Do You Insist on "The Rolodex" When You Hire?

We talk more on recruiting and hiring. Would you hire “the rolodex” and only “the rolodex”? So many job requirements stipulate a strong need for a rolodex of industry contacts. It makes perfect sense. The sales hiring manager wants someone who knows the industry, knows the players and with those contacts, can move some business in the direction of the hiring company. This last motive, i.e. hire someone who can move business to the hiring company, is a questionable motive from this perspective.

I have managed sales in two different industries and three different market segments. In this limited experience, I have never seen a “rolodex hire” worth a pot to “you know what” in. I am sure that in some niche businesses where there may be few competitors, where change of vendors is easier, and where the customer-supplier relationship is built on relationship and relationship alone, the rolodex counts for much. But that description does not apply to most B2B selling organizations.

I have seen many a hiring candidate and employee use the rolodex as a front to mask otherwise huge gaps in their experience and/or success. Despite supposed great relationships with key decision-makers in their space, the newly-hired cannot convert the prospect to your company’s offerings. Why? Here are a few reasons:

- Despite a strong relationship, change for the customer is hard
- Often, the sales pro views the relationship stronger than the buyer
- There exist other decision-makers who have significant influence on any change/buy decision
- People move on from job to job – that rolodex gets stale very quickly

My opinion is that if the hiring requirements rest heavily on a rolodex, you as the hiring manager will be fooled and led into a bad hire. I want someone who can show evidence of having built a strong rolodex and converted it to revenue. That’s your best hire!