Yardstick

Strong communicators don't just share information—they drive results. Studies show that teams with excellent communicators are 25% more productive and have significantly higher employee retention rates. 🎯 Ready to identify exceptional communicators in your interviews? Here's how to get started: Communication skills are mission-critical for: 🛎️ Customer service excellence 💼 Sales leadership 👥 Team management 📚 Training & development 📰 Public relations 🏥 Healthcare delivery 🎯 Top questions to spot great communicators: "Walk me through a time you needed to explain a complex concept to someone unfamiliar with the topic." "Share a time when you had to deliver difficult news. How did you handle it?" "Describe a situationed you needed to adapt your communication style for a challenging audience." "Walk me through a situation you mediated a conflict between team members." ✨ What to watch for: 👂 Active listening during the interview 🎯 Clear, concise responses 🔄 Adaptation to different question styles 🤝 Strong non-verbal communication 💡 Thoughtful questions and follow-ups 🧠 Emotional intelligence in responses Remember: The best communicators don't just talk well—they listen actively, adapt constantly, and connect authentically!

The most valuable employees are not just skilled but also coachable. Coachable team members adapt faster, innovate more, and outperform their peers. 🎯 Looking to spot truly coachable candidates? Here's your essential guide! Coachability is critical for roles requiring: 🔄 Continuous learning and development 💻 Adaptation to new technologies 🤝 Collaborative teamwork 👥 Leadership responsibilities 🎯 Top questions to identify coachable candidates: "Tell me about receiving feedback that was difficult to hear. How did you respond?" "Share a time when you changed your approach based on someone's advice." "Describe how you've improved a specific skill through coaching." "Walk me through a situation where you actively sought feedback to grow." ✨ What signals true coachability: 🎓 Eagerly seeks learning opportunities 🤔 Shows genuine self-awareness 📈 Demonstrates concrete growth from feedback 🔍 Proactively asks for guidance 💪 Views challenges as growth opportunities Remember: The best candidates don't just accept feedback—they actively seek it out and turn it into action! Want more strategies for building an adaptable, growth-minded team? Check out Yardstick's website for interview question ideas and example interview guides.

Did you know conscientious employees consistently deliver higher quality work, show greater reliability, and achieve better long-term results? 🎯 Want to identify truly conscientious candidates in your interviews? Here's your guide to assessing this crucial trait! Conscientiousness—the superpower behind exceptional: 📊 Project management ✅ Quality assurance 💰 Financial analysis 💼 Executive assistance 🏥 Healthcare delivery ⚖️ Legal work 🔍 Top questions to spot conscientious candidates: "Describe a time when your attention to detail prevented a major error at work." "Tell me about managing a complex project. How did you ensure its success?" "Share an experience where you balanced multiple critical deadlines." "Walk me through a situation where your thoroughness caught what others missed." 💡 What to look for in responses: 📋 Specific examples of meticulous planning 🤝 Stories demonstrating reliability 🎯 Evidence of long-term goal achievement ⭐ Instances of going above and beyond Remember: While conscientiousness is vital, the best employees balance it with adaptability. Look for candidates who show attention to detail AND the ability to adjust when needed. Want more interview strategies? Check out Yardstick's website for extensive guides on interview questions and interview guides!

🚫 Hiring Mistake Alert: Too Many Interview Questions Here's why asking too many interview questions fails: 1️⃣ Surface-level insights: With numerous questions, you're barely scratching the surface. 2️⃣ Coached responses: Many candidates are prepped to give polished answers to standard questions. 3️⃣ Favoring great interviewers over great sellers: You might end up hiring the best actor, not the best salesperson. 🔑 The solution? Go deep, not wide. My approach for a 45-minute interview: • Ask just 3 in-depth questions • Prepare numerous possible follow-ups for each • Dive deep to distinguish real experience from rehearsed responses Remember: The goal is to identify candidates who've actually solved your problems, not just read about them online. Don't let your hiring process devolve into a likability contest. Dig deeper, uncover success traites, and build a sales team that drives results. Have you experienced similar challenges in your hiring process? Share your thoughts below!

How many interviews does it take to get to know a candidate well enough to make a hiring decision? Check out our blog post for why four works well for growing teams.

🚨 Attention hiring managers! 🚨 Do you ask hypothetical questions in your interviews? 🤔 It's time to rethink your approach! This article reveals why hypothetical questions fall short in predicting a candidate's true potential and how you can revamp your interview process to identify the best fit for your team. 💡 Discover the power of behavioral and competency-based questions that dive deep into a candidate's past experiences, decision-making process, and problem-solving skills. 🔍 Learn how to craft precise questions, ask insightful follow-ups, and structure your interviews for maximum impact. 💪 Don't miss out on the opportunity to enhance your hiring accuracy by 86%! 📈 Click the link below to uncover the secrets of effective interviewing and start building your dream team today! 🌟 #HiringTips #InterviewSkills #TalentAcquisition

Just released: A new episode of Building Elite Sales Teams with special guest Matthew Buchalski, VP of Sales at RealPage, Inc.! Matt brings 15+ years of experience building high-performing sales teams to the conversation. We cover a ton of valuable ground, including: ✅ How to develop a vision for your sales org ✅Gaining buy-in and driving change ✅Gathering feedback from your team ✅Turning difficult realizations into positive change as a leader Plus, Matt shares a powerful perspective on the importance of clear communication. Don't miss the clip below! Check out the full episode to dive deeper into these topics and more. Let me know which insights resonated with you - I'm always excited to keep the dialogue going. #salesleadership #podcast #personaldevelopment

This week on Building Elite Sales Teams, I had the pleasure of interviewing Justin Otley, VP of Global Sales Development at Talkdesk. We covered many topics essential for building high-performing sales development teams. 🏆 Here's some of what we discussed: 💡 Mastering Personas: Justin emphasizes the critical role of understanding your personas for tailoring outreach and driving results. 💡 📞 Outbound Strategies: We debunk the myth that outbound is dead and explore how tactics have evolved to stay effective in today's market. 📞 🚀 Career Paths: Justin shares insights on creating real career paths within sales development teams to keep members motivated and engaged. 🚀 ⏱️ Efficiency in SDR Teams: Learn how to buy back SDRs' time by focusing on high-impact activities. ⏱️ #SalesDevelopment #SalesLeadership #BuildingEliteSalesTeams #Podcast

Frontline sales management is the toughest job in the company. The most successful frontline leaders have a disciplined approach and consistent operating cadence. In the latest Building Elite Sales Teams episode, Dana Smith,Sr. shares why consistency is critical as a sales leader: Dana also discusses the importance of hiring well, being a genuine leader who can admit when you're wrong, and not 'watering the weeds' by moving on quickly from reps who aren't working out. Check out the full episode for more of Dana's advice on developing as a leader and building high-performing sales teams.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to share sales hiring best practices with the SaaStr community at yesterday's Workshop on Wednesday. For many companies, sales leadership has been particularly challenging for the past few years. Hiring skills are a controllable factor that can make everything else easier. I'll put a link to a session recording in the comments.