Candidate Insights

Outside Sales Sample Candidate Insights

Updated March 15, 2023

Role Comparison Candidate Insights

Behavioral Styles

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Extrovert
People
Introvert
Task

Outside Sales’s Ideal Behavioral Style (DISC)

The DISC language, which is observable, describes HOW someone behaves and shows up in the world. Understanding the behavioral preferences and habits required for a role will ensure candidates are a good fit.

  • Initiates new ideas and promotes them by energizing others.
  • Shows the rare ability of being able to manipulate people (in a positive way) without their noticing the manipulation.
  • Able to juggle many projects and activities simultaneously and have a keen awareness of the status of each.
  • Able to carry a new initiative or message to a new audience in a new region and to build trust, credibility, and rapport in a skilful manner.
  • Able to set high goals, then works hard with people to achieve those goals.
  • Excellent at building new projects, initiatives, or territory for an organization.

Motivational Styles

Very Low Low Average High Very High
Aesthetic balance, harmony and form
Economic economic or practical returns
Individualistic stand out as independent and unique
Political be in control or have influence
Altruist humanitarian efforts or to help others altruistically
Regulatory establish order, routine and structure
Theoretical knowledge, learning and understanding

Outside Sales’s Ideal Motivational Style

Understanding WHY someone does what they do is the key to aligning them with work that is fulfilling and satisfying. Roles reward certain drivers and motivators.

The ideal candidate’s motivational style demonstrates:

  • Highly motivated to achieve and win in a variety of areas.
  • Profit driven and bottom-line oriented.
  • Highly driven by competition, challenges, and economic incentives.
  • Will protect organizational or team finances, as well as own.
  • Pays close attention to return on investment in business or team activity.
  • Has a ‘buck stops here’ approach to business and getting things done.
  • Has a high energy level to work hard at meeting goals.
  • Accepts struggles and hard work toward a goal.
  • Able to plan and design work projects for teams to accomplish.
  • Able to plan and control own work tasks

Charles Cook

Behavioral Style

Motivational Styles

LowAesthetic Has a bottom-line approach focusing on functionality over form or aesthetics.
Very HighEconomic Very competitive and bottom-line oriented.
Very HighIndividualistic Demonstrates high independence and project self-confidence.
HighPolitical Able to accept the credit or take the blame with a 'the buck stops here' attitude.
AverageAltruist Concerned for others without giving everything away; a stabilizer.
AverageRegulatory Able to balance and understand the need to have structure and order, but not paralyzed without it.
AverageTheoretical Able to balance the quest for understanding and knowledge with the practical needs of a situation.

Personalized Interview Guide

Based on the information for Charles, here are some specific, personalized questions to ask during your interview. These questions focus on Charles's unique strengths, potential weaknesses and drivers of engagement that will help you assess the quality of fit, and potential success in this role.

Key strengths for Charles:

Ask Charles, “How did you most effectively utilize these key strengths in past roles?”

  • Able to set high goals, then works hard with people to achieve those goals.
  • Able to use discipline in an appropriate manner to achieve a win-win situation.
  • Able to make decisions quickly and to take the credit or blame for the outcome of decisions.
  • Excellent at building new projects, initiatives, or territory for an organization.
  • Shows the rare ability of being able to manipulate people (in a positive way) without their noticing the manipulation.
  • Demands high performance of self and others on the team.
  • Excellent at initiating activity and direction for the team or organization.

Potential weaknesses for Charles:

Below are some potential areas of improvement for Charles. Go through this list and discuss how Charles perceives each weakness. You can probe further by asking questions such as "How did you prevent these weaknesses from interfering with performance in past roles?"

  • Sometimes overuse an "ends justify the means" perspective.
  • Become impatient, especially with slower-moving or slower-thinking people.
  • Be a selective listener, hearing only what you want to hear at times.
  • Lose interest in the project or initiative once the challenge is gone and it has become more of a routine.
  • Easily become restless and impatient with overly complex processes or slow-moving work.
  • Become more easily angry or belligerent when under pressure or when threatened.
  • Set expectations for yourself and others that are overly ambitious or unrealistic.

Cultural Fit/Ideal Environment for Charles

Below are some characteristics that describe Charles's ideal work environment. Working in an environment where these are present will ensure the highest engagement, motivation, performance and retention. We recommend discussing these characteristics with Charles to understand how they fit in the company culture. Look for aspects that would excite Charles about coming to work every day.

  • Authority equal to your responsibility.
  • Flexible environment, able to support changes and spontaneity.
  • Freedom from controls, details, and minutia.
  • Public recognition of accomplishments.
  • Mobility, and freedom to travel around the organization or around the country.
  • Freedom of speech and self-expression.
  • Ability to see rapid results from your efforts.

Jack Murphy

Behavioral Style

Motivational Styles

HighAesthetic Very much prefers form, harmony and balance. Likely a strong advocate for green initiatives and protecting personal time and space.
Very LowEconomic May try to help meet customers' needs (internal and external) before their own.
AverageIndividualistic Not an extremist and able to balance the needs of both others and self.
AveragePolitical Flexible, able to take or leave the power or clout that comes with the job title or assignment.
Very HighAltruist Has a very high sincerity-factor and a high empathy for others' needs.
Very HighRegulatory Well disciplined, and follow standard operating protocol and traditional ways.
AverageTheoretical Able to balance the quest for understanding and knowledge with the practical needs of a situation.

Personalized Interview Guide

Based on the information for Jack, here are some specific, personalized questions to ask during your interview. These questions focus on Jack's unique strengths, potential weaknesses and drivers of engagement that will help you assess the quality of fit, and potential success in this role.

Key strengths for Jack:

Ask Jack, “How did you most effectively utilize these key strengths in past roles?”

  • Able to negotiate conflicts into win-win situations.
  • Able to build positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Demonstrates an appropriate combination of people-orientation plus listening ability and may serve as a sought-after coach or counselor to peers within the organization.
  • The high optimism helps motivate the team toward its goals.
  • Works hard for the team objectives and goals.
  • Able to reach goals by working with and supporting the efforts of others on the team.
  • Demonstrates a high degree of patience in working with others.

Potential weaknesses for Jack:

Below are some potential areas of improvement for Jack. Go through this list and discuss how Jack perceives each weakness. You can probe further by asking questions such as "How did you prevent these weaknesses from interfering with performance in past roles?"

  • Lack a high sense of urgency, especially when under pressure.
  • Hesitate to correct or discipline those who need it for fear of offending someone.
  • Be overly tolerant with individuals who are unproductive.
  • Need some coaching in time management and in setting deadlines that are more ambitious.
  • Show less emphasis on productivity and more emphasis on the people-side of a project.
  • Take constructive criticism too personally.
  • Be slow to make decisions due to a need to consider the people-side of all issues.

Cultural Fit/Ideal Environment for Jack

Below are some characteristics that describe Jack's ideal work environment. Working in an environment where these are present will ensure the highest engagement, motivation, performance and retention. We recommend discussing these characteristics with Jack to understand how they fit in the company culture. Look for aspects that would excite Jack about coming to work every day.

  • Specialized assignments that also involve communicating and working with a variety of people.
  • Favorable working climate with positive attitudes and optimistic spirit.
  • A work culture that allows for your natural interest in helping others learn and grow professionally.
  • A work culture that takes pride in the systems, processes and people working behind the scenes.
  • A job culture where there is little hostility, confrontation, or anger.
  • A balance between some stable, predictable work activities and some variety and change on a regular basis.
  • Job responsibility involving people contacts and a need to be supportive of individual efforts.