A Great Salesperson Can Still Fail In The Wrong Environment
The biggest risk in sales hiring isn't always choosing the wrong candidate. It's starting the search with the wrong idea of who will succeed in your business.
Most companies begin with a candidate profile - previous sector, job title, deal size, competitors they've worked for.
But if that profile doesn't match your sales motion, targets, compensation, enablement, leadership and expectations, you can spend weeks interviewing the wrong people, or hire someone whose previous success simply doesn't transfer.
And if you've already been searching for months without finding the right person, the problem may not be a lack of candidates. It may be the profile, role or environment you're asking them to succeed in.
That's where the SCALE Hiring Fit Review comes in.
I use 17 years of specialist B2B software sales-hiring experience to independently assess the role and environment, challenge the assumptions behind the profile you’re targeting, and show you what I believe needs to change.
You then have a clearer candidate profile, identified risk areas and a structured way to assess candidates, while continuing to run the hiring process yourself.
You don’t need to outsource the search to get specialist help making the hire.
£1,950 + VAT | One live sales role | No retainer required
When To Use The SCALE Review
About To Hire?
Before you start searching, I’ll help you test whether the profile you’re planning to target actually fits the sales environment they’ll be joining.
I’ll look at the role, sales motion, targets, compensation, enablement, leadership and expectations, then help you define the type of salesperson most likely to succeed.
Start the search with the right profile, not just the obvious one.
Struggling to Hire?
If you’ve been searching for a while without finding the right person, the problem may not be candidate supply. It could be the profile, package, quota, process or wider sales environment.
I’ll review what’s happening, challenge the assumptions behind the search and help you identify what needs to change before you keep investing time in the same approach.
Keep control of the search, but with a much clearer route forward.
You don’t need to outsource the recruitment to access specialist sales-hiring expertise.
Why Work With Me ?
I’ve spent nearly 20 years specialising in B2B software sales hiring across the UK, Europe and the US.
Over that time, I’ve seen strong salespeople succeed in one business and struggle in another , often because the sales motion, expectations, leadership or environment were completely different.
That pattern recognition is what sits behind SCALE.
I carry out the review myself. I assess the role and environment, challenge the assumptions behind the profile you’re targeting and give you my view on what needs to change and who you should actually be looking for.
You run the search. I help you get the hiring strategy right.
What's Included In Your Review
01
02
03
04
05
Environmental Summary
Candidate Profile
Risk Areas
Job Brief Review
Interview Scorecard
I assess your sales motion, compensation, quota, enablement, leadership and career environment the new hire will actually be joining.
I define the experience, characteristics, motivations and working style I believe are most likely to succeed in that specific environment.
I highlight the aspects of the role, package or environment that could make the hire harder to succeed before they become problems after someone joins.
I review your existing brief or job specification and recommend where it needs to change based on what the assessment reveals.
You receive a structured scorecard and interview questions designed specifically to test candidates against the environment they’ll actually be joining.
Everything is built around your role and your business - not a generic template.
What's Included In Your Review
01
Environmental Summary
I assess your sales motion, compensation, quota, enablement, leadership and career environment the new hire will actually be joining.
02
Candidate Profile
I define the experience, characteristics, motivations and working style I believe are most likely to succeed in that specific environment.
03
Risk Areas
I highlight the aspects of the role, package or environment that could make the hire harder to succeed before they become problems after someone joins.
04
Job Brief Review
I review your existing brief or job specification and recommend where it needs to change based on what the assessment reveals.
05
Interview Scorecard
You receive a structured scorecard and interview questions designed specifically to test candidates against the environment they’ll actually be joining.
Everything is built around your role and your business - not a generic template.
From Kickoff to Recommendations
Understand The Role
I spend time with the hiring manager to understand the role, sales motion, targets, compensation, enablement, leadership and expectations.
Assess It Against SCALE
I review the environment across all five SCALE dimensions, challenge the assumptions behind the current profile and identify where there may be risk or misalignment.
Deliver The Review
You receive my findings, Candidate Success Profile, risk areas and Interview Scorecard, followed by a walkthrough where I explain what I think needs to change and why.
The Five Dimensions Reviewed
S
Sales Motion & Role Fit
Does your actual sales motion match what a stong candidate has sold, or can credibly adapt to?
C
Compensation & Quota
Is the package competitive and the quota realistic against genuine top performance?
A
Activation & Enablement
Do you have the tools, process and onboarding to set someone up to be productive and succeed?
L
Leadership & Coaching
Does your manager's style fit how a strong performer in this role actually needs to be led?
E
Evolution & Development
Does the role offer the progression a strong candidate seeks and does it match the company's ambition?
One Role. One Fee
SCALE Hiring Fit Review - £1,950
Includes:
- Sales Environment Assessment
- Candidate Success Profile
- Risk & Misalignment Review
- Job Brief Review
- Interview Scorecard
- Walkthrough Session With Me
You keep control of the search and hire the person yourself. I give you the specialist sales-hiring expertise, challenge and structure to help you make the right decision.
No Retainer. No obligation to engage Harvey Thomas for the search.
Give yourself the best chance of making the hire before you need to spend money on an external recruiter.