The sales manager who sold himself

"If only I had acted on that insight from your test back then..."

Yesterday, I spoke with a client, an HR manager, who has been using our profile assessments as part of her selection process for years.

"Because now, in hindsight, it has cost us nearly a hundred thousand..."

The case

Last year, she hired a sales manager for her organization. The first introductory interview went very well.

As usual, she then had him complete our online profile test (PXT), just as we always recommend: after the first interview and before the second, more in-depth conversation. This allows for incorporating the test insights into further discussions.

When the test results came in, she was somewhat shocked. A few unexpected issues emerged. Things you don't want to see in someone in a leadership and commercial role, such as insecurity, a negative attitude, and a lack of decisiveness.

In the second interview, she discussed these findings, and eventually, the candidate provided an explanation that reassured her.

Still, something didn't sit right...

Together with the director, she ultimately decided to take the plunge and offer the sales manager a one-year contract.

You can guess what happened next... After a few months, things went wrong. Exactly in the areas where the test had raised red flags: insecurity, negativity, and indecisiveness.

In hindsight, it turned out that the sales manager was mostly good at selling himself.

I shared her frustration, and we agreed that we would approach things differently in the future.

Support your gut feeling and reduce uncertainty

Our tests provide deep insights into personality and specific skills. Initially for the candidate themselves, but also for the people trying to find the right person for their vacancy in the selection process.

The question you need to ask yourself is: "Is this the right person for this specific role? Or do their skills and talents align better with a different type of work?"

At Profiles International, we recommend weighing the test results as one-third of the selection process. Ultimately, it’s about substantiating gut feelings, both positive and negative.

The test doesn't make the selection, but it does reduce uncertainty.

And sometimes, it saves you a hundred thousand.

Raymond te Veldhuis


Profiles International The Netherlands