<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=585972928235617&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">

The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Round Peg, Square Hole: How to Know If You Have the Right People in the Right Places

How to Know If You Have the Right People in the Right Places

We have all heard the expression, “As impossible as trying to fit a round peg into a square hole.” A simple statement yet one that perfectly captures the challenge of making a match where there isn’t one.

Ask the leader of any organization about what keeps them up at night, and one answer is certain to be, “How can I make sure I have the right people in the right roles for the success of our business?”

Look at the Critical Roles in Your Organization 

A great place to begin is by taking a close look at the critical roles in your organization. Consider what is unique about each job and the specific goals and requirements needed.

Do You Have a People Problem or The Wrong Sales Structure?

We recommend a Job Analysis process to have a clear understanding of what excellence will look like in the role. This includes:

  • Job Purpose: What is the purpose of this job
  • Primary Responsibilities: What are the job’s top 3 or 4 responsibilities
  • Leading Indicators: What are the top 3 or 4 measurable actions that will lead to success in the job
  • Performance Tracking: What are the top three to five performance measures to track at the end of each month/quarter

Once you have completed a Job Analysis, you’ll be ready to think about the talents, skills, and experiences needed for success.

  • What are the required and desired talents?
  • What are the developed skills and trainable skills?
  • What are the mandatory experience and preferred experiences?

Assess Your Current Talent 

From there, you can turn your attention to assessing the talent, skills, and experience of those already in the organization. Assessing your current talent will help you understand whether employees are in roles best suited for them – and where shifts and development can occur for greater fit and performance.

And as you recruit and select new individuals into the organization, commit to placing the right people into the right roles by assessing their talent, skills, and experience in alignment with the exact specifications needed for the job.

A perfect match for the win!

Be sure to check out our 2022 Talent Magazine with trends and strategies for best-in-class recruitment, selection, development, and engagement.

2023 Talent Magazine Now Available Download Now

Topics: recruitment sales talent