Deck 8: Recruiting and Selecting the Right Salespeople

Question 1

The first step a sales manager needs to perform,before he or she can start conducting a job analysis for available sales positions to fill,is to:

A)offer a position to one or more applicants
B)identify the traits a salesperson needs to have to do the job successfully
C)attract enough applicants to have a good pool to interview
D)determine how many salespeople are needed
E)offer the sales position to one or more applicants

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The cost to a company of hiring a wrong salesperson is:

A)largely metaphorical,and affects morale more than anything else
B)no more than the cost of hiring a wrong employee for any other job
C)an issue sales managers do not need to think about
D)enough to put the company in serious financial trouble
E)several times more than the salesperson's salary

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Companies spend time and money searching for external candidates because:

A)internal candidates do not have the diversity required for a sales force
B)internal candidates cost more money in salaries and commissions than do external candidates
C)companies are required by law to conduct searches for external candidates for sales positions
D)external candidates tend to be more qualified than internal candidates,and there are more external candidates available
E)external candidates do not have preexisting misconceptions about the company

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The turnover rate for salespeople is:

A)approximately the same as the turnover rate for employees as a whole
B)slightly higher than the turnover rate for employees as a whole
C)much higher than the turnover rate for employees as a whole
D)slightly lower than the turnover rate for employees as a whole
E)much lower than the turnover rate for employees as a whole

Question 5

What does networking mean in the context of hiring sales employees?

A)connecting computers and other technology together so everything works seamlessly
B)connecting job-seekers with each other so they can pool their resources
C)connecting potential job candidates to potential employers by introductions from mutual acquaintances
D)taking professional development classes at conferences
E)taking job-searching classes at local college business departments

Question 6

The annual percentage of employees that leave a company,for whatever reason,is called the:

A)attrition rate
B)turnover rate
C)variable rate
D)controllable rate
E)uncontrollable rate

Question 7

The process firms use to find and hire the best qualified candidates for an open sales position is called:

A)job analysis
B)marketing
C)recruiting
D)hiring
E)networking

Question 8

A job analysis is an analysis of the:

A)job market in the company's industry
B)national employment rates
C)employees in the same job function within a company,comparing their performances
D)ways a given job in a company could be made more efficient
E)duties,behaviors,and activities of a person in a sales position

Question 9

Managers who rush through the hiring process and assume that they can fix any problems with a candidate during the training process:

A)have never gone through the process of attempting to train subpar employees
B)may find that the problems cannot be corrected and the hire is a mistake
C)will have to fire that employee eventually for incompetence
D)should not be in a managerial position with the company
E)need to be supervised closely by the human relations department

Question 10

The purpose of a detailed job analysis by a manager is to:

A)have everything about a job in writing so employees can not later sue the company if they are terminated
B)streamline processes that an employee does repeatedly
C)codify the necessary skills and qualities for the job so a manager can hire a candidate with those skills and qualities
D)make sure duties and processes are documented so that a replacement can step in quickly when an employee quits
E)discover if there are job functions that are not being adequately covered by employees

Question 11

When a an internal candidate is hired into a sales position,the hiring manager now has to:

A)retrain the employee in company procedures and policies
B)worry that the employee will want to be promoted or transferred
C)make sure the employee does not reveal confidential information from the previous position to a new manager
D)ask the other salespeople,who may have been external hires,to accept this new co-worker
E)fill the position that this candidate is vacating to join the sales staff

Question 12

Why should a company analyze its turnover rate?

A)A low turnover rate shows that a company is not running as efficiently as it could be,and some employees should be let go.
B)A low turnover rate indicates that the company is too generous with employees or is not requiring enough of them.
C)A high turnover rate indicates that the company has an underdeveloped or unnecessary product,and it should spend more money on research and development.
D)A high turnover rate costs a company money in hiring processes and training,so analyzing the rate allows companies to fix problems to save money.
E)A high turnover rate highlights problems with the chain of command,and a company should consider flattening the organization.

Question 13

What is one way a company can encourage its employees to refer their friends who are excellent candidates for sales positions?

A)Give extra vacation time to employees who give the names of qualified friends and family members.
B)Offer a bonus to employees whose friends are hired and stay for at least a year.
C)Encourage employees to invite friends and family members to company events.
D)Request referrals to friends during employees' annual or semi-annual reviews.
E)Ask employees to mention the company to career development offices at the colleges or universities they attended.

