good fit right from the start, you could consider getting input from the team when writing the person specification, or adding existing team members to the interview panel. They’ll be best placed to answer questions about what it’s like to work in the team and can start building rapport with potential new hires. You might want to think about setting up mentorship programs to help new recruits settle in, too.
How will we ensure our new hire stays?
Nothing is worse than putting all that effort into recruitment, only to have an empty desk in a matter of months. Top employers take time to work out why good employees leave and address these issues before they arise. Having a carefully thought out onboarding process can do wonders for the new employee’s morale. Not to mention, training and mentorship in the first weeks will help your new hire’s productivity to soar. Think about retention while you’re planning out the hiring process to save yourself trouble in the long run.
