I was helping someone recruit a salesperson. The person is a pro in recruiting, so I’m not in a position to give him advice. However, we encountered an interesting dilemma. We needed to hire a young person with no experience, someone willing to work for growth rather than for a salary.
Interview. I liked it, but my colleague didn’t. And for the same reason: there’s no backbone, no maturity.
- I liked that the guy is smart and quick to learn, and you can shape him into anything, including a salesperson, in a short amount of time.
- A colleague didn’t like that he isn’t a leader and won’t be able to guide clients. They feel that he lacks well-formed views and doesn’t have confidence in his abilities.
For me, both points of view are equally valid and deserve to exist. The only way to check if someone is a good fit is to hire them. But I don’t want to take the risk of hiring a “flop.” Where can you find a “person of substance” for 3000 hryvnias a month? If we do hire someone, I suggested to a colleague that we play “Pygmalion” and guide the guy onto the right path. If not, you’ll never know if I could have been right.