Question 14

A company can figure out how many applicants it will likely need to fill the number of sales positions it needs to fill by:

A)looking at the number of sales positions it needs to fill,then multiplying that times the number of job applicants it received the last time it filled a sales position
B)looking at the number of applicants it has received,then calculating the ratio of good applicants to bad applicants,and dividing that by the number of positions it needs to fill
C)looking at the percentage of applicants that have experience and multiplying that by the percentage of applicants that have the degree of education requested,and dividing that number into the number of positions they have to fill
D)looking at the percentage of applicants it has traditionally offered positions to,and multiplying that by the percentage of those applicants who have accepted those positions,and dividing that number into the number of positions they have to fill.
E)looking at the percentage of new hires that stay with the company for more than a year and multiplying that times the number of applicants they have received for the last sales position they advertised,then dividing that number into the number of positions they have to fill

Question 15

Which of the following is an uncontrollable reason for sales force turnover?

A)marriage
B)retirement
C)transfer
D)promotion
E)termination

Question 16

If a company is not finding enough applicants for sales positions,it is likely that:

A)they are not the leaders in the industry
B)they need to offer more training for new hires
C)they have no analyzed the job effectively enough
D)the applicants they do find are of good quality
E)the sources they are using are a bad fit

Question 17

All of the following are elements that are likely to appear in a job description EXCEPT:

A)the age of the ideal candidate
B)the products or services the employee will be selling
C)the tasks and responsibilities of the job
D)the relationship between the employee and others in the organization
E)the compensation method and amount

Question 18

What is a way to qualify applicants coming from newspaper advertisements?

A)Ignore all resumes sent in without cover letters.
B)Specify in the advertisement that only qualified applicants should send in resumes.
C)Focus on placing the ads in newspapers near major universities to attract a more educated applicant base.
D)Place the ads in as many newspapers as possible so you will receive as many applications as possible.
E)Provide specific information about the job duties and personal characteristics needed so that applicants will qualify themselves.

Question 19

The difference between internal candidates and external candidates is that:

A)internal candidates are candidates that already work for the company,while external candidates come from outside the company
B)internal candidates are candidates that come from outside the company,while external candidates already work for the company
C)internal candidates are candidates that have sales experience,while external candidates are candidates without sales experience
D)internal candidates are candidates without sales experience,while external candidates are candidates that have sales experience
E)internal candidates come from the same branch or division of the company,while external candidates come from a different division of the same company

Question 20

If a company has a higher turnover rate than the standard turnover rate for its industry,the company should:

A)assume that the industry figures are skewed
B)examine what makes the company different and work to fix those weaknesses
C)interview sales managers at other companies to figure out how they hire employees that stay longer
D)increase starting salaries for salespeople to retain the ones they hire
E)require new hires to sign a contract for at least two years

Question 21

What is one of the greatest benefits of using a structured interview process for applicants for a sales position?

A)Without having to deviate from a script,the interviewer can spend more time observing the applicants' body langauge.
B)Applicants can find the list of questions to be asked on the internet and can prepare for them.
C)The interviewing process can be delegated to an employee with no interviewing experience.
D)It is easy to record and compare applicants' responses to evaluate them after the interview.
E)Interviewers do not have to discuss applicants' hobbies with them.

Question 22

Changes in demographics mean that companies that want to attract and retain excellent candidates will need to institute corporate policies that:

A)provide flexibility and support for non-traditional families and older workers
B)support Spanish-speaking salespeople
C)require a higher percentage of new hires to be non-Anglo people
D)encourage employees to use public transportation to get to work or drive energy-efficient vehicles
E)pay more into Social Security and FICA as the population gets older

Question 23

Which of the following sources of external applicants is an excellent source of almost exclusively entry-level applicants?

A)internet job sites (such as Monster and Career Builder)
B)trade shows
C)college career fairs
D)recruiters
E)referrals

Question 24

All of the following are negative effects of a sales manager's rushing to hire someone to fill an open sales position EXCEPT:

A)filling job positions with similar candidates instead of encouraging diversity
B)hiring someone who doesn't have the ability to do the job well
C)ending up in a worse position than if the manager hadn't hired anyone at all for the position
D)paying the new hire a salary that applies to a different position than the one they were hired for
E)costing the company money for hiring,training,and then firing an improper candidate

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT a common hiring mistake made by managers?

