Recently we were advising a company that was hiring a new class of sales reps. In the interviewing process, one of the candidates did not fit the profile that was being explored. He didn’t have the experience, education, or general background they were looking for. What he did have was a lot of tenacity and energy. He had done a lot of research on the company and was fervent in his efforts to get the job. We advised giving the guy a shot, and the company hired him.
Unfortunately in this case, the hire is probably not going to work out. His other skills (e.g. written communication skills) seem to be lacking in a manner that keeps him from being successful. In the next few weeks, the sales rep probably is going to be let go.
Even with this failure, we still would advise hiring someone like this again in this exact situation. Being hungry and tenacious are great attributes to inject into a start-up environment. Effort and raw energy often make up for a little less education and employment history. But there are some general warnings to keep in mind when hiring these types of fliers:
- The position being hired should not be 100% mission critical. Your CEO or senior positions should be the only exact fit for which you are looking. One bad sales rep in a class of 3 or 6 will not cripple your company. A bad CEO or VP of Sales will.
- Be ready to cut the person loose. If a person isn’t making the grade, cut him or her loose sooner rather than later.
- Make sure you give him or her the initial training and environment for him or her to be successful. If you cannot support an under-qualified person, think twice about hiring him or her.
If all of these things can be accomplished, finding a diamond in the rough can be a great thing for an emerging company.
