Spoiler alert: true story.
My colleague was searching for a sales hunter, someone who could create business connections with key accounts. After interviewing a promising candidate, he asked me for a second opinion.
The candidate had been working for our direct competitor for several years, obviously familiar with the industry and possibly even some of our clients.
After I interviewed him, my colleague, looking for my feedback, enthusiastically started with: “Great candidate, right?”
Wanting to avoid switching off his enthusiasm too quickly, I proposed we sit down and I shared some facts:
- His CV was clearly a copy-paste of his job description straight from the HR system. Nothing highlighted his personal involvement or the outcomes of his initiatives.
- He asked no questions about the position or the company, answering passively without driving the conversation.
- The final nail in the coffin: he admitted he wasn’t really looking for a job. The offer caught his attention because he lived nearby, and “you never know.”
Here’s the perspective I shared with my colleague:
- You were blinded by his industry knowledge and familiarity with our portfolio.
- You’re looking for a sales hunter. This gentleman was a support resource for their largest clients. Nothing in his CV indicated sales experience.
- You had a nice conversation and the candidate was friendly, but it wasn’t really an in-depth job interview for a potential new recruit who should be a key asset to your team.
Does this mean my colleague was a poor interviewer? Of course not.
And I’ve often directed interviews that were far from perfect.
We’re all under pressure to recruit, and lowering the bar can happen to the best of us.
That’s where hiring bias and false confidence set in when reviewing CVs. After all:
- They know the industry → check.
- They’re immediately operational → check.
- Maybe they’ll even bring customers with them → check.
What should you focus on instead?
- Make the interview interactive. Don’t just ask questions, engage in a dialogue.
- Use active listening to understand the candidate’s true capabilities and motivations.
- Don’t rely too much on the CV. Observe how the candidate performs in a realistic business scenario and how they manage and close the conversation.
- Seek potential over past titles. Look for adaptability, problem-solving, and sales instincts.
Why does this matter?
According to LinkedIn’s 2023 Global Talent Trends report, 69% of hiring managers miss key insights by focusing too heavily on resumes alone.
In sales, where agility and interpersonal skills are critical, this becomes even more important.
When you want to build a high-performance sales team, it helps to step back and review your interview approach.
A McKinsey study shows that companies improving their interview and hiring processes see a 25–30% increase in employee retention and performance.
👉 Are your interviews truly uncovering the candidates’ potential?
