B2B Sales Hiring Readiness Checklist

Have you clearly defined the job title and responsibilities ?

Do you have a job description that includes success metrics (e.g. revenue targets, deal size, industry focus) ?

Have you mapped out the skills and experience required (e.g. enterprise sales, SaaS selling, complex deal management) ?

Do you know whether you need a hunter (new business) or a farmer (account manager) ?

Is this role an IC or Team management or both ?

Is this hire aligned with your growth strategy (e.g. expansion into new markets, scaling enterprise sales, etc) or replacement role ?

Have you identified KPIs and success criteria for the first 3-6-12 months ?

Have you defined the territory, industry, or customer segment this hire will focus on ?

Have you benchmarked salary & commission structures against market reality ?

Is your compensation mix (fixed vs. variable pay) attractive to top sales talent ?

Do you have an answer to - "What is the benefit for someone to switch and work for your company" ?

Do you have a proactive hiring plan (instead of waiting until there's an urgent need) ?

Do you have a talent acquisition who can focus on this role with time limit ?

Have you partnered with a specialized sales recruitment firm ?

Have you outlined a multi-step interview process (screening, skill-based, case study, psychometrics assessments) ?

Are hiring managers trained on assessing sales talent? (Process and evaluation criteria defined )

Do you have a scorecard or evaluation framework to compare candidates objectively ?

Have you included a real-world sales simulation or mock pitch in the process ?

Do you have a 30-60-90 day onboarding plan to set new hires up for success ?

Have you defined a ramp-up period (when the new hire is expected to start closing deals) ?

Have you assigned a mentor to help them integrate into the company culture ?

Are there clear expectations and accountability measures for their performance ?

Have you planned on how you'll provide ongoing sales training and coaching ?

Have you set up a CRM and sales tools to support their workflow ?

Have you mapped a career growth path for this role (e.g. Manager → Director → VP) ?

Do you offer continuous feedback & performance reviews to keep them engaged ?