In our growing digital economy, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has emerged as a vital tool for reaching today’s customers. Leveraging data to identify new revenue opportunities and create unique experiences for each individual customer is the only way to remain competitive - whether you’re a broker selling real estate or a DJ booking Bar Mitzvahs.
Founded in 1999, Salesforce has since emerged as the dominant CRM in a crowded playing field, with more share of the market than the next nine competitors combined. This means that, for a broad spectrum of companies, building out a Salesforce team has become part of the price of doing business.
Salesforce is more than a software company - an entire community and digital ecosystem is evolving around the platform. There are many types of Salesforce employees, each with their own certifications, abilities, and goals. So if you’re looking to hire, where do you begin?
The answer to that question will obviously be unique to your company, and Cloud Pacific offers consulting services to help you answer it. Still, there are some basic best practices that you should take into account to ensure you end up with the right resource… because the price of hiring wrong is always high.
DON’T: Just Post the Job to Your Website
When starting your recruitment and hiring process, this might seem like the intuitive first step, but it’s mostly a waste of time. Particularly if you’re looking to start the Salesforce team at your company, you haven’t yet developed the reputation within the Salesforce community that would prompt qualified candidates to come to you.
Qualified Salesforce resources with multiple certifications and at least 2-3 years of experience are among the most in-demand professionals on today’s market. They have recruiters blowing up their inboxes. They’re not going to be googling “Salesforce jobs in my area” when countless offers are already dropping into their laps.
A job posting on your website is going to get lost in the shuffle, and even if applicants do come to you through it, they’re not going to be the quality pros you need to seed a team.
DO: Build Your Connection to the Salesforce Community
Anyone who’s been in business long enough knows that utilizing your network is the ideal staffing strategy, and that couldn’t be more true in the Salesforce ecosystem. Salesforce has built a global community around shared goals and beliefs, and becoming immersed in it is the best possible way to establish relationships that will lead to connections. It’ll also help you generate the reputation and “buzz” you need to make qualified candidates come to you!
If you’re just getting started with Salesforce, you don’t have a network yet, but hiring a senior-level Salesforce Developer or Administrator is your first step into the fold. On top of an excellent skill set, this kind of resource comes with the added benefit of a built-in network you can access once it’s time to grow your team! Think of them as the “seed” from which your optimal team will grow.
Because this role is so important, you’ll want someone with highly technical Salesforce knowledge who can vet future applicants. If you don’t have someone like that already, don’t worry… we’re here to help.
DON’T: Post to Job Boards
If you think posting to job boards like Indeed and Monster will get you loads of applicants, you’re right! But as anyone who’s been to an all-you-can-eat buffet knows, quantity doesn’t mean quality. Plus, sifting through hundreds of applications puts more work onto your already crowded plate.
The harsh truth is, qualified Salesforce resources are in extremely high demand, so if someone is taking the “shotgun” approach of blasting their resume out on job boards (instead of fielding offers from recruiters)... there’s probably a good reason for that. They might be new, they might come with baggage, or they might just have a bad habit falling for phishing scams and forwarding spam to the entire office.
Regardless of why, if this is the approach they’re taking, they don’t have a lot of options, and that’s a red flag in a market that's thirsty for Salesforce resources.
DO: Create Targeted Posts for Social Media
LinkedIn and Reddit are your best choices for accessing qualified Salesforce professionals who are engaged in the community. Unlike job boards, these platforms provide other reasons for qualified Salesforce resources to continually engage and build community.
The r/Salesforce and r/SalesforceCareers subreddits are going to get you better applicants than Monster and Indeed, and posting there is another great way to get your foot in the door when it comes to networking with the overall Salesforce community!
DON’T: Hire a Salesforce Recruiting Firm
We’ve touched on how many messages qualified Salesforce professionals get from recruiters a few times already. This is a really common strategy for finding the right person for your business, and it’s true that Salesforce recruiting firms are a much better option than a more passive “come to us” approach.
However, while some recruiters may be effective, they can also be extremely expensive and impersonal. They embody the other side of the “shotgun” approach, going after as many candidates as possible, and this means that desirable pros are exhausted by the constant onslaught of generic recruitment messages.
Beyond that, if you’re going for the kind of senior-level employee you’ll need to “seed” your team, their starting salary is going to be around $150K per year. Recruiters typically charge between 15-30% of the hire’s starting salary for their services, so could be paying as much as $45K just to get someone in the door.
Ask yourself: If you devoted internal resources to finding a qualified Salesforce employee for your company, could you do it effectively for less than $45K? If the answer is yes, then a recruiting firm isn’t your best option.
DO: Make Direct Contact (With Consultant Support)
Like we touched on above, LinkedIn is an excellent place to find good senior-level Salesforce resources. The downside is, most of them aren’t actively looking to find another job, and with recruiters cramming their inbox every day, you’re going to have to make a strong case for your company to stand out.
A more personal message can go a long way here. Bring in someone from your marketing staff and really make the case for your company better than any recruiter could. How you position your company and establish contact is vitally important, particularly if you’re looking for a very specific kind of in-demand professional.
If you’re at all worried about executing this kind of process internally, don’t turn to a recruiter! The more cost-effective (and honestly everything-effective) option is to bring in a Salesforce consulting firm to support your hiring process. The right consulting firm will not only charge you far less than the recruiting firm would, but they’ll give you instant access to their extensive network of relationships in the community.
Recruiters are salespeople. A consulting firm will give you Salesforce people, and that’s what you will need to enter this exciting ecosystem dominating the CRM market.
At Cloud Pacific, we offer consulting services to support you in your search for the perfect Salesforce hire (and more). Click Here to contact us and learn how our network, experience, and expertise can help you “seed” your Salesforce dream team.
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