As the new District Sales Manager (DSM) for a large Fortune 500 consumer goods company, the task was to participate in the recruitment process. One had to select the remaining three candidates from the set of six resumes that were forwarded for one’s review. The contenders who were reviewed are as follows: Jack Bernard, Rochelle Biden, Mary Ellison, Anna Wise, George Brown, and Ernest Swift. After reviewing their credentials and qualifications, and after considering the six candidate characteristics, in conjunction with the detailed job description on the consumer goods salesperson job, I am hereby recommending the following candidates to fill the placement interview schedule: George Brown, Ernest Swift, and Rochelle Biden.
The criteria for selecting the candidates are as follows: educational background that fits the requirement for the position, length of experience in the capacity of sales representative or sales personnel, possessing traits required of the position (initiative and goal directedness; decision-making and priority setting; communication skills and persuasiveness; leadership and teamwork; ownership and accountability of customer accounts; and problem-solving as well as creativity skills).
All of the candidates meet the educational requirement for the position. Three specialize in sales management, while two (2) have marketing (and marketing and finance) as majors; and one majored in transportation and distribution (Mary Ellison). In terms of work experience in the field of sales, the candidates’ competencies vary from no sales experience to five years of sales experience. It could be argued that since the position calls for an entry level sales, decision-makers could assert that training for the required position could be provided by the organization. However, previous competencies and experiences in the field of sales is always an advantage. In this regard, the top three candidates with sales experience are as follows: George Brown (5 years), Ernest Swift (3 years) and Mary Ellison (3 years).
Finally, in terms of meeting the required characteristics that are required of the position, most of the candidates who were initially interviewed shared competencies in the command of good communication skills. Therefore, the following characteristics set the top candidates over other contenders, as could be deduced from the responsibilities assumed in current and past work experiences: leadership and teamwork (Ernest Swift, Rochelle Biden); decision-making and priority setting (Jack Bernard); ownership and responsibility of customer accounts (Rochelle Biden; George Brown); problem-solving ability and creativity (Ernest Swift, Rochelle Biden, George Brown).
As such, George Brown, Ernest Swift, and Rochelle Biden are hereby recommended to fill the second placement interview schedule for the position of a consumer goods supervisor for the organization.
