RECRUITMENT OF SALES

FORCE

Definition of Recruitment
Ingram et al. (2007) defined recruitment as
the procedure of locating a sufficient
number of prospective job applicants.
Chhabra (2002) refers recruitment as the
attempt of getting interested applicants and
providing a pool of prospective employees
so that the management can select the
right person for the right job from the pool.

Importance of Recruitment
1) Reduces the burden of top executives
2) helps to increase the sales and profit
3) Helps in offering better services to customers
4) Builds good image and goodwill of the organization
5) Promptness in execution of orders
6) Adequate coverage of sales territories
7) Proper care for collection of payments
8) No loss of sales due to lack of presence of mind, inefficiency and
insincerity of salesmen
9) no accumulation of stock

Staffing
Staffing includes planning for the needs of
future employment and fulfilling them
through recruiting, selecting, promoting,
laying off, transferring etc. which aids in
bringing the manpower to the needed
quantity.

Steps in Recruitment
1)

Job Analysis

Pearce II and Robinson, Jr (1989) defined

job analysis as the identification of specific
activities performed in a job and the
characteristics of the person, the work
situation, the materials or equipment
necessary for performing the job effectively.
Important pre-requisite for manpower
planning, recruitment and selection.

Outcomes of Job Analysis

Work activities.
Human requirements.
Human behavior of salesperson.
Tools, equipment and working aids.
Performance specifications.
Job contexts.

2) Job Description
Job descriptions are organized written
statements of the duties and
responsibilities of the job, working
conditions, reporting relationships,
performance standards, and
compensation packages for the
respective job titles.

Job Description
Job description answers the following:
What is to be done?
Why it is to be done?
How it is to be done.

Defines the job title, the reporting authority

and the tasks the particular job contains

Job Description Format

Job Title

Duties and
Responsibilities

Primary Objectives
Secondary
Objectives

Performance
Criterion
Remuneration

Reporting Authority

3) Job Specification
Job specification is a document that
prescribes the minimum acceptable
quality of the salesperson that is
necessary for a job to be done in a
desired way.

Job Specification
Demographic features: Age, education,
sex, experience, language known.
Physical characteristics: Health, strength,
stamina, height, weight, eyesight.
Personal characteristics: Appearance,
manners, dress sense, listening ability.
Behavioral characteristics: Extroversion,
emotional stability, assertiveness.

Job Specification Format

Methods for Developing Job

Specifications
Review of job description.
Study of past/present salespeople.
Customer Interviews.

4) Exploring the sources of recruitment

The third step in the process of recruitment is
exploring the sources of recruitment. It is of two
types internal and external

Sources of Recruitment
Internal
1) Promotion of existing employees
2) Re-employment of former
employees
3) Shifting employees from other
departments

External
1) Other firms
2) Competitors
3) Employment exchange
4) Advertisements
5) Educational Institution
6) Recommendations
7) Direct applicants
8) Wholesalers & Retailers
9) Personnel Consultants
10)Customers
11) Casual callers

4) Scientific Selection It is the process of minutely

screening the applications and to choose the most
suitable persons for filling up post in an
organization. In course of selection, misfits are
rejected.
5) Giving appointment order- Successful candidates
are given appointment orders. The letter of
appointment specifies the salary, commission,
allowances to be given to him on one hand and
nature of work expected from him on the other.