Struggling to recruit - Account Manager, Wiltshire
Discussion
Hi all,
I run a company that provides training to corporate clients in the field of software development.
The business is well-established (coming up for 10 years) and we've decided it's time to expand from our current size which is myself and my business partner, a full-time administrator and a tribe of sub-contractors and HR & Marketing free-lancers. I'm looking forward to the challenges this will bring, but we're currently struggling to jump the first hurdle, which is finding suitable candidates to interview for an account manager's position.
We are in the fortunate position that the incoming flow of new business means we simply don't have enough time to maximise the opportunities arising from existing and historic clients. We need at least one full-time member of staff who is focused on developing those relationships - expanding our reach in larger clients and ensuring we are a present in the minds of old clients when they come back to the marketplace for further assistance.
It's ideally suited to someone with 2 - 5 years in a similar role, we're happy to provide on-the-job training/mentoring as well as formal training to the right candidate. There is genuine scope for career progression as the company expands further over the next few years.
We've had the role on Indeed.com for a month or so and gone down the PPC route to ensure the advert is always visible in searches.
So far we've had quite a few applications, but we seem only to be attracting people with 20 years + experience in more senior sales and management roles, people with almost no relevant experience at all, or people who've changed jobs every 18 months.
Given our goal is to build the business long-term, we are looking for people we can invest in and who will be happy in their role for a decent period of time.
Given our location is north Wiltshire we clearly won't have a huge pool of potential applicants, but it's hardly the Scottish Highlands!
Any ideas?
I run a company that provides training to corporate clients in the field of software development.
The business is well-established (coming up for 10 years) and we've decided it's time to expand from our current size which is myself and my business partner, a full-time administrator and a tribe of sub-contractors and HR & Marketing free-lancers. I'm looking forward to the challenges this will bring, but we're currently struggling to jump the first hurdle, which is finding suitable candidates to interview for an account manager's position.
We are in the fortunate position that the incoming flow of new business means we simply don't have enough time to maximise the opportunities arising from existing and historic clients. We need at least one full-time member of staff who is focused on developing those relationships - expanding our reach in larger clients and ensuring we are a present in the minds of old clients when they come back to the marketplace for further assistance.
It's ideally suited to someone with 2 - 5 years in a similar role, we're happy to provide on-the-job training/mentoring as well as formal training to the right candidate. There is genuine scope for career progression as the company expands further over the next few years.
We've had the role on Indeed.com for a month or so and gone down the PPC route to ensure the advert is always visible in searches.
So far we've had quite a few applications, but we seem only to be attracting people with 20 years + experience in more senior sales and management roles, people with almost no relevant experience at all, or people who've changed jobs every 18 months.
Given our goal is to build the business long-term, we are looking for people we can invest in and who will be happy in their role for a decent period of time.
Given our location is north Wiltshire we clearly won't have a huge pool of potential applicants, but it's hardly the Scottish Highlands!
Any ideas?
Thanks all - some useful comments here.
We do give an indication that the package will be competitive. Whilst we are now based in Wiltshire, we set the business up in London and our activities aren't geographically linked to where our we are based - we have key clients across the UK and in EU/US. We are actually more profitable since we moved out of London - we charge our clients the same, pay our subcontractors the same but our fixed costs are significantly lower. Basically the company can afford to pay London salaries for the right person.
The job-hopping isn't an immediate 'no' and I am trying to read between the lines. I certainly don't have the most linear career path!
However someone who has been in sales roles for 15/20 years and have generally only stayed in one place for 18/24 months before moving just doesn't fill me with confidence.
I suspect I wasn't clear. We're not struggling in terms of attracting expensive, experienced people - in fact we've had plenty and we're considering hiring one applicant as a senior new business salesperson, howevert the A/M position is a junior role and needs a junior candidate.
It's these, more junior, applicants that we're not hearing from and I need help in finding!
We do give an indication that the package will be competitive. Whilst we are now based in Wiltshire, we set the business up in London and our activities aren't geographically linked to where our we are based - we have key clients across the UK and in EU/US. We are actually more profitable since we moved out of London - we charge our clients the same, pay our subcontractors the same but our fixed costs are significantly lower. Basically the company can afford to pay London salaries for the right person.
