Page 41 - DMGT507_SALES AND PROMOTIONS MANAGEMENT

Unit 2: Recruitment, Selection and Training of Sales Personnel

(b) Project Tests: In this the candidate is asked to project his own interpretation into Notes
certain standard stimulus situations which reflects his own values, motives and
personality.

(c) Situation Test: This reveals the ability of a candidate to undergo stress and his
demonstration of ingenuity under pressure. In short, we can say that it is a measure
of applicant's reaction when he is placed in a particular situation.
3. Achievement Tests (Proficiency Tests): Achievement tests seek to determine how much the
individual knows about a subject. They determine the admission feasibility of the candidate
and measure what he is capable of doing.
(a) Tests for measuring job knowledge: They are administered to determine degree of their
qualification and feasibility to perform the job.
(b) Work sample tests: They demand the administration of the actual job as a test.

4. Interest Test: It is assumed in the use of interest tests that a relationship exists between test
and motivation. Hence, if two persons have equal ability, the one with a greater interest
in a particular job is more successful. These tests aim at finding out the types of work in
which the candidate is interested.
However, these are not used much in the selection procedure of sales personnel as significant
variation has been found in the interest test scores of successful and unsuccessful sales persons.

Physical Examination

Sales persons' job requires unusual stamina, strength or tolerance of hard working conditions.
The presence or absence of these qualities in the candidate is revealed by physical examination.
The major purpose of physical examination in the selection procedure of sales persons is that:
1. It gives a clear indication whether candidate is physically able to perform the sales person's
job in the company.
2. It prevents selection of people who suffer from some contagious diseases.
3. It discovers the existing disabilities of the candidate and a record of the same is maintained
so that the question of company's responsibilities would be settled in the event of a
workman's compensation claim.

2.2.2 Rating of Interviewee

Having studied all the factors related to selection process, these should now be rated on the
placement summary. The various facts should be compared with the requirements of the main
profile and a score noted in the appropriate box. He should be rated 1 for a perfect match, 2 for
an average match, 3 for below average and 4 for totally unsatisfactory. Comments should be
made in the appropriate column to explain apparent discrepancies. Overall comments can be
made in the space provided.
The scores should not be totaled or averaged in arriving at the final recommendation, as the
weighing of the various factors will vary. What the manager must do is to consider each candidate
as a mixture of factors and by identifying strong and weak points, come to a recommendation
and scores the man on the four-category scale. Category 1 men will normally be offered jobs
immediately. Category 2 are not qualified in all respects and failing the appearance of anyone
better, are worth employing. Only in dire circumstances, when it is imperative that someone be
employed, should category 3 men be taken on. Category 4 staff should never be employed
however desperate the manager might feel, for they can only create worse problems rather than
solving them.

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