A)rushing to hire someone to fill a slot
B)failing to require applicants to undergo physical exams during the interview process
C)not analyzing the job properly before looking for someone to fill it
D)not finding a large enough applicant pool
E)failing to conduct background checks

Question 26

Diversity in hiring is important to make the sales force match the customer base.By the year 2050,what percent of Americans will be from a non-Anglo background?

A)80
B)75
C)60
D)55
E)50

Question 27

While executive recruiters may prescreen applicants for sales positions,what is one disadvantage of using recruiters,from the company's standpoint?

A)The candidates do not always know which company they're applying to.
B)The candidates may not have all the qualities the company requires for an employee in that position.
C)The candidates are not always serious about the job,as they may have responded to the recruiter's call out of politeness.
D)The recruiter receives a significant amount of money from the company for placing a candidate.
E)The recruiter may try to steal the company's own employees even as they place candidates with that company.

Question 28

After an applicant has accepted a position with a hiring company,what is the purpose of sending the new hire employee handbooks and company-branded materials such as pens and apparel and having current employees make contact with the new hire?

A)to let the new hire know the company has a budget for branded materials
B)to build commitment in the new hire
C)to show the new hire how he or she will be expected to treat valued customers
D)to make sure the new hire learns all the corporate procedures before coming to work on the first day
E)to ask the new hire to do a sample presentation on the product the first day of work

Question 29

Why is it important for sales managers to check references on job applicants?

A)Applicants lie routinely on job applications and managers should just account for this in their hiring process.
B)Applicants who do not have excellent grades in college will not be able to handle the pace of sales.
C)Applicants who lie about their backgrounds may not be trustworthy as employees.
D)A company may be liable for the criminal actions of an employee if they did not check the references of the employee before hiring him or her.
E)The reference that a job applicant lists will be people who are likely to say only positive things about him or her,so calling references is not an effective way of determining a candidate's true character.

Question 30

What is the first step in the process of selecting a candidate for a sales position?

A)giving the candidate tests
B)interviewing the candidate personally
C)checking the candidate's background information
D)having the candidate fill out an application form
E)conducting a physical exam,if necessary

Question 31

When searching for candidates to fill a sales position,it is more important to find:

A)good-quality candidates than many candidates
B)many candidates than a few good-quality candidates
C)candidates that have already been screened by a recruiter
D)candidates with previous experience in sales
E)candidates that have been sales managers themselves

Question 32

A sales manager needs to know if a salesperson can lift 40-pound boxes of product as part of the sales process.What is a legal way the manager can determine this during the interview process?

A)Look at the applicant and make a judgement based on how strong the applicant looks.
B)Require the applicant to take a physical examination as part of the application process.
C)Ask a private search firm to obtain the applicant's medical records.
D)Ask the applicant,"Do you have strong arms?"
E)Ask the applicant,"The job requires routinely lifting 40-pound boxes.Would you be able to do that consistently?"

Question 33

All of the following are questions that are illegal to ask a job applicant EXCEPT:

A)"Are you married?"
B)"What religion are you?"
C)"Were you ever in the army?"
D)"Are you a man or a woman?"
E)"How old are you?"

Question 34

To streamline the hiring and selection process,sales managers should use a matrix to:

A)evaluate the sources of job applicants and their criteria
B)rank employees hired over the previous ten years
C)record information about different newspapers
D)submit corporate listings to collegiate job fairs
E)list the employees they would like to be evaluated by the human resources department

Question 35

Which of the following is an advantage of finding job applicants at a job fair,career conference,or trade show?

A)Applicants who show up in person to a career fair may be more educated than those who search for jobs using recruiters,the internet,or other methods.
B)The first contact with the applicant is also an initial personal screening.
C)The process of asking applicants to fill out applications runs more smoothly at a job fair than in an office setting.
D)Applicants who travel all the way to a conference are less likely to quit if offered the job.
E)It is easier to conduct a group interview when the applicants are all in one place already.

Question 36

What does "structured interview" mean in a hiring context for a sales position?