The job-hopping isn't an immediate 'no' and I am trying to read between the lines. I certainly don't have the most linear career path!
However someone who has been in sales roles for 15/20 years and have generally only stayed in one place for 18/24 months before moving just doesn't fill me with confidence.
I suspect I wasn't clear. We're not struggling in terms of attracting expensive, experienced people - in fact we've had plenty and we're considering hiring one applicant as a senior new business salesperson, howevert the A/M position is a junior role and needs a junior candidate.
It's these, more junior, applicants that we're not hearing from and I need help in finding!
No - I haven't put a salary figure in there. At best I could put a range for basic salary with 'reasonable' commission.
Whilst I appreciate the comments, do you really think it's the absence of this that's preventing junior candidates applying?
Edited to add: I'm obviously not hiring an IT Contractor - in the dim and distant past I recruited many IT contractors into software development roles and I entirely agree that a clear expression of rate is vital in that context - there's a fixed function that needs filling and that function has a clear rate/value.
However this is a permanent office-based role for a non-technical person with quite a wide variance of possible salary due experience levels. I think the lack of salary is a red herring here - unless any of the posters above are 1/2 years out of university looking for a junior role, whether you would apply is not entirely relevant!
Whilst I appreciate the comments, do you really think it's the absence of this that's preventing junior candidates applying?
Edited to add: I'm obviously not hiring an IT Contractor - in the dim and distant past I recruited many IT contractors into software development roles and I entirely agree that a clear expression of rate is vital in that context - there's a fixed function that needs filling and that function has a clear rate/value.
However this is a permanent office-based role for a non-technical person with quite a wide variance of possible salary due experience levels. I think the lack of salary is a red herring here - unless any of the posters above are 1/2 years out of university looking for a junior role, whether you would apply is not entirely relevant!
Edited by maturin23 on Tuesday 16th October 14:07
We've already run the business successfully using contract staff and outsourcing things like HR, marketing, telemarketing campaigns etc.
I want to grow the business so it's eventually able to function successfully without too much day-to-day input from me - this means hiring people for the long term rather than just paying to temp staff to get jobs done.
We are looking to pay a basic of between £20k/£30k with an anticipated commission/bonuses of £10k/£15k on top. These are such broad ranges that they are pretty much meaningless though.
It's not really a field sales role. Most of our business is done via telephone and email and most clients are in London so a day in town every couple of weeks would suffice.
I want to grow the business so it's eventually able to function successfully without too much day-to-day input from me - this means hiring people for the long term rather than just paying to temp staff to get jobs done.
We are looking to pay a basic of between £20k/£30k with an anticipated commission/bonuses of £10k/£15k on top. These are such broad ranges that they are pretty much meaningless though.
It's not really a field sales role. Most of our business is done via telephone and email and most clients are in London so a day in town every couple of weeks would suffice.
The role is junior - it's clearly stated in the job advert that we are looking for 2-5 years experience and would consider less.
There seems to be a little saltiness out there about not giving a fixed salary - with the takeaway to some is that we're trying to screw the applicant.
The reality is that we'll take someone with very little experience if feel the person is a good 'fit' in terms of personality and potential but we're not going to pay that person the same as someone with 5 years or more experience.
Hence the range rather than a fixed amount.
I'm still sensing a lack of comprehension in some of the replies
- I'm really not interested in senior candidates and would be happy if the lack of listed salary meant these types didn't apply.
I'm asking for guidance on how to find junior staff - I've not had a single person with 1 - 5 years experience apply.
Are there better places to advertise? Other routes to finding bright young things?
There seems to be a little saltiness out there about not giving a fixed salary - with the takeaway to some is that we're trying to screw the applicant.
The reality is that we'll take someone with very little experience if feel the person is a good 'fit' in terms of personality and potential but we're not going to pay that person the same as someone with 5 years or more experience.
Hence the range rather than a fixed amount.
I'm still sensing a lack of comprehension in some of the replies
- I'm really not interested in senior candidates and would be happy if the lack of listed salary meant these types didn't apply. I'm asking for guidance on how to find junior staff - I've not had a single person with 1 - 5 years experience apply.
Are there better places to advertise? Other routes to finding bright young things?
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