{"id":1518,"date":"2019-03-02T06:34:55","date_gmt":"2019-03-02T11:34:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.comblog\/sales-candidate-pipeline\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T21:53:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T01:53:34","slug":"sales-candidate-pipeline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/sales-candidate-pipeline\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Strong Sales Candidate Pipeline: 3 Steps for HR Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/picture>\n\n

\"Virtual\n<\/picture><\/p>\n

One of the central challenges for companies attempting to scale their sales teams is the ability for HR leaders and their teams to deliver qualified candidates in a timely manner. The time-to-hire gap is long\u2014<\/span>estimated at roughly 2 months<\/span><\/a>\u2014and once a rep is on the job it takes them <\/span>10 months<\/span><\/a> to onboard. Put in context, in which the average tenure of a B2B sales rep is 24 months, this leaves very little time for a rep to deliver a return on investment. <\/span><\/p>\n

All told, this leaves sales organizations with eroding revenue and a weak pipeline in times when they should be growing. The typical mad-dash recruiting approach, which tries to fill seats as soon as headcount opens, fails to bring in candidates fast enough and tends to attract low-grade hires that soon voluntarily turn over. <\/span><\/p>\n

HR leaders and sales leaders must collaborate on a new recruiting strategy designed for top sales talent that uses long-term relationship building to prime them for an interview. This is called the Virtual Talent Bench strategy, which shortens the time-to-hire gap, shortens ramp-up time, and lengthens a salesperson\u2019s tenure.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why a virtual talent bench strategy attracts A-players<\/h3>\n

Think of A-player sales candidates as \u201ccustomers\u201d who require time to travel through a buyer\u2019s journey. When you sell a product to a customer, you don\u2019t expect them to purchase the moment they hear about your company. Instead, you might expect an average lead time of weeks, months, or even years where you build mutual trust through check-ins and nurture content, like eBooks, articles, and videos, to educate them about your brand and benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Top talent requires a similar approach. Push candidate leads along a hiring nurture funnel with content and check-ins until you have a pool of talent that knows and trusts your employer brand. <\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Geoff Smart<\/span><\/a> calls this the virtual talent bench strategy. He writes, \u201cWhen the star pitcher pulls a muscle and has to leave the game, the coach gets the number two pitcher off the bench and play resumes immediately. No problem.\u201d Hiring managers should think like a baseball coach: nurture candidates until you can put a rep in the game as quickly as you like.<\/span><\/p>\n

The virtual bench strategy eliminates last-minute dashes and establishes a recruiting machine that predictably incubates high-quality hires. It decreases time-to-hire and gives A-players the time, relationships, and information they need to join your company.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are three steps to the virtual bench strategy: Generate leads, put infrastructure in place to track your interactions, and nurture them with personal outreach and content.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Step 1: Identify A Players<\/h2>\n

Start with a workforce planning exercise to anticipate the number of reps you plan to hire in the next year. Then, build a picture of the ideal candidate with the specific attributes and skills needed to do the job. Because you are hiring salespeople, educate your team about the importance of<\/span> Sales DNA<\/span><\/a>, which are the intangible traits that help top salespeople excel. Sales DNA almost always beats the resume as a form of screening and selecting a candidate that will perform well on the job.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, find candidates. They will be more likely to act on a word-of-mouth referral from someone they trust, so mine your company\u2019s extended network, starting with your top salespeople. Conduct an internal brainstorming exercise by asking key sales leaders and reps to make a list of 10 potential candidates in their network. Top performers immerse themselves in successful communities and have deep networks of other talented sales leaders. Ask them to browse their own LinkedIn networks to make sure they haven\u2019t missed anyone. <\/span><\/p>\n

You can do a similar exercise by identifying people in your network who are \u201cconnectors\u201d\u2014advisors, mentors, influencers, and other business partners\u2014who can recommend candidates and make a connection. <\/span><\/p>\n

Next, look at the competition\u2019s sales force, as well as peripheral competitors and industries. These are companies and industries adjacent to yours that have similar buyers, sales cycles, and deal sizes, but don\u2019t compete head-to-head. You can also participate in professional associations, network at trade shows, and even host events for education, networking, and industry interest presentations. <\/span><\/p>\n

Consider creating a talent community, which allows top talent to submit their resumes to your company without committing to a certain position. People who are attracted to your brand can simply express interest, share contact information, and upload their resume, separate from any job postings. There are many benefits to this for both you and the candidate:<\/span><\/p>\n