The critical first step in the recruitment process is to conduct a job analysis. The purpose of the job analysis is to identify the specific tasks and responsibilities that the salesperson is required to perform. Any member of the sales organization and/or the human resource department may conduct the job analysis. In addition, the company may hire an outside specialist to complete the process. The job analysis process generally involves three steps. The first one is one of observation. The person conducting the analysis should spend time with several salespeople as they go about their duties. The objective of this step is to observe and record each of the tasks being performed by the salesperson on a consistent basis. Through this analysis, the details of the salesperson's activities and the amount of time required to complete each activity are recorded. Once the analyst has completed their observation of salesperson duties, the next step in the process will be to analyze the environment in which a salesperson will work. What do we mean by environment? There are several factors in the salesperson's environment which will need to be considered when analyzing the role in particular duties of the job. For example, what type of competition will the salesperson face? What type of customers will a salesperson be working with on a day-to-day basis? Finally, what particular knowledge and skills will be required of the salesperson to excel in this particular position? This information is collected and used to form a more complete picture of the sales position. The final stage of the job analysis is to consult additional sources which will help to clarify and provide a more clean and complete representation of the position. This usually involves individuals who will likely interact with the salesperson. For example, the firm's distribution manager may provide valuable input as to the role the salesperson will play in the distribution process once orders are placed. Other channel partners of the firm often provide valuable input as well because they also helped to contribute to the overall value chain of the firm. These additional perspectives will help to identify the inclusion of salesperson duties that will ensure a smooth process from order placement to delivery. The firm's current customers are a valuable resource in job analysis process as well. Customer perspectives aid the analyst in creating a specific set of duties as well. The customer perspective offers guidelines for salesperson duties to ensure a positive customer relationship management experience. Now that we reviewed the details of the job analysis, why don't you give it a try yourself? Use the link below and create a job analysis for your current position.
