Don’t Use Code in Sales Job Descriptions

“A Rock Star's main duty is to write songs and to perform, but he or she must also serve as the band's mouthpiece during interviews, etc.”

from www.careersinmusic.com

For me, the best commercial in this year's Super Bowl was the 'rock star’ one. I did not really remember the company or service until I looked it up the next morning (Workday, Cloud Payroll/HR). But the use of a meaningless buzzword and ill-fitting label resonated with me.

The commercial is taking aim at those in corporate America who throw around the term ‘rock star’ a little too loosely. Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, and Gary Clark Jr. take offense to the casual use of their professional designation by office workers:

“Hey, corporate types, would you stop calling each other rock stars?” Paul Stanley implores at the start of the ad with an audience of thousands of fans cheering behind him. “Rock stars? Please.”

Joan Jett then chimes in to inquire, “Do you know what it takes to be a rock star?”

“I’ve trashed hotel rooms in 43 countries,” Billy Idol offers.

“I’ve done my share of bad things—also your share of bad things,” Ozzy adds.

In my conversations with founders, owners, and CEOs, the label 'rock star' is frequently used to describe someone in sales that stands out from the rest, someone performing in the top one percent. And it falls in line with other descriptions used to identify an ideal candidate, all of which I consider equally meaningless:

• A-Player

• Ninja

• Superstar

• Unicorn

• World Class

• Team Player

• Thought Leader

But why is using labels bad in job descriptions or postings? It seems that everyone understands the code word…

Let’s start by taking the label literally: Are you seriously looking for someone that trashes hotel rooms during business trips, shows up to a client with scary makeup and clothing, often has substance abuse issues, and breaks up a successful team because they are a prima donna?

Of course, you can also take it literally with a more positive angle. You are looking for someone that has grit and determination, is highly creative, excited about their work, and part of team performance. I guess not everyone understands a code word the same way. That is a problem in a job description.

And this is similar when using gendered terminology. Words often associated with masculinity, like ‘competitive’ or ‘determined,' can dissuade women from applying because they believe they would not belong in that work environment. Conversely, ‘cooperative’ and ‘collaborative’ tend to attract more women and turn away men.

Companies want to find top-quality talent. They're desperate for it. So much so that this desperation leaks into the job description: "Please apply if you are a rock star." But hiring just doesn't work that way.

Because most people tend to think of themselves as a rock star, or at the very least, as being better than most others. Or have you ever seen a profile or resume where someone describes themselves as average, self-centered, and a B-player?

Instead of using a label, you could become very tangible and factual, e.g., state as a requirement that you are looking for someone that has exceeded quota in 80% of their sales roles; or someone with an S personality in their DiSC profile. Many of those requirements, though, are looking backward, and successes are relative to a specific work environment. I have seen over and over again that success as a salesperson in one company, selling one type of product in a specific market, does not necessarily mean they are equally successful when those environmental factors are different.

I believe the best approach is to stay away from labels, buzzwords, and code; and also stay away from job titles and company names. Instead, focus on past experiences that you believe will make them successful in your business. Describe the sales scenario in your company, elements like the type of product, the deal structure, and the target personas, and then look for someone that has done this before.

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