Benchmark Jobs, Not People

 

When you’re hiring, there’s only one voice you need to hear:  The job’s voice telling you what traits the successful candidate needs to succeed.

 

That’s the entire basis of benchmarking the job:  setting the right standards for superior performance.  Benchmarking the job, not top performers, always leads to a better understanding of the job.

 

This was proven when Target Training International looked at the sales forces of well-known brands.  They compared their top and bottom performers to the benchmark.  There was very little difference in their personal attributes, behaviours and intrinsic motivators.  In other words, the very best were not much better than the very worst.

 

The new salespeople hired, based on the benchmark they developed, far outperformed the old top performers.  The moral of the story is that if your top performers are a C-team to start out with, you end up with a C-benchmark if you use them to create your benchmark.

Research shows that a company without a big-name brand needs a strong sales force to survive.  The big-brand companies can operate with an average sales force since the brand will carry a weak salesperson. 

 

Some brand name companies pay twice:  Once to build the brand and a second time for a sub-par sales force.  What about you?  Do you know if you are paying once or twice?

 

For more on benchmarking and to see a sample report click here