Beyond the Resume: What Smart Sales Leaders Look for When Hiring
Most hiring managers are still using the same playbook they've had for decades:
They scan resumes for job-hopping red flags, celebrate longevity, and nod approvingly at attainment numbers without explanation.
But in today's job landscape, I'd argue these traditional signals might be steering you away from your best candidates.
After years of hiring salespeople and coaching sales leaders through their hiring decisions, I've found that conventional wisdom often gets a few things backward.
Here are 4 real-life "this vs. that" comparisons I made as a sales leader myself in hiring salespeople, and still advise my clients to do in their hiring practice.
Resume Gap vs. Job-Hopping Every 12-18 Months
Traditional pick: The candidate without any career gaps, but moved from company to company every 12-18 months multiple times back to back over the course of their sales career.
My pick: The candidate with a thoughtful career gap over the frequent company-hopper
Here's why: The candidate who jumps ship every year brings up a few questions for me:
Are they chasing a better financial offer when it comes their way?
Are they bailing when things get hard?
A candidate hopping from company to company every year to 18 months hasn't really stayed anywhere long enough to experience a full market cycle, a leadership change, or product pivots.
Meanwhile, that candidate with a 9-month gap might have stepped away for health reasons, to care for family, or to pursue a personal goal. What matters here isn't the gap itself (or really jumping from company to company, for that matter), but how they talk about it. Did they learn something? Did they show resilience? Those qualities translate directly to sales success.
Ask yourself: Do you want someone who sticks through challenges or someone who leaves at the first sign of a tough quarter?
Company Lifer vs. Role Evolver
Traditional pick: The candidate who's been with one company and succeeded in their role for 10+ years
My pick: The candidate who's moved roles every few years within the company
Here's why: Longevity without progression is a yellow flag, not a green one for me. Someone who's held the exact same role for a decade might be comfortable with the status quo, but that's not exactly what I need in a rapidly changing sales landscape.
I'd much rather see someone who's navigated new challenges, even if that meant changing positions a few times. Internal mobility is a sign of someone who's gained new skills, shows adaptability, and can build strong relationships across an organization. Bonus points if those career moves are promotions that carry more responsibility.
Ask yourself: Do you want someone who survives change or someone who hasn't faced it?
Attainment Percentages vs. Success Stories
Traditional pick: "143% quota attainment"
My pick: "Turned around a struggling territory by identifying unaddressed customer needs"
Here's why: Raw achievement numbers without context tell me almost nothing useful. Tell me how you got there.
Was that 143% because they had an established territory with existing customers? Was the quota set artificially low? What was the broader team's performance? Is 143% even real…or did they just make that up? The story of how you achieved something tells me far more about you than your attainment number.
Success stories reveal problem-solving skills, customer insight, and sales approach. I'll take the candidate who can articulate how they overcame specific challenges over someone with impressive (but contextless) numbers every time.
Ask yourself: Do you want to know what they did, or how they did it?
"References Available Upon Request" vs. Proactive Testimonials
Traditional pick: Standard “References Available Upon Request” line at the bottom of the resume
My pick: The candidate who proactively provides specific testimonials or guides me to their LinkedIn Profile where I can see referrals from former colleagues, clients, and employers.
Here's why: "References available upon request" is the resume equivalent of "I'll get back to you on that." It tells me nothing except that you'll scramble to find someone to say nice things about you if I ask.
Candidates who proactively share specific feedback from managers, peers, and customers demonstrate confidence and strong relationships. Better yet, they reduce my workload by providing social proof upfront.
Ask yourself: Do you want someone who waits to be asked, or someone who anticipates needs?
The Bottom Line
The most effective sales hires might not have the most traditional-looking resumes. They have experiences that have built resilience, adaptability, and customer insight. And many of those qualities don't show up in the standard resume format.
Next time you're evaluating candidates, look beyond the conventional wisdom. The strongest additions to your team might be hiding in the resume elements others have been trained to avoid.
What unconventional hiring signals have you found valuable?
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