Gone are the days of having a drawn-out, overly corporate recruitment process. In today’s sales landscape, hiring top sales talent is a whole different ballgame, and requires a reinvented approach that meets the needs of both candidates and your business.

When it comes to recruiting the best salespeople, it’s important to focus on marketing your roles effectively and tailoring your hiring strategy to the talent you want to attract. As over 70% of professional talent are passive candidates, who are likely to be put off by a rigid, lengthy process, a streamlined and considerate approach benefits both sides. Research also shows that candidates who have a positive hiring experience are 38% more likely to accept a job offer.

Here are five actionable tips to help you refresh your hiring model and secure the best sales professionals on the market.

Keep your recruitment process efficient

Nothing kills candidate enthusiasm faster than radio silence. It’s reported that 63% of candidates say they’re unhappy with the lack of communication they receive from employers after applying, and over half wait three months or more for a response. A lengthy hiring process, paired with a complicated application system, is a major turn-off for talent.

You can avoid this by starting strong with quick phone or video screenings to identify the right people early on. Be honest about how many stages the process involves and stay true to it. Even during notice periods, keep candidates engaged with regular updates. Clear, consistent communication shows you value their time and interest, making them more likely to stay with you until the offer stage.

Invest in your team

Your sales team is your growth engine, so investing in their progress is a great use of company time and money. Whether it’s training programmes, mentorship, or e-learning opportunities, giving your people room to grow has a big payoff: higher morale, stronger retention, and better performance.

For candidates, the promise of development is a major draw. If they can see a clear path to progression, they’re more likely to commit to your business for the long term. Training isn’t just an internal win; it’s a powerful part of your recruitment message.

Market your roles where talent is

Recruiting on social media isn’t a nice-to-have anymore, it’s the norm. In addition to job boards, it’s a useful modern-day essential for advertising vacancies. Research shows that 91% of employers now use social media in their hiring, with LinkedIn leading the way (90%) followed by Facebook (55%). With over 1 billion LinkedIn users and 3 billion Facebook users worldwide, it’s about getting your roles in front of the people where they already spend their time. It also helps build your employer brand. And when you combine social media outreach with a strong employee referral programme, it becomes even more effective, helping you speed up hiring, improve culture fit, lower costs, and boost engagement.

Create a job spec that sells

Think of your job spec as your shop window, it needs to stand out, be easy to read, and make someone want to apply, especially with hundreds of similar roles advertised online. To recruit the best sales talent, you’ll need to go beyond the basics and highlight the benefits candidates care about today: flexible and hybrid working, comprehensive mental health support, and clear opportunities for progression.

It’s also important to be honest about what’s essential and what can be learned on the job. And don’t forget to paint a picture of the role to help candidates imagine themselves succeeding in it. The more specific and compelling you are, the better your chance you have of attracting the right fit.

Don’t be afraid to start over

Sometimes, you might find yourself in the situation where none of your shortlisted candidates are quite the right fit, whether due to a lack of enthusiasm or practical issues like relocation. When this happens, it can be tempting to hire someone ‘good enough’, but that can often cost more in the long run – both in lost performance and in having to repeat the process.

If the other shortlisted candidates aren’t the right fit, pause, revisit your process, and restart the search. The best hires are worth the wait.

Partner with the experts

At BMS Performance, we specialise in helping sales leaders and hiring managers cut through the noise of today’s competitive market, apply the right hiring strategies, and secure high-performing sales talent. Contact us today to find out how we can support you in making your next hire.