A)an interview in which the interviewer and applicant take turns speaking to each other
B)an interview in which the applicant is asked questions based on a standardized script
C)an interview in which all the applicants are brought in to the same room and asked questions together
D)an interview in which an applicant is asked to role-play a sales situation
E)an interview in which the applicant is required to ask questions of the interviewer

Question 37

All of the following are elements contained in a formal job offer letter EXCEPT:

A)disciplinary policy
B)responsibilities of the position
C)start date
D)salary
E)vacation allowance

Question 38

How can managers use the information a job applicant puts on the application during the interview?

A)The manager can try to assess if the applicant has written correct information by observing the applicant's body language.
B)The manager can compare the applicant's resume and application to see if they match.
C)The manager can verify the applicant's dates of employment by calling former employers.
D)The manager can avoid asking questions about any topics that may be sensitive to the applicant,like gaps in employment history.
E)The manager can ask questions following up on things the applicant has written.

Question 39

What is a potentially difficult issue that must be navigated when a company hires salespeople from diverse backgrounds?

A)Candidates from other cultural backgrounds may not be as qualified as the candidates who come from the majority cultural background.
B)Candidates from other cultural backgrounds often have worked harder to get where they are and need to be recognized for that in the workplace.
C)Candidates from other cultural backgrounds may not make the expected responses or body language during the interview process.
D)Companies cannot expect the same level of sales performance from these candidates so their evaluation methods must be different.
E)Companies may have to change their corporate cultures to put more emphasis on unfamiliar holidays and customs.

Question 40

Research has shown that a better measure of a candidate's potential for success as a salesperson than personality or aptitude testing is:

A)the applicant's grades in college
B)a personal interview
C)a physical examination
D)a written essay
E)IQ testing

Question 41

It is important for managers to make an effort to hire diverse candidates so that the company's sales force reflects the demographics of the general population.

Question 42

Internal candidates are always better for sales positions than are external candidates,because internal candidates are familiar with the product and company.

Question 43

List the steps to selecting a candidate for a sales position.

Question 44

What is the purpose of doing a personal interview with a candidate? What can be learned in a personal interview that can't be gleaned from applications and resumes?

Question 45

Hiring good salespeople is a simple matter of placing some ads and then picking the best people who send in resumes.

Question 46

Of all the ways to attract applicants for positions,advertising in the newspaper is still the best way.

Question 47

Without doing a detailed job analysis,a manager may have a hard time attracting quality applicants and hiring a good salesperson.

Question 48

A structured interview allows the manager and others involved in the hiring process to compare an applicant's answers to a standard set of questions to the answers given to those questions by other applicants.

Question 49

A company with a high turnover rate of salespeople should examine why so many people are leaving.

Question 50

Why is there such a high turnover rate in sales,relative to other job positions?

Question 51

Is there a way a company can determine how many applicants it needs to attract to fill the open sales positions is has? Discuss this idea.

Question 52

What are some benefits of hiring people referred to the company by friends or relatives?

Question 53

A personal interview starts out with the manager asking routine personal questions about the applicant's age,educational background,marital status,children,religion,etc.

Question 54

Discuss the differences between the kinds of applicants that will come in from a newspaper ad vs.postings on online job boards.Do these differences indicate anything about future job performance?

Question 55

Hiring the wrong people to fill sales positions is not a high-stakes mistake,because the bad hires will still learn everything they need to know in training.

Question 56

A company with a history of hiring salespeople should be able to determine a formula based on this history that tells the manager how many applicants the manager needs to attract for every sales position the company needs to fill.

Question 57

What are some kinds of tests managers may give candidates? What is the most recent predictor of success in a sales position?

Question 58

Why is it so vital for a manager to be thoughtful and perform a job analysis when hiring for a new sales position?

Question 59

Is the cost to the company of hiring a wrong person for a sales position high or low? Why?

Question 60

What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring internal candidates for sales positions?

Question 61

How can a manager determine if a candidate is lying on a resume or application?

Question 62

Explain some common hiring mistakes a manager can make.

Question 63

Discuss some of the difficulties that can occur during the hiring process with candidates from cultural backgrounds other than the background of the manager.

Question 64

What is the difference between a structured interview and a semi-structured interview? Which type works better for which type of candidates?

Question 65

What are the three types of employees a company can hire to represent them in foreign countries? Which type tends to have stronger loyalty to the company? Which type has better local knowledge?