Why is the turnover rate for sales people extremely high today?

At the mention of the word sales, things like door to door salesman, stress, cold calling, commission, unstable career and even odd hours come to mind. Of late, hiring managers have been complaining that their sales team turnover is extremely high. The problem is real, everyone wants a solution.

As human resource professionals, the answers generally point to the direction of compensation, salary, ringgit and cents at the heart of it all. Bottom line is, still back to compensation but that’s not all it takes anymore. There’s more to the equation in reality. Coming from a sales background myself, coupled with extensive human capital and talent management experience, I have observed a very important factor which could potentially explain why sales people are hard to keep. There are generally 3 main hurdles to be overcome. The following explains.

Naturally those who walk the sales path are money driven, strong character individuals and those who stay in the field are usually those who has the staying power to do so. The role is definitely not for the faint hearted and weak willed. And also not for those who need stability and conventional way of work. The general characteristics of a sales person can be summed by observing their attitude which usually makes all the difference. Sometimes this can draw the line between hiring someone with or without experience as the person can be without experience but with a great attitude, they can still make the cut.

If this can be observed into the hiring process, consider hurdle one is down.

The second hurdle to be encountered is to keeping them, which is where the real challenge is.

In the capacity of a HR person, I’ll first revisit the entire process of on-boarding. An employee experience on the first week is paramount to his/ her future with the company. Ask yourselves these questions to check if you’re doing all you can to create a pleasant experience:

Did you give the new staff a warm welcome; introduce to the entire team, welcome breakfast or lunch, inclusion in all team activities. If there are cliques’ within the existing team, it would be a barrier to a new entrant. Did you break all barriers to entry before integrating a new person into the team?

Most people overlook the importance of team lunch or get together sessions. This may not be a party where people get drunk and bare it all. It’s a slow but natural process. Without expecting anyone to be someone they are not, study your team and understand each one’s personality. This will give you an idea of what type of events you can create to gel them together.

If you notice, all the above questions can be answered by one person - the hiring manager/ team leader. Whoever is going to lead the person makes all the difference. In my 8 years of career in sales, I have wanted to quit 8 times! But I stayed each time, only because of 1 main factor, my leader who was also my mentor and support. This kept me going every time it got tough. My leader would stand up for me, if I needed to take leave to just get away from it all, she was understanding enough to put her head on the line and when I got back, I’ll be in top form to perform again. Ask yourselves if this is the kind of a person you have been or have you been strictly adhering to the company hand book and completely ignoring the human needs of individuals in your team.

This is probably an Asian mentality – to work hard. Some injection of culture is needed in managing a team of people to work smart. Leadership is no longer just a term coined as a buzz word. It is the only way forward to keeping people.

People tend to take leadership lightly. It may not be within you but it’s something that can be trained. Review your own leaders’ capabilities. This form of review should go beyond answering a few true or false questions. It should also include real life observations and honest assessments. If there is an area to be worked on for improvement, then that should be addressed.

Once this hurdle has been crossed, if you’ve managed to keep your staff happy emotionally, physically and mentally, the turnover rates can be changed. Of course, the underlying assumption here is that the compensation you’ve offering is competitive enough and commensurate with the incumbents experiences and skills.

The final hurdle in keeping them would be in the reviews and appraisals. In my previous company, all other teams had performance reviews twice a year. My team had ours every month! It seemed like a waste of time at first that I have to sit and discuss figures with my manager every fortnightly but it did help in the long run. We could detect lack of motivation, discuss about issues that were not visible. We genuinely showed concern and meant it. We knew what each one aspired for and we helped them walk to their goal, we reminded them if they slipped and brought them back on track.

If they felt that they lacked in certain areas of skill, we would action a fun training session. These were not provided for by the company but our team did it. And as a result, we were the last team standing with zero turnover rate when the rest of the teams were like revolving doors. We’d go for team outing once a month, be it a hike, picnic, treasure hunts, karaoke, road trips. We did all we could to gel the team together and we became almost like a family that no one wanted to leave.

This also resulted in higher revenue as everyone helped to motivate each other to perform. A classic example as they are but it works. As a conclusion, from what I have experienced and comparing it to what I observe now, the significant lack of leadership in organizations today could be the root cause of the evil of high turnover. Nip that in the bud and see your team grow into a rose garden.

How my life started when I learnt to say NO

How my life started when I learnt to say NO

Kara** turns 34 this year, the year is 2012. She has a hectic life but when she sit down at the end of a day and recount my activities on a day, she finds nothing worth recalling. It’s filled with office work, work for others, running errands for others, helping others, and more of others but less of her in the equation. This was a startling revelation when she decided to analyze where her hours were going into. Then she realized that a bulk of the activities she does in a day is a complete waste of time. She doesn’t have time for herself except sleep time and that’s after she's exhausted all her energy running errands for other people. The neighbors dog to be fed, the kids to be fed when they can be trained to eat themselves, the additional printing to be done at work when the person himself can print and pick it up themselves. All the small things add up to the bigger picture, resulting in her loaded with a whole load of other people’s work.

A self analysis led her to realize that she is too obliging as a person and can never say never or no. In fact, in the past 6 months, she can count the number of times she has said no and countless times when she has obliged to help someone.

Helping someone in need is not the problem here. Being a doormat is. People in general needs to carry their own weight. While most of us are aware of this basic requirement in life, not many of us are willing to do that. As outsourcing is a buzz word these days, most menial duties are given away for others to do. And this is where people like Kara fit in the lives of the many that choose to outsource, in the name of friendship and relationship.

Unfortunately, the good people of this earth do not come into life with a manual on how to survive. Now here’s one for a start.

Firstly, learn to reward yourself and start saying no. That’s right. Say NO to the extra job at office that someone else can afford to do. Say NO to feeding the dogs when you have already made an appointment to see your massage therapist. Prioritize yourself over anything else unless the other matter at hand is about life or death.

Make plans to pamper yourself, make time for yourself everyday. Be it an hour or two. Even more time on weekends. It is extremely important to spend time with ourselves (sleeping doesn’t count) doing activities which matter most to us. This can be as simple as pursuing a hobby or an interest. Once you start to say NO to the unimportant things which come your way, you will see a lot more of yourself, become a better person and you’ll be able to help others better as well.

Start today and say NO!

Recruitment, retainment, engagement?

We hear the buzz word everywhere: recruitment, retainment and engagement. What do those terms mean to us? As with everything else, we attach our own significant values to the things around us. What do those terms mean to you, personally?

What is your favorite time in a days work?

Most people crave for a certain “time-out” in a days work. Some cherish their puffing session where a few smokers gather to form a chimney at the staircase or lobby area. Entry into this group is the easiest but the most dangerous to health. Ever seen how strangers can just ask for a lighter to puff and they start a conversation? Smoke signals still work, proven over time.

Some others love lunch time where they gather a few gossip gals to do a post mortem on their weekend/ last night event. This is usually the same group of people who has been following through the stories. Entry into this group is usually almost impossible, even if done, it will involve some awkwardness and eventually the newbie will drop off, not being able to keep up.

Another group would prefer the pantry entry. They usually group together at certain times in a day, if the water cooler is not in the pantry; the crowd might be seen crowding the cooler area. In the pretext of waiting to fill up their 5 litre water bottle, 4-5 people wait and chit chat. Funnily, these are usually the same faces, all the time. That’s a quick gulp down!

Some others prefer the after hours team. This is the after-hours socializing group which hops from one bar to another until they find their preferred spot. These drinking nomads are usually a fun bunch to hang out with. The decibel of the group will increase as the hours pass. Highly recommended for newbie in a new team. For those who are against alcoholic drinks, mock tails can be enjoyed as a substitute.

Finally, the one activity which gives the most bliss among all mentioned above is peeing. Toilet time is known to be inspirational for some. My previous manager claimed that her most creative time was time spent in the small cubicle of 4 walls. Suggestions to turn the cubicle into an office were subsequently turned down due to lack of resources.

So, there you go. A list of possible “break-time” options for you to choose from. Ultimately, there has to be a break-free session for you to peel yourself out of your desk for at least 5-10 minutes in each hour. If working time = $$ and break time = opportunity to be more productive, then working time should be balanced with the latter. Besides, all work and no play make a dull and plain Jane.

When to say goodbye to your recruiter

So i called ann** not her real name at 830am, hoping to get her attention first thing in the morning. Sorry, she's not at her desk yet was the receptionist reply. I think i heard a yawn there. Never mind, i'll call back i say and hang up. I continue browsing through jobstreet, jobsDB & monster simultaneously. I've mastered the art of multi tasking whilst being jobless. So this answers the question: how have you spent your days. Self-enhancing-creative education!

Job hunting is a full time job. Whoever said that a jobless person has nothing to do. Okay, now that i'm done entertaining my random passing thoughts, i'm going to ring up my recruiter again. Hopefully she's returned to her desk from the coffee machine chatter at the pantry. Yes! This time, Ann answers the phone and when i give her my name, there's an awkward silence on the other end. Erm, we spoke two days ago? For the developer position you have in Venus? No, not the one in Jupiter, its venus, where you come from. (i mumbled that below my breath, of course!)

Oh yes, now I remember. Sorry but i don't have any positions for you at the moment says my recruiter.

Erm but i just saw positions A, B, D & E reposted yesterday by you. I fully qualify for these roles. Why don't you profile me over? 

Oh.. Sheepishly laughs and says- well, those positions A& B are already closed & the other 2 is still open. BUT client is looking for the X-race, you know, for cultural fit purposes and to fulfil departmental quota. Sigh.. I thought quotas were abolished since Apartheid era? I say this to her to which she immediately answered, i'll call u if i find anything suitable. Kill me now, i say. I've heard these lines at least 100 times & this conversation repeated at least 50 times since i started job hunting. I was proactive enough to call and askif there's something wrong with my application, how can i improve, any new positions etc etc. But the only treatment i get from my recruiters is the silence kind. Cold and distant. I decided to fire my recruiter. And 3 months after pin drop silence from her, she calls me with her friendliest tone. Hey, how have you been? Long time huh? Listen, are you still looking for a job now? 

Oops, guess what? I just got employed by your competitor recruitment agency. I believe the role is in your bucket as well. You should go check it & close the position. And by the way, I now represent Jupiter Entreprises and we are dropping your agency services. Thank you for your services & have a nice day!

Toot toot toot..

Granny is the new baby sitter of New Age!

A very recent incident which involved a side tracked husband caught my attention recently. Wifey lives with her mother and three kids. Husband plays the “Santa Claus” role by taking the kids out on their birthdays. Wifey goes to work, leaving the kids with a 65 year old mother, to single handedly bathe, feed, cook, clean the house and run after them. Wifey feels she is playing her part by giving the mother some allowances to manage the household. But given the above scenario, is she really in a supporting role?

I’d vote for the mother as the “real” supporter in this case. Raising 2 young kids at this time and age is not an easy task. It seems a little too daunting for the own mother herself when she is forced to spend time after work or over weekend with them. Naturally the task becomes easier as the children grow but little does wifey realize that the task is zapping her own mother of her rightful freedom. The freedom to do things that she truly enjoys such as reading, watching a favorite TV program or simply resting.

Although most would argue that grandparents have nothing else to do since they are retired, the reality is a far cry from the truth.

The above scenario is not new to most people these days. We hear about grandparents turned into baby sitters as if they are destined to do it. The logic often used is that grandparents love their grandchildren and they naturally enjoy doing it.

