Recruiting Sales Evaluation
One approach to evaluating the sources of recruits is to study those used in the past. Analysis of each source reveals the number of recruits produced, and the ratio of successes to failures. Each source, in other words, is analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. One source may have provided numerous recruits but few successes; a second, fewer recruits but a high proportion of successes.
Consider the analysis in Figure 11.1. The source accounting for the largest number of recruits showed a success ratio only slightly more favorable than the ratio for all sources but it did account for ten of the thirty five successes recruited and, for this reason; management might want to continue using it. Three sources had higher than average success ratios, and management should explore ways of increasing the number of recruits from them. Three other sources had very low success ratios, and management should use them sparingly in the future.
A word of caution: These results indicate the experience of only one company and should not be considered typical. Furthermore, the definition of success adopted by a particular management affects the analysis. Here success was defined as “demonstrated ability to meet or exceed sales quotas in two years out of three.” Other managements might define success differently.
Figure 11.1 Source Analyses of Soles Personnel Recruited by an Electrical Products Manufacturer
Another word of caution: Reliability of this sort of analysis depends upon the size of the group evaluated. More reliable conclusions can be drawn about the worth of a source producing twenty two recruits than one producing only three recruits. However, even if only a small number of cases is available, the data may still serve as a helpful, although less reliable, guide in identifying promising sources of new salespeople.
