The Science For Why Most Companies Fail at Hiring Great Reps

Most companies think they have a sales hiring system. An ATS, a few interviews, maybe a personality test. But let’s discuss why companies fail at hiring sales reps.

Here’s the truth:
Most hiring systems aren’t based on science.

And the consequences are real:

• Low sales productivity

• High turnover

• Customer complaints

• Wasted training budgets

• Burned-out managers and frustrated HR teams

If you’ve ever hired a rep who interviewed great but couldn’t sell, you’re not alone.

What the Research Actually Says

Decades of research have identified just a few traits that consistently predict top sales performance:

• Conscientiousness

• Empathy and concern for others

• Honesty and integrity

• Motivation and drive

• Cognitive ability

• Relevant past performance

Yet most companies ignore these—and focus on charm or likability.

Barrick & Mount (1991): “Conscientiousness is the single most predictive personality trait for job performance—especially sales.”
Schmidt & Hunter (1998/2004): “Cognitive ability + structured interviews = strongest predictors of job performance.”

Why “Gut Feel” Fails

When companies rely on gut instinct, they often:

• Hire charismatic talkers who lack discipline

• Choose “people persons” who avoid accountability

• Overlook quiet, conscientious candidates who would’ve outperformed everyone

This isn’t a hiring problem.
It’s a system problem.

The Recruit the Best System™

At SalesManage Solutions, we built the Recruit the Best System™ to fix this—by combining five research-backed predictors of sales success:

1. Conscientiousness (Measured through structured interview questions):

   • Honesty

   • Responsibility

   • Concern for others

   • Work ethic and motivation

2. Personality + Cognitive Ability (via CTS & Learning Style Surveys):

   • Ego-drive, empathy, resilience, activity levels

   • Verbal, math, and problem-solving strength

3. Past Experience:

   • Roles that mirror your sales environment

   • History of achievement

4. Personal Presence:

   • Professionalism, maturity, and customer fit

5. Structured Interviews + Reputation Checks:

   • Designed to reveal real traits, not surface charm

No guesswork.
No wasted interviews.
Just data → insight → better hires.

Ready to Stop Hiring Based on Instinct?

If you want reps who:

• Hit quota

• Stay longer

• Build trust

• Boost customer satisfaction

• Represent your brand with excellence

…then it’s time to move beyond instinct and toward science.

Let us help you build a system to recruit and coach the best—one great hire at a time.