Let’s inject a few elements of truth here. The cardinal duty of taking care of their children falls on the own parents. The constraints of economy have brought about dual income family where both parents have to work to bring food to the table. This has started the trend of sending children to day care and preschools earlier than the supposed age. Unfortunately, not many parents choose this option as it can be geographically impossible or economically not feasible to send their children to a third party. Instead, they choose to send their children to their own retired parents, loading the task of baby sitting over their resting time.

Some give allowances in appreciation for the time taken while some others just close an eye. How to pay when our pay is not enough for us to buy rice even – is usually the argument.

There are always 2 sides to a coin, and this is no exception.

In reality, this is very common in Asian countries where grandparents who are either retired or have been homemakers their whole life are turned into super humans, expected to run after 3 year olds in their frail age. Sometimes I do wonder if these people ever consider their parents age when it comes to running after their children. What if they fall sick? Who will take care of them? What if they enjoy reading and quiet times? Can they then send the kids back to you at work to take care? There are sacrifices they have to make and considering their frail age and time, there is no time left for them to enjoy their own small pleasures of life.

They have all the rights to live as much as parents have the rights to work. They have paid their dues by raising us up and this is a period of time when they should be playing a real granny role, the pampering, and enjoying the companionship of their grandchildren.

If parents have planned to bring their offspring into the world, they should also plan to take care of them, in any way possible. If they are unsure about the hygiene of day care, pay the centers a visit; take extra precaution in choosing a day care for your own child.

If finance is really tight to send them to one and grandparents is the only alternative, find means to assist with the housework, prepare meals before hand so granny doesn’t end up having to do everything. Give them small unexpected treats occasionally – send them off for a holiday over a weekend, sponsor them a spa or massage session or simply allow them their TV time and take the kids out over a weekend or two. This will give them some peace at home for them to focus on them for a change. Everyone needs a time of their own, and they are no exception.

Some of the above suggestions don’t involve monetary investment but it’s the thought that counts, truly.

I'm back in the CBD!

A new chapter begins this September, year 2012.
It's a brand new area of practise altogether and this brings in new opportunities to learn. Which is something I am totally excited about which is learning! Some say it's going to be an overload of information which I think should be exactly what I need. So it's still within the field of Human Resources - compensation and benefits. To total up my experience listing, to-date I've clocked at least 5,600 hours in recruitment. An area which I am not keen to look back into at all. Okay there was performance management which I enjoyed. Training & Development was exciting as well. Coaching and mentoring was definitely worth my time and ticked me really well. There are still a few key areas I need to put my head into and coincidentally C&B came by. I was initially looking for OD roles (Organizational Development). None of which came around and when C&B option opened up, I took it up. Day two and I went for a client visit. It was training all day on how client can utilise the tools we provided but I was engaged in the session all the way. I did the exercise with client as it involved job evaluation, an area which I was familiar with as well.
And more to follow in the days to come.
Okay, there are many blessings to count... Firstly, the gym I frequent is literally 2 buildings away, the train station is within walking distance, KLCC is within walking distance, the park is within distance, there's ample of food options, Subway is. The banks are within walking distance, the trains are next door, literally. Salsa club is opposite my office. When I hear how far away some of my colleagues travel to get to work, I feel so blessed. I have nothing to complain about and I should really be grateful.

So that's it, back in the Central Business District (CBD) and I feel so blessed. Thank you!

the Return

I just realised that my last post here was in October 2011. I still remember writing it and feels like yesterday. Reality sinks in, it's been 11 months since and December is closing in. So, quite update on progress and let's move on to greater things.
Back from Singapore for good on the 31st of June 2012. Been hunting for jobs since. No real luck really but am still keeping my head up high.
I'll be keeping a close watch on the way the market responds to a talented individual like me, being out of job for more than a month now. A detailed update on my adventures will be posted regularly (i hope). Till then, i'll have to get back to my resume update. Successfully re-profiled self on LinkedIN and now Jobstreet but the page wouldn't load. The saga continues...