Hiring Sales Reps Based On Assessment Science Achieves 16 Percent Higher Performance And 50 Percent Higher Retention

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CEB (NYSE: CEB), the leading member-based advisory company, today released research indicating that organizations that select and develop employees based on assessment science achieve 16 percent higher performance, and suggests that employees hired in this manner are nearly 50 percent more likely to stay with the organization. To help organizations achieve these higher returns, CEB has released CEB Challenger Selection & Assessment. CEB Challenger Selection & Assessment is a comprehensive resource for organizations seeking to select, cultivate and retain sales reps who demonstrate the skills and behaviors of Challengers, the sales profile that is four times more likely to be a high performer.

CEB Challenger Selection & Assessment helps companies identify specific skill gaps that depress sales rep performance and deploy improved practices to mitigate them in the increasingly sophisticated buying environment. Through the offering, companies can better identify and select the highest potential candidates against the Challenger competency model.

The Assessment also enables companies to better manage and monetize their existing sales force by measuring sales reps' aptitude for specific roles to predict performance and determine whether reorganization or additional training is warranted. CEB Challenger Selection & Assessment is part of CEB's suite of sales effectiveness solutions designed to help companies realize improved sales performance, achieve greater customer loyalty and win greater market share for optimum organizational growth.

"There is no substitute for science in hiring and talent development. Often, organizations rely on outdated competency models, subjective hiring methods and personality tests that lack scientific precision and actually screen out potential high-performing Challenger reps," said Nathan Blain, executive director, CEB. "With CEB Challenger Selection & Assessment, we are bringing together the ideal B2B sales profile with proven assessment science that finally allows companies to hire, cultivate and manage their sales team with the same rigor they apply to other critical corporate assets."

The offering is rooted in proven assessment science repeatedly demonstrated to predict performance from SHL, the global leader in talent measurement and a CEB subsidiary, and expands on the foundations of CEB research highlighted in The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation, the best-selling sales book featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, CNBC and The Washington Post.  

CEB Challenger Selection & Assessment details information on an individual's results in the following key sales competencies: sales judgment, deductive reasoning, sales potential and matching percentages for the desired profile. The Assessment includes:

• Applied scientific assessment score reports designed to surface candidates with Challenger potential;
• A developmental report for employees to pinpoint areas of strength against Challenger skills;
• An interview guide tied to the underlying competencies and key predictors of bottom-line success critical for effective job performance; and
• Analysis and advisory support to benchmark assessment results.

"This is the first product available in the marketplace that leverages CEB's unmatched expertise in transforming sales organizations and SHL's proven assessment science," said Paul Levett, chief product officer, SHL. "Sales and HR executives can feel confident in the offering, knowing it is backed by industry leaders respected for their rigor and their commitment to enhancing corporate performance."

To learn more about CEB and CEB Challenger Selection & Assessment, please visit us.

About CEB

CEB is the leading member-based advisory company. By combining the best practices of thousands of member companies with our advanced research methodologies and human capital analytics, we equip senior leaders and their teams with insight and actionable solutions to transform operations. This distinctive approach, pioneered by CEB, enables executives to harness peer perspectives and tap into breakthrough innovation and improvement without costly consulting or reinvention. The CEB member network includes more than 16,000 executives and the majority of top companies globally. For more information, visit www.executiveboard.com.

SOURCE CEB