Candidate response to these 3 interview questions gave me insight to their retention potential.

My B2B sales org is losing 1.7 million every year in turnover costs. Our CRO won’t pay for toppings on pizza and donut Fridays now come from (generic donut store) goodbye to hand-crafted donuts made from flour sourced from fields fertilized w/unicorn poop and special sprinkles.

 1. Tell me about a recent time you were interested in something. Walk me through your process.

 One candidate described how he and a friend was passing a park and saw a bunch of metal poles with chains hanging on it. His friend said people throw a frisbee at it and it scores similar to golf. They googled it and the rest is history. He found a new activity where he can socialize, drink beer & exercise. He still plays to this day.

 What did his response tell us?

He’s curious, he’s resourceful and can be very engaged in what he does. It also told us, he would be open to learning our selling process and even though it may seem unfamiliar to him, he would stick with it.

 2. Tell me about a time you did not do well or lost at something.

 One candidate said he was losing basketball games one after another for a period of time, he coped by just looking ahead to the next game.

 What did his response tell us?

He’s a great fit for our product. In our business, there are a lot of “no’s” in-between the “yes’s” but the yes’s are awesome and the commission checks can make it rain that month. Focus on the next call. 

 Another candidate described his time playing a team sport. They finished next to last. He said it felt horrible and he hasn’t played since.

 What did his response tell us?

 He’s an iffy. If he doesn’t get enough wins he will leave. He’ll probably give himself a set amount of time to be successful and if not, he will move on.

 3. What happens if you don’t get a big commission check every month?

 One candidate said they wouldn’t be able to make rent, other responses varied from: “I won’t be shopping that month” or “my kid won’t be doing Tae Kwon Do the next month”

 What do these responses tell us?

 Their need, their urgency, their possible pain. Since our selling process and product usually takes 3-6 months to see big success, it would not be a good fit for someone who won’t make their rent. Iffy if their kid would miss out on extracurriculars, it could be a strong motivator or added stress. My top choice would be to hire a person that wouldn’t be shopping. We want our employees to have work-life balance and earning the right to go on a shopping spree makes shopping that much more fun.

 If you have questions that worked for you, let’s talk shop.