Hiring a new manager requires finding the right mixture of individual contributor and group motivator. When considering a potential manager, make sure you look at their relationship in the company and the effects they have had on their team. Below are some of the best interview questions to ask.
How many employees have you hired, trained, and managed?
Recruiting and hiring great sales leads is extremely important for companies, especially when they are in hyper-growth mode. Look for team leaders that have demonstrated their ability to identify and strengthen great employees. Has anyone made personnel recommendations? Has a team lead recommended someone for a promotion? Looking at metrics like team retention and internal promotions are also great ways to identify a person who is good at managing, not just individual contribution. Identifying the team leader that is constantly producing is an ideal employee to promote and could be the first step in finding your new manager. Talent retention is something every company values, so identifying employees already skilled in creating and sustaining successful teams can you find the best sales leader.
What was your team’s quota and attainment?
Drill into actual revenue metrics when interviewing potential management employees. Make sure that your team leader is actually leading the team to success. Do they know how to set appropriate goals? Are they able to map out a process to achieve their goals? Are they able to hold everyone on their team accountable for individual contributions? How has the manager dealt with employees struggling to reach their quotas? Asking about specific numbers can shed some light on how the team actually works and the impact the team lead has had. Compare metrics from before and after the team lead as well to see how much of a difference their leadership created.
How has your team actually done compared to their goals?
Some people are great as individual contributors but unfortunately do not know how to teach others to be successful. Don’t judge a manger only by their personal quotas or idealistic goals. Make sure any potential manager has demonstrated success. Find team leaders that have repeatedly exceeded their goals. These are ideal candidates to promote. They can encourage others to follow in their footsteps as they know how to coach success. If a team lead has continued achieving their goals amongst personnel changes, they are especially better positioned to become managers.
Have you built out a sales playbook or any new member trainings?
Always ask if your candidate has prepared any hard documents in relation to their leadership. These kinds of texts are great indicators of successful salespeople that are able to outline a repeatable process. Find a team lead that has experience training new members and has the resources to bring to the table and begin managing immediately. A great manager is one that can start immediately and consistently add value to their team members. They create lasting legacies.