Hiring Manager Toolkit

The Toolkit Designed to Help Even the Most-Seasoned Talent Professional

Amp Up Your Own Process With These Professional Power Tools

Whether you’re new to hiring talent or have been doing it for years, we’ve got tools and techniques to help make your process smoother—and more effective.

Personality Profile

Think You Know Every Tactic? Think Again

Get prepared to interview like a pro with the resources you need to succeed, right here.

Objective Management Group

Objective Management Group (OMG) is a sales assessment company that offers several sales-specific assessments for specific roles including sales reps, managers and directors/VPs. While some of the other tests listed here are applicable to, but not specific to sales, I’ve included the OMG because it is 100% focused on assessing sales reps. OMG’s assessment services may come at a higher price point, but seem to offer more sales-specific granularity than some other assessment tests out there.

Objective Management Group
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The first on our list of popular personality tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Though not specific to sales, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is the most widely used personality assessment. The test seeks to sort test takers based on the 16 personality archetypes devised by famous psychologist Carl Jung. The test proposes to sort individuals based on four variables: introvert/extrovert, intuitive/sensing, rational/emotional, perceptive/judgmental.

I don’t think this test can predict a rep’s potential for success. One might think that extroverts make better salespeople than introverts. But some of the best salespeople I’ve met are actually strategic introverts with good social skills. Where I think the true value of this test lies is in its ability to help leaders do a better job of managing employees. As an example, say you’re managing two reps. One is idealistic, emotionally-driven and the other is pragmatic and rational. Speaking from experience, I can say that each rep will require a different style of management to succeed. Understanding this can help managers do a better job of inspiring their entire team to succeed. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Caliper Profile Assessment Test

For more than half a century, businesses have used the Caliper Profile Assessment Test to identify 25 traits that relate to job performance. This test, which can be taken online or via paper, purports to provide clear, objective information on an individual’s strengths, limitations, motivations and potential. Caliper consultants are available to work with businesses to ensure that tests are correctly interpreted.

Caliper Profile Assessment Test
DiSC

The DiSC (which stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness) is a leading assessment tool that measures employees’ personality and behavior style. While no personality style is inherently indicative of success in sales, this test can help predict whether a rep will be a good culture fit. As I mentioned before, many sales environments seek out reps with dominant, alpha personalities. While their other companies seek out reps that are collaborative and accommodating. Like the Myers-Briggs, this test can also be used to help managers do a better job of managing reps with divergent personality types.

DiSC
Grit Assessment Tool

The Grit Assessment Tool was devised by Dr. Angela Duckworth from University of Pennsylvania. According to Dr. Duckworth, grit can be defined as “sticking with things over the very long term until you master them.” This test seems more useful as a hiring tool for organizations looking for long-term employees, since it can potentially identify sales reps that are “marathon runners” instead of “sprinters.”

Grit Assessment Tool
Strengths Finder 2.0

Strengths Finder 2.0 Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the bestselling 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. In the book StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup has unveiled an expanded and improved version of the popular assessment test. In addition to the assessment test, the book reveals hundreds of strategies to help apply various strengths. While it’s not sales-specific, this test can potentially help managers identify how reps’ core strengths can best be put to work in a sales organization.

Strengths Finder 2.0

Guide To Interviewing

6 Quick Tips to Conducting a Winning Interview

Here are some fresh ways to improve the questions you ask – and more!

  • List responsibilities and tasks
  • Identify what skills, qualities and requirements are desired from the candidate to get the job done
  • Open the interview with breezy but brief conversation to put the candidate at ease
  • Explain the interview procedures
  • Ask focused questions for clarification
  • Probe
    • Skip the old opener, “Tell me about yourself,” which is ill-defined and open-to-interpretation by the candidate (about my work, my personal life, how far back do you want me to go, etc.). The better opener: “What brings you here today?” and/or “Why are you interested in this position?” These are clear and specific questions that will yield concise answers that will serve you best and prevent a candidate from wandering all over the place.
    • Also forgo the tired “Tell me your strengths and weaknesses.” No one is going to make themselves sound terrible, any more than they would give you references that would say negative things about them. Instead, glean this information through the course of the interview by asking probing questions that will reveal each.

Acknowledge answers before jumping to the next question, which might be one that takes a deeper dive into that answer

  • Be a good listener by maintaining silence while the candidate is speaking
  • Observe nonverbal ques, such as their not making eye contact with you
  • Check information for clarity, relevance and adequacy
  • Be aware of personal biases
  • Invite questions from the applicant
  • Explain the next steps
  • Thank the applicant for their time
  • Review your notes from the interviews conducted with your pool of applicants
  • Narrow down to the winning candidate and ask them for references
  • If all seems good to go—make an offer!