Sales managers traditionally regard employment agencies as unpromising sources. Many use agencies only after exhausting other sources. Many believe that good salespeople neither need nor will use an agency’s services. Experience, unfortunately, tends to reinforce such attitudes, because frequently agency referrals’ fail to meet sales job specifications. Sometimes this traces to agency deficiencies (such a the overzealous desire to receive placement fees), but often the fault is that of prospective employers, who may be using unrealistically high job specifications, may not make the company’s requirements clear, and so on. Experiences with individual agencies need reviewing periodically, using the pattern of analysis illustrated in Figure 11.2.
Whenever an agency is used, it should receive a clear statement of the job’s objectives and a complete rundown of job specifications. The recruiter ‘should meet with an agency counselor to assure that pertinent information is furnished and understood. Agencies need time to learn about an employing firm and its unique requirements—considerable gains accrue from continuing relationships with agencies. Agencies often administer batteries of tests, check references, and perform tasks otherwise done by the employer. Of interest to sales Executives is the growing number of agencies that take the initiative in searching’ out promising job candidates, employed or not, instead of confining themselves to “volunteer” applicants.
