At some point or another, every successful company will find itself in a position where key personnel decide to move on to other opportunities. And when these people fill essential roles like Chief Sales Officer or VP of sales, it creates an urgent and immediate need to find a replacement.
Sales has always been one of the most competitive and exciting areas in a growing company, and it should come as no surprise that ambitious sales leaders sometimes choose to leverage their accomplishments in order to secure positions in larger firms. But when this happens, it puts a significant amount of pressure on the rest of the team to find someone who can fill the gap.
So how do companies deal with this turnover at the highest levels when it happens suddenly, and there is simply no time to plan a more orderly transition?
The Challenges of Executive Recruitment
When people at lower levels in an organization decide to move on to new pastures, management usually has several options: work sharing by existing staff, for example, or a quick hiring push.
Things are different when someone at the top decides to leave for the simple reason that their job usually can’t be taken on by the rest of the team because a big part of their work involves specialized knowledge of the workforce and client base.
As for a hiring blitz, it’s generally not possible to find someone qualified for an executive role at short notice if there isn’t a qualified and trustworthy employee who can be promoted into the position.
This puts leadership in a uniquely difficult position, one that every growing firm should be prepared to meet.
How Executive Recruiting Firms Can Help
Finding top talent for high-level positions is not a new problem, and in most cases the challenge of finding a new sales executive is accomplished with the help of third-party sales recruitment agencies that specialize in finding sales executives who have already been vetted for their experience and aptitude.
Sales recruiters keep huge databases of executives who may be looking for a change in position, and with their help you can quickly identify individuals with the unique blend of personal qualities and proven experience that will make them a good fit for your company and industry.
But the best executive recruiters don’t just help you find someone who can step into the breach and keep operations going: they also help you choose sales executives who can build winning teams that can inspire your sales department to reach new heights.
Even with the perfect candidate, a transition between sales executives will have its ups and downs. But when you find someone who can step into the role with a solid knowledge of your industry and the right leadership qualities, things will go a lot more smoothly, which is why it is important to use all the tools at your disposal to identify promising candidates.
The good news is that a new sales executive will also bring new experience, new passion, and new energy to the role, meaning that the sudden shock of losing a prominent member of your team could turn out to be the prelude to a fruitful new chapter in your company’s life.
About Carson Derrow
