What are some common sales recruitment biases and how do you avoid them?

1 Halo effect

The halo effect is a cognitive bias that occurs when you form a positive impression of a candidate based on one or a few favorable traits, such as appearance, charisma, education, or experience. This can lead you to overlook or minimize their weaknesses, flaws, or gaps in their sales skills. For example, you might be impressed by a candidate's impressive resume, confident demeanor, or prestigious degree, and assume that they are also good at prospecting, negotiating, or closing deals. To avoid the halo effect, you need to focus on the specific criteria and competencies that are relevant for the sales role, and use structured interviews, behavioral questions, and role-playing scenarios to assess them. You should also compare candidates against a predefined scoring system, rather than against each other, to reduce the influence of subjective factors.

2 Similarity bias

Similarity bias is a tendency to prefer candidates who are similar to you or your existing team members in terms of background, personality, values, or opinions. This can create a homogenous and comfortable sales culture, but also limit your team's diversity, creativity, and innovation. For example, you might favor candidates who share your hobbies, interests, or beliefs, or who have worked in the same industry, company, or region as you or your team. To avoid similarity bias, you need to recognize and challenge your own assumptions and preferences, and seek out candidates who can bring different perspectives, experiences, and skills to your sales team. You should also use objective and standardized sales candidate assessment methods, such as tests, simulations, or case studies, to measure candidates' abilities and potential, rather than their similarity to you or your team.

3 Confirmation bias

Confirmation bias is a tendency to seek out or interpret information that confirms your existing beliefs or expectations about a candidate, and ignore or discount information that contradicts them. This can lead you to make premature or inaccurate judgments about a candidate's suitability or performance, and miss out on valuable insights or feedback. For example, you might be biased by your first impression of a candidate, and look for evidence that supports or reinforces it, rather than challenging or testing it. To avoid confirmation bias, you need to be open-minded and curious about a candidate's strengths and weaknesses, and ask probing and follow-up questions to elicit more information. You should also seek out multiple sources of data and feedback, such as references, assessments, or peer interviews, to cross-check and validate your impressions and opinions.

4 Anchoring bias

Anchoring bias is a tendency to rely too much on the first piece of information that you receive about a candidate, and use it as a reference point or benchmark for your subsequent evaluation. This can affect your perception of a candidate's value, potential, or fit for the role, and influence your negotiation or decision-making process. For example, you might be anchored by a candidate's salary expectations, previous achievements, or personality test results, and adjust your offer, expectations, or assessment accordingly. To avoid anchoring bias, you need to gather and compare multiple pieces of information about a candidate, and weigh them according to their relevance and importance for the sales role. You should also avoid disclosing or asking for information that might create an anchor, such as salary range, quotas, or rankings, until later stages of the recruitment process.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?