Clients Say...

"Working with Optimal Sales Search changed my mind about the true partnership you can have with the right sales recruiter. We have hired several high-level sales people with their help. The results have helped build our company. One of the people we hired from Optimal Sales Search has been our number one sales rep for two years!"

VP Sales, $60M Firm

Background Checks & References

When going through the sales recruitment process, details matter. Employers never appreciate finding out you have a string of DUIs after they complete your background check. The best way to address any indiscretions, goof-ups or mistakes is to deal with them on the front end of the sales recruitment process. If the prospective employer halts the process, or ultimately doesn’t hire you, at least you owned the issue and dealt with it professionally.

Common areas of employer inquiry:

  1. Compensation: If W2 verification is needed, your compensation results are right there in the little box. Review your past compensation so when it’s discussed you are providing accurate information.

  2. References: It used to be easier to list references that you never actually worked with, but now with LinkedIn it is too easy to line up dates and cross check employment history. Stick to listing people who enjoyed managing and working with you.

  3. Reference Choices: Make sure to include professional references as opposed to personal references with at least one former supervisor. It doesn’t matter where the past supervisor works today as long as they managed you at your previous employer.

  4. Applications: When filling out an application remember to write neatly and answer all the questions. Don’t leave out information such as past addresses. If you don’t have all the information you need at the time it’s requested, simply ask to take the application home so you can fill out all the pertinent information. Most employers won’t mind, and you will have additional time to gather all of the requested information.

  5. Credit Checks: If you were an accountant, your credit history would matter. Sales people are rarely judged based on credit scores. In fact, the more you owe, the more motivated most employers assume you will be.

  6. Gaps in Employment: You will need to be prepared to explain any gaps longer than three months.

  7. DMV Records: If your new job comes with a company car, expect your DMV record to be highly scrutinized. If a company car is not provided, one DUI will fly about 50% of the time, two or more DUIs will typically pause the recruitment process.

  8. Background Checks:  Records are pulled from the county, state, federal and DMV depending on the level of check conducted. If there are any issues here, address them prior to